A&E has pulled two episodes of “Live PD” from its schedule this weekend as protesters across the country continue taking to the streets in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week.
“Out of respect for the families of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives, in consultation with the departments we follow, and in consideration for the safety of all involved, we have made the decision not to broadcast ‘Live PD’ this weekend,” A&E said in a statement on Friday.
New episodes of the Dan Abrams-hosted series were scheduled to air Friday and Saturday. The show typically features live footage from law enforcement agencies in various cities, with Abrams and former officers Tom Morris Jr. and Sean “Sticks” Larkin providing commentary.
Abrams assured the show’s fans that it would be back soon, writing on Twitter, “To all of you asking whether #LivePD coming back. . .The answer is yes. All of us associated with the show are as committed to it as ever. We are still discussing some specifics but I want to assure the #LivePDNation that we are not abandoning you.”
The decision not to air new episodes of “Live PD” comes as Paramount Network made similar programming adjustments. In a statement on June 9, Paramount Network confirmed that the upcoming 33rd season of “Cops” has been pulled and there are no plans for it to return to the network’s schedule.
“‘Cops’ is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” the network said.
The long-running unscripted program, which is also made up of footage following officers in the field, was previously scheduled to return with new episodes on June 8. The show no longer appears on the channel’s schedule, and the show page has been removed from the Paramount Network website.
Variety first reported the news.