Where are all the Black-oriented scripted TV series going? When it comes to primetime television, there have been noticeable cancellations of scripted series that either have predominantly Black casts or a leading character who is Black. Prime Video’s “Harlem,” Peacock’s “Bel-Air,” and CBS’s “The Equalizer” are among the canceled shows.

Every year, it’s expected that any number of TV series will get canceled or renewed. But the disappearance of Black-oriented shows is leaving a noticeable void.

The numbers don’t lie: As more Black-oriented scripted series are canceled or ending for the 2025-2026 TV season which starts in June, they are not being replaced.

In fact, fewer new scripted Black-oriented series have been announced so far for the season that starts next month. Some TV networks and major streaming services haven’t announced any new Black-oriented series so far.

Only one of the multiple distributors contacted by Black News & Views responded to a request for an explanation, and said these sorts of decisions happen all the time.

“It is never easy saying goodbye to cherished shows, and we’re incredibly grateful for their contributions,” said a CBS spokesperson who asked not to be identified.

Black-oriented series that have been canceled or will end in the 2025-2026 TV season are:

• “Bel-Air” (Peacock), starring Jabari Banks (The fourth and final season of “Bel-Air” will premiere in the summer or fall of 2025, on a date to be announced.)
• “Clean Slate” (Prime Video), starring Laverne Cox and George Wallace
• “The Equalizer” (CBS), starring Queen Latifah
• “Found” (NBC), starring Shanola Hampton
• “Harlem” (Prime Video), starring Meagan Good
• “How to Die Alone” (Hulu), starring Natasha Rothwell
• “The Irrational” (NBC), starring Jesse L. Martin
• “The Neighborhood” (CBS), starring Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold (The eighth and final season of “The Neighborhood” will premiere in the fall of 2025, on a date to be announced.)
• “Poppa’s House” (CBS), starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.
• “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz), starring Michael Rainey Jr.
• “Survival of the Thickest” (Netflix), starring Michelle Buteau (The third and final season of “Survival of the Thickest” will premiere in the 2025-2026 TV season, on a date to be announced.)
• “S.W.A.T.” (CBS), starring Shemar Moore

The new Black-oriented scripted TV series announced so far for the 2025-2026 TV season include:

• “Barbershop” (Prime Video), starring Jermaine Fowler
• “The Burbs” (Peacock), starring Keke Palmer, who is also an executive producer
• “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC), starring Tracy Morgan
• “IT: Welcome to Derry” (HBO), starring Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo
• “Man on Fire” (Netflix), starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen, who is also an executive producer
• “Nemesis” (Netflix), starring Matthew Law, Y’lan Noel, and Cleopatra Coleman
• “Tyler Perry’s Divorced Sistas” (BET), starring LeToya Luckett

Black News & Views reached out to representatives for all the above TV series for comment. 

The CBS spokesperson who did respond on-the-record described the show shuffle as normal.

“We’re proud of the inclusive programming across our network,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

”Every season, we fully assess our prime-time schedule and decide on a new line up and what shows to replace and renew,” the spokesperson continued. “A number of factors for each series are examined, including viewership ratings, financial performance, and where they are creatively in their lifecycle. These are difficult decisions.”

The CBS spokesperson added: “‘The Equalizer’ producers were given advance notice the show could end and they produced an episode that could serve as a finale. ‘The Neighborhood’ was not canceled. It is ‘ending’ and being given an eighth final season for a celebratory send off.”

Stars and showrunners for the canceled series have mostly chosen to not make public statements about the cancellations. However, some have publicly spoken out about the ends of their respective shows and expressed hope for future projects.

Emmy-winning Queen Latifah, who was also an executive producer of “The Equalizer,” posted this statement on her Instagram account, which read, in part: “Thank you to our amazing cast, crew, and producers and writers! And I can’t say enough about the fans! Y’all have been so loyal, so loud, and so ride-or-die—and that’s exactly why we keep doing this. We can’t thank you enough. It means the world to us. And don’t worry—I’ll be back kicking ass in something new real soon. Can’t wait to share it with you.”

“Clean Slate,” another of the discontinued shows, was the first primetime TV comedy series with a transgender Black star in a leading role. “Clean Slate” co-stars Cox and Wallace and “Clean Slate” co-creator/co-showrunner Dan Ewen gave a joint statement to Deadline saying they would continue to advocate for the portrayals of transgender people on television.

“We will push to keep the story alive, for the sake of the kind of people portrayed in it, the kind of people being legislated out of existence, or erased from history books. It feels like it’s time to fight like hell for nice things,” they said in the statement released after the “Clean Slate” cancellation announcement in April.

Emmy-winning transgender actress Cox, who was an executive producer of “Clean Slate,” said during a Us Weekly interview in April that she was saddened by the cancellation.

“We found out a few weeks before we announced it, and I cried like a baby,” Cox said in the interview. “Of course, I’ve had shows canceled before, but I’ve never birthed … a scripted television show. It’s been like it was my baby more than any other scripted project I’ve been a part of. So, it was just so close and it was loosely based on my life. … It’s sad, but it’s not unexpected in the current political environment, but it’s just sad in relationship to that.”

A few of the TV production studios behind the canceled shows aren’t giving up and are trying to find new distributors to revive the shows.

Warner Bros. Television is shopping “Found” to TV networks and streaming services, Variety reported. Sony Pictures Television has already moved on from CBS canceling “S.W.A.T.” and has announced a series spinoff titled “S.W.A.T. Exiles,” with Moore as the series star (reprising his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson) and as an executive producer. “S.W.A.T. Exiles,” whose other cast members have not yet been announced, is described by Sony Pictures Television as a show with supporting characters as “new recruits.” The show begins filming in Los Angeles this summer, with Sony Pictures Television soliciting the show for an expected series premiere in 2025 or 2026, according to Deadline.

Moore said in a statement: “My eight seasons on ‘S.W.A.T.’ have been epic and memorable. We entertained the world, defied the odds, came back from the dead twice, and continued to woo fans and families worldwide. I am excited for this next generation and iteration of ‘S.W.A.T.’ with Sony.”