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

*Suits* has long been a beloved series, captivating audiences since its debut on USA Network back in 2011. Its enduring appeal saw a significant resurgence in recent years, thanks to its availability on Netflix, fueling numerous binge-watching marathons. However, the recent momentum couldn't carry over to the new spin-off, *Suits LA*, which was abruptly canceled as NBC unveiled its fall schedule. The decision to pull the plug on *Suits LA* was explained by Jeff Bader, the brand's president of program planning strategy.

“It’s so hard to talk about shows and which ones you bring back, and *Suits* had a very short run, but it really just has not resonated the way we thought it would,” Bader stated to Variety after the fall schedule was made public. “There can be many, many reasons why, people are speculating why it hasn’t resonated, but it’s just not really showing the potential to grow for us in the future, unfortunately.”

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

Bader elaborated on the tough choices they faced: “And it’s those decisions we had to make. We had to look at the performance of the shows, both on linear and on digital. We had to see the ones that looked like they had growth potential in the future. So we’re looking at how stable they are on their linear performance, how stable they are on digital, which ones are growing and which ones are declining. And we had to make some hard decisions.”

He also mentioned that NBCUniversal considered transferring shows to Peacock upon cancellation, but *Suits LA* did not receive approval for such a move.

Regarding the shows that survived the cuts, Bader detailed what made them stand out to the network, especially with the need to accommodate more sports programming on Tuesday nights due to the NBA: “We looked at what their performance was week-to-week, episode-to-episode, on both linear and digital, to just try and glean which ones we thought had the best ratings story,” Bader told the outlet. “And then on the creative side, the creative teams did the same thing. Which ones have the most potential, or the best potential, to capture a new audience? And these were the two shows that made their way to the top.”

*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. It also saw guest appearances from original *Suits* cast members such as Rick Hoffman, David Costabile, and Gabriel Macht. Aaron Korsh, the creator of *Suits*, served as the creator and executive producer of the spin-off, which aired its final episode on May 11, 2025.