It was good news-bad news day for CBS drama viewers yesterday. Fans of S.W.A.T. rejoiced when the network reversed its cancellation decision and renewed the veteran procedural for a 13-episode seventh and final season. But that tipped the scale for another CBS cop drama, freshman East New York, which was canceled shortly after. And in a case of bad timing, by being axed during a writers strike, East New York is far less likely to get a reprieve.
While not as established as S.W.A.T., East New York, starring Amanda Warren, has developed a loyal following, and its cancellation has sparked a backlash, especially in light of the fact that the cop show drew bigger linear numbers than two other CBS drama series that have been renewed for next season, fellow freshman So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas, both of which come from CBS’ sister studios CBS Studios.
East New York, on the other hand, hails from Warner Bros. Television.
As Deadline has chronicled in detail, the cancellation followed lengthy, difficult renewal negotiations between the network the studio, which spanned a number of issues, including CBS looking to create a precedent by requesting additional streaming rights. (CBS and WBTV actually came close to an agreement before S.W.A.T.’s resurrection.)
Because of how touch-and-go the negotiations were, I hear Warner Bros. TV explored potential alternatives for the show while talks were going on. But as East New York was informally shopped, media companies were hunkering down in anticipation of a possible writers strike and not willing to take risks, so the studio’s outreach was unsuccessful.
Now that the WGA strike is in full force, finding a new home is considered an even longer shot but I hear the show’s creative auspices and their reps are giving it a try.
“Our journey doesn’t have to end here,” co-creator/executive producer Mike Flynn wrote in an Instagram message to fans Tuesday.
From creators William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn, East New York follows Regina Haywood (Warren), the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, an impoverished, working-class neighborhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting during the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.
The series also stars Jimmy Smits, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Kind, Olivia Luccardi, and Lavel Schley. Finkelstein, Flynn, Michael M. Robin, Ed Redlich served as executive producers. Also executive producing was former top CBS programming executive Thom Sherman who had developed the series.