Cops cancelled amid police-brutality protests
LOS ANGELES — Cops has been abolished by the Paramount Network.
The long-running reality series was cancelled Tuesday amid protests over systemic racism and police violence after the killing of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died May 25 after a white police officer pinned him down at the neck with his knee until he stopped breathing.
“Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” said a network spokesperson in a statement.
Episodes of the series, which followed police officers and sheriff’s deputies as they responded to calls, had been pulled from the network’s lineup earlier this month in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. Now the pause is permanent.
As the nationwide protests continue, discussion has turned to how TV shows and pop culture have helped perpetuate misconceptions about the police and the criminal justice system. Cops and unscripted counterparts such as Live PD — currently on hold at
A&E — are among those that have faced heightened scrutiny as videos capturing police attacks on peaceful protesters have circulated in recent days.
Cops premièred in 1989 on the Fox network, where it aired for 25 seasons. The unscripted series was built around actual events and commentary provided by the on-duty police officers being featured. In 2013, Cops moved to Spike TV, the predecessor to Paramount. A new season had been slated to première Monday.
Vanderpump dumps four for bigotry
NEW YORK — Four cast members are not returning for another season of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules — two over their racist social media posts, and the others after they racially profiled a coworker.
Bravo released a statement Tuesday confirming that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni would not return to the reality series, which will air its final episode of season eight next week.
The show follows the personal lives of current and former employees of former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump’s Los Angeles restaurants.
It was revealed last week on a podcast that Schroeder and Doute had reported a former African American coworker, Faith Stowers, for a crime she had nothing to do with. Stowers appeared on two seasons of Vanderpump.
Boyens and Caprioni were let go over past tweets that contained racial slurs.
Schroeder and Doute, who have been main cast members on the show since its 2013 debut, have apologized on social media. Boyens and Caprioni, who are new to the series, apologized on last week’s reunion episode of Vanderpump Rules.
Vanderpump appeared on nine seasons of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and left that series last year.