NBC Cancels The Hunting Party After Two Seasons, Series to Be Shopped Elsewhere

NBC has canceled The Hunting Party after two seasons, bringing an end to the crime drama starring Melissa Roxburgh. The series, created by JJ Bailey, was the last remaining 2025-26 broadcast show whose future had not yet been decided. NBC delayed its call until after the upfronts while executives reviewed how the show performed on both linear television and streaming platforms. In the end, the network determined it needed to use the Thursday 10 p.m. slot for a stronger performer and decided to replace The Hunting Party with Law & Order next fall.

Although the show struggled to deliver strong linear ratings on NBC, it benefited from better results in streaming, which helped extend its run. The first season received a boost when it launched on Netflix in the U.S. in February and drew strong viewing attention. That exposure did not materially improve its broadcast ratings for Season 2, which stayed relatively flat, but the series reportedly saw a positive effect on Peacock, where it had already been performing well. Because NBC and Peacock share programming leadership, both a possible third season on NBC and a move to Peacock as an original were considered. After evaluating the numbers, neither option moved forward.

NBCUniversal’s President of Program Planning Strategy, Jeff Bader, previously acknowledged that the network wanted to improve the Thursday time slot and saw room to do better there. He noted that the decision was not a judgment against the series creatively, but a scheduling choice driven by the network’s need to strengthen its lineup. NBC’s broader 2026-27 schedule includes four new scripted series — the dramas The Rockford Files and Line of Fire, and the comedies Sunset P.I. and Newlyweds — along with three cancellations: Brilliant Minds, The Hunting Party, and Stumble.

There is still a possibility that The Hunting Party could continue elsewhere. Universal Television, the NBC sibling studio behind the series, is expected to shop it to other outlets. Netflix, which already licenses the show in the U.S., is viewed as a natural potential home. The cancellation follows a broader pattern in which shows with modest broadcast ratings can survive longer if they find strength on streaming, but ultimately still need a clear business case to continue. For The Hunting Party, the combination of middling linear performance and a tight NBC schedule appears to have ended that path.