NBC has canceled seven shows so far in 2026, the network announced, cutting scripted series, daytime talk programs and syndicated titles as the 2025‑2026 season winds down.
The list of cancellations includes Brilliant Minds (canceled after two seasons), Law & Order: Organized Crime, and The Kelly Clarkson Show (not picked up before what would have been a sixth season). NBCUniversal also announced it will stop producing any first‑run syndicated TV programming — decisions that specifically end long‑running and recently debuted series: Access Hollywood and The Steve Wilkos Show will no longer be produced. The Steve Wilkos Show debuted in 2007 and aired for 19 seasons.
Other cancellations named by NBC are Stumble, which ran one season after debuting in November and ending in March and which was a mockumentary about a junior college cheerleading team, and Karamo, hosted by Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown and positioned as a successor to Maury. Brilliant Minds starred Zachary Quinto as New York City neurologist Dr. Oliver Wolf.
NBCUniversal framed the move to abandon first‑run syndication as a programming alignment with local stations. Frances Berwick said, "NBCUniversal is making changes to our first‑run syndication division to better align with the programming preferences of local stations." The company is pairing that strategic shift with a slate reduction across daytime and scripted categories as the traditional broadcast season closes.
The cancellations carry immediate, tangible weight: daytime and syndicated pipelines that for years delivered first‑run content to local affiliates will be shuttered from the production side, and multiple-season shows and veteran franchises are among those affected. That combination — pulling both newer shows and long-established titles — helps explain the scale of the network’s announcement.
There is a clear friction in the rollout. Cast and creators of Brilliant Minds reacted warmly even as the series struggled in the ratings: "This was my family for two seasons. What a privilege. The pure joy of working with these people is something I will and already carry with me daily," DeMane Davis wrote. Producer Brian Altemus added on Instagram, "I’m really going to miss getting to work with these people. Not just the ones you see on screen, but the hundreds of other people that worked on this production." Those sentiments sit against Deadline reporting that Brilliant Minds was NBC’s lowest‑rated drama series on the linear TV lineup, highlighting a gap between internal appreciation and measurable audience performance.
The operational consequence NBC has made explicit is the end of its first‑run syndication business: shows that relied on NBCUniversal to produce and distribute initial runs to local stations will no longer come from the network. Access Hollywood and The Steve Wilkos Show are named examples of that policy in action.
For viewers and local stations, the immediate next step is clear: the seven cancellations are in effect, and NBCUniversal will stop producing first‑run syndicated programming. The full list of titles the network named is Brilliant Minds, Law & Order: Organized Crime, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Stumble, Karamo, Access Hollywood and The Steve Wilkos Show — and NBC has not announced additional cuts beyond those seven. Whether NBC will replace first‑run syndication with different distribution strategies or redeploy those production resources elsewhere is the unresolved question left by this announcement.
