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Entertainment

Black TV Friday: 17 shows Canceled (So Far); Were Any Your Favorite?

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

It was a dark Friday in May for many networks, actors, and crews as multiple TV series at FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC were canceled ahead of upfronts next week. In the television industry, an upfront is a gathering at the start of important advertising sales periods, held by television network executives and attended by major advertisers and the media.

Some of your favorite shows with Black leads are getting the boot. We’ve rounded up several shows that are ending this year.

Canceled TV Shows w/ Black Leads

Power
Power (Starz) stars Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Joseph Sikora, and Omari Hardwick (Photo: Paul Schiraldi)

Power (Starz) Seasons: 6

Empire (Fox) Seasons: 5

Lethal Weapon (Fox) Seasons: 3

Happy Together (CBS) Seasons: 1

Star (Fox) Seasons: 3

Fam (CBS) Seasons: 1

The Fix (ABC) Seasons: 2

Detroiters (Comedy Central) Seasons: 2

Marlon (NBC) Seasons: 2

Canceled TV Shows

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The cast of Lethal Weapon

Many shows which have been dangerously low in rating numbers were given the boot to make room for fresh series to premiere in the fall.

FOX canceled “Lethal Weapon” after three tumultuous seasons and “The Passage,” “Rel,” and “The Cool Kids” after one season each. On Saturday news broke that “Star” was canceled after three seasons as was “Proven Innocent” after one season.

ABC canceled “Speechless” after three seasons, “Splitting Up Together” after two seasons, “The Fix” and “The Kids Are Alright” after one season each, and “For the People” after two seasons.

NBC canceled “I Feel Bad” after one season and Steve Harvey’s syndicated talk show is ending in June.

CBS canceled the “Murphy Brown” revival, “Fam” and “Happy Together” after their first seasons and “Life in Pieces” after four seasons.

Meanwhile, earlier in May, TBS canceled “Angie Tribeca” after four seasons and Netflix canceled “Santa Clarita Diet” after three seasons.

Renewed & New TV Shows

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BLACK-ISH – ABC’s “black-ish” stars Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson, Jr., Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson, Austin and Berlin Gross as Devonte Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops Johnson, and Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

As for renewed TV series, NBC is welcoming back: “The Blacklist,” “This Is Us,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Ellen’s Game of Games,” “Good Girls,” “The Good Place,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Manifest,” “New Amsterdam,” “Superstore,” “Blindspot” (final season), and “Will & Grace.”

NBC also ordered Kenan Thompson’s new sitcom, “The Kenan Show,” and he will still remain a cast member of “Saturday Night Live.”

Be on the lookout for these shows returning on CBS: “Blue Bloods,” “Bull,” “Criminal Minds” (final season), “FBI,” “God Friended Me,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “MacGyver,” “Madam Secretary,” “Magnum P.I.,” “Man With a Plan,” “Mom,” “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “The Neighborhood,” “SEAL Team,” “S.W.A.T.,” and “Young Sheldon.”

Returning on ABC: “A Million Little Things,” “American Housewife,” “black-ish,” “Bless This Mess,” “The Conners,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “The Good Doctor,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Modern Family” (final season), “The Rookie,” “Single Parents,” “The Bachelor/ette,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “Station 19.”

Coming back to FOX are: “9-1-1,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Empire,” “Family Guy,” “Last Man Standing,” “The Masked Singer,” “The Resident,” and “The Simpsons.”

You’ll see these on The CW: “The 100,” “All American,” “Arrow” (final season), “Black Lightning,” “Burden of Truth,” “Charmed,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “Dynasty,” “The Flash,” “In the Dark,” “Legacies,” “The Outpost,” “Riverdale,” “Roswell, New Mexico,” “Supergirl,” and “Supernatural” (final season).