Spectrum Originals to Shut Down, Leaving Several Shows in Limbo

The TV landscape is losing another source of original content: Spectrum Originals, which produced series like L.A.’s Finest and the Mad About You revival for Spectrum cable subscribers, is shutting down, according to our sister site Deadline, with parent company Charter Communications scrapping all of its original programming plans.

The move leaves several current Spectrum series in limbo, including neo-Western Joe Pickett, which is billed as Spectrum’s top-rated series ever and was renewed for Season 2 in February, and sci-fi thriller Beacon 23, starring Game of Thrones alum Lena Headey, which has already been renewed ahead of its series premiere. (Beacon 23 is a co-production with AMC.) It’s unclear yet if these series will still air on Spectrum, be moved to another network or be scrapped altogether.

Spectrum Originals launched in 2019 with the premiere of L.A.’s Finest, an offshoot of the Bad Boys movies franchise originally developed at NBC and starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba. It ran for two seasons before being cancelled in 2020. Spectrum also hosted a six-episode revival of the ’90s NBC sitcom Mad About You, with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt reprising their roles as married New Yorkers Paul and Jamie Buchman. Their other original series included The Bite, a COVID satire from The Good Fight‘s Robert and Michelle King, and Season 2 of true crime anthology Manhunt, which came over from Discovery and focused on the 1996 Atlanta bombing and falsely accused suspect Richard Jewell.

Several more upcoming series still remain in development at Spectrum Originals: the miniseries George and Tammy, starring Oscar winner Jessica Chastain as country music legend Tammy Wynette; the Cold War thriller A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce (a co-production with BritBox); and the Florida-set dramedy Panhandle, starring The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s Luke Kirby (a co-production with the Roku Channel).

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