NBC Exec on Suits LA Cancellation: 'Hard Decisions Were Necessary'

"Suits," a beloved series that first aired on USA in 2011, has maintained a strong fan base over nearly 15 years. Its recent availability on Netflix sparked a binge-watching frenzy, yet this surge in popularity wasn't enough to save the new spin-off, "Suits LA," which NBC canceled after its inclusion in the fall schedule. Jeff Bader, NBC's president of program planning strategy, shared insights on the decision to cancel the show.

"It's incredibly challenging to decide which shows to renew, and 'Suits LA' had a brief run but didn't resonate as expected," Bader told Variety after the fall schedule was released. "There are numerous reasons speculated for its lack of impact, but unfortunately, it hasn't shown the potential for future growth."

Suits LA was canceled after just one season. Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC via Getty Images.

Bader elaborated on the tough choices they had to make: "We analyzed the performance of our shows across both linear and digital platforms. We needed to see which ones had growth potential. This involved assessing stability on linear TV, digital engagement, growth trends, and declines. Hard decisions were necessary."

He also mentioned that NBCUniversal considered transferring canceled shows to Peacock, but "Suits LA" did not receive the go-ahead for such a move.

Discussing the criteria for retaining shows, especially with the NBA taking over Tuesday nights, Bader explained, "We examined week-to-week and episode-to-episode performance on both linear and digital platforms to identify which shows had the strongest ratings narrative. Creatively, our teams assessed which shows could best attract new audiences. The two shows that rose to the top met these criteria."

"Suits" originally ran for nine seasons from 2011 to 2019. The revival series, "Suits LA," premiered in February and featured stars like Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg. Additionally, original "Suits" cast members such as Rick Hoffman, David Costabile, and Gabriel Macht made appearances. Aaron Korsh, the creator of the original series, also served as the creator and executive producer of the spinoff, which concluded its run with its final episode on May 11, 2025.