We’re almost halfway through the 2020s, and it’s not been nice to crime dramas. There have been a number canceled way too early, especially when you take a look at the broadcast networks. And every network has been guilty of bringing an abrupt end to some intriguing and necessary crime dramas.
It’s hard to narrow this list down to five. Let me tell you that there were so many more than I wanted to put on the list, and I’ll probably do a second list another time. However, these are the ones that still stand out, with some of the cancellations happening earlier in the 2020s — and yes, I’m still salty!
I’m going to do this list in the order of the shows being canceled. Please do not thing that I’ve ordered it from worst to worser!
Prodigal Son
FOX gets an entry on this list with the cancellation of Prodigal Son after just two seasons. The first season was epic, with a great audience following. I still blame the move to Tuesday nights for the audience dropping off. It went up against CBS’s block, and FOX has already struggled with Tuesdays. However, I also think the series lost a bit of what made it special at first, especially with Catherine Zeta Jones’s character.
However, the series was a great look into the twisted minds of serial killers. We even got to see a protagonist who feared he was a sociopath. You see, people can use their psychopathy and sociopathy for good, and that’s something Malcolm Bright arguably did. With Malcolm and his dad out in the woods together, I really need to know what was supposed to come after!
Prodigal Son was canceled in May 2021.
NCIS: New Orleans
Back in the early 2020s, my favorite of the NCIS shows was NCIS: New Orleans. It is still up there as one of my favorites, and that’s because it was more than just a crime drama. This series brought some excellent friendships and also made New Orleans as a character of its own. There were some supernatural elements to the show, while also showcasing the jazz scene.
While the series did struggle a little after the loss of Lasalle, the series still brought a strong team and Pride remained the leader we all needed to see on the screen. There were some excellent cases to solve, and there was no doubt that we were ready to see how the team would solve the next crime. Sadly, the series was abruptly canceled, and I wouldn’t have complained about seeing one of the characters head to Hawaii to be a part of that spinoff.
NCIS: Orleans was canceled in May 2021.
Alaska Daily
May 2023 was hard on a lot of TV shows, and one that stands out is Alaska Daily. After just one season, ABC opted to cancel the show because it wasn’t pulling in the viewership. To be honest, airing it in the last slot of Thursday nights was the death knell from the start, and it led to so many shows being canceled!
Alaska Daily was one of those important shows of the year, and it remains important now. It highlighted the terrible treatment of Indigenous women and girls, especially from the police when they go missing. There are so many heartbreaking stories of women and girls going missing and the cops just don’t care. And yes, it is systemic racism, and this needs to be shown more and more in TV.
Alaska Daily was canceled in May 2023.
NCIS: Hawaii
You knew I was going to put this show on the list, right? I know so many of you screamed this show once you saw the 2020s in the title. Quite simply, this cancellation shouldn’t have happened. If CBS really thought the viewership had declined (it was stronger than NCIS: Origins), then it should have at least got a fourth and final season.
The series had everything we needed on TV. It brought some well-rounded characters, focusing on minorities without even constantly telling us they were minorities. We got a realistic lesbian relationship, some genuinely good men, and a single mom and excellent leader who was fair and easy to respect. I still stand by LL Cool J coming into so many episodes of the season was a bad move, as season 3 ended up being focused too much on him rather than the team. I want to know where the Hawaii team are now.
NCIS: Hawaii was canceled in May 2024.
Found
Yes, there is a show from this year on the list. Out of all the crime dramas canceled in 2025, it’s Found that sits at the top of my list that I’m most hurt about. This series had excellent writing, brilliantly developed characters, and focused on some important topics that TV shows need to bring to life.
There were a few struggles for the series, with the move to Thursday nights certainly one of the problems. I also think that this would have been better as a streaming show rather than a broadcast show, and it could have had a great home on Peacock. So, now we need to find someone to pick it up, because there are some twisty and intriguing storylines to pick up after that cliffhanger of a season 2 finale.
Found was canceled in May 2025.
Stay up to date with the latest TV crime dramas with Precinct TV.