TV shows 'Cops,' 'Live PD' removed from air amid George Floyd protests

Long-running series "Cops" and popular A&E program "Live PD" have been pulled from broadcasting amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd.

It is unclear when either law enforcement-focused show might be aired again, if ever.

What are the details?

Variety first reported Friday that "A&E has decided not to run new episodes of 'Live PD' this Friday and Saturday, while Paramount Network has delayed the Season 33 launch of 'Cops,' the long-running reality series that was scheduled to return on Monday."

A&E confirmed its decision in a statement, saying, "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."

According to IndieWire, Paramount Network "confirmed that parent company ViacomCBS has no plans to put 'Cops' back on air at this stage. The pause in programming comes as Paramount Network begins to shift away from all unscripted programming."

"Live PD" had been scheduled to return on June 5 after a two-week hiatus, but producer Dan Abrams confirmed Friday night, "Sorry to say that there will be no #LivePD this weekend." Abrams shared a link to the Variety story, and echoed A&E's statement, saying, "The decision was made in conjunction with the departments we follow."

WTVF-TV reported "despite the intention of promoting police transparency, a number of communities have condemned ['Live PD']," noting that "one criticism of the show is that it shows interactions with citizens who may not end up being guilty of a crime. Another criticism of the show is that it only shows incidents from the perspective of officers and not the public."