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

"Suits," a beloved series that first aired on USA in 2011, has enjoyed a strong following for nearly 15 years. Its recent surge in popularity, fueled by its availability on Netflix, led to countless binge-watching marathons. However, this momentum wasn't enough to save the new spin-off, "Suits LA," which was canceled following the release of NBC's fall schedule. Jeff Bader, the brand's president of program planning strategy, shed light on the decision to pull the plug.

“It’s incredibly challenging to determine which shows to renew, and 'Suits LA' had a brief run, but it simply didn't connect with audiences as we had hoped,” Bader told Variety after the fall schedule was publicized. “There are numerous factors at play, and while people have their theories, the show just didn’t show the potential for future growth, unfortunately.”

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

Bader elaborated on the decision-making process: “We had to evaluate the performance of our shows across both traditional and digital platforms. We needed to identify which ones had the potential to grow in the future. We looked at their stability on linear TV, their digital performance, and whether they were gaining or losing viewers. Ultimately, some tough choices had to be made.”

He also mentioned that NBCUniversal considers transferring canceled shows to Peacock, but "Suits LA" didn't make the cut for such a move.

When discussing the shows that survived the cuts, Bader highlighted the criteria used: “We analyzed the weekly and episodic performance on both linear and digital platforms to identify which shows had the strongest ratings narrative. On the creative front, our teams evaluated which shows had the greatest potential to 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, featuring stars like Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg. Notable original "Suits" cast members such as Rick Hoffman, David Costabile, and leading man Gabriel Macht also appeared in the new show. Aaron Korsh, the creator of "Suits," also served as the creator and executive producer of "Suits LA," which aired its final episode on May 11, 2025.