There are a few network stragglers that haven’t aired their finales for the 2020-2021 TV season yet (I’m looking at you The Blacklist), a big chunk of the primetime programs have already wrapped for the season. This also means that the networks have generally made most of the decisions related to what shows are cancelled and what shows are renewed heading into next year. Unfortunately, one show that was previously going to be shifted to Paramount+ may now be cancelled instead: Clarice.
If you’ve been keeping tabs on CBS programming this year, you should already know that network has said goodbye to several heavy hitters, including MacGyver, NCIS: New Orleans and Mom. Perhaps most intriguingly, however, the network had made a decision to shift a couple of its shows to its streaming service for the brand new season. When we first learned about the plan, we learned that SEAL Team had been saved from the cancellation axe after a bit of a fight (yay!) and that freshman drama Clarice would also be shifting over. (Evil Season 2 is also heading to Paramount+ this month.) Now, however, the Clarice thing may no longer happen.
According to reports, after CBS decided to shift Clarice off network TV and on to Paramount+, some negotiations between CBS Viacom and MGM -- the parent company for all Silence of the Lambs franchise content -- were required. Unfortunately, Deadline says that negotiations have broken down between the parties in a move that news outlet refers to as one of the “craziest situations.”
There’s no option to reverse course either, as CBS’ fall schedule is already stacked with new and returning primetime content, which the network has already committed to. Take a look:
MONDAY
8 p.m. ET The Neighborhood
8:30 p.m. ET Bob ? Abishola
9 p.m. ET NCIS (new time)
10 p.m. ET NCIS: Hawai’i (NEW)
TUESDAY
8 p.m. ET FBI (new time)
9 p.m. ET FBI: International (NEW)
10 p.m. ET FBI: Most Wanted
8 p.m. ET Survivor
9 p.m. ET Tough As Nails (new time)
10 p.m. ET CSI: Vegas (NEW)
THURSDAY
8 p.m. ET Young Sheldon
8:30 p.m. ET United States of Al
9 p.m. ET Ghosts (NEW)
9:30 p.m. ET B Positive
10 p.m. ET Bull (new time period)
FRIDAY
8 p.m. ET SWAT (SWAT moves to Sunday after SEAL Team shifts)
9 p.m. ET Magnum P.I.
10 p.m. ET Blue Bloods
SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM ET 48 Hours
SUNDAY
7 p.m. ET 60 Minutes
8 p.m. ET The Equalizer
9 p.m. ET NCIS: Los Angeles
10 p.m. ET SEAL Team (Moving to Paramount Plus, will be replaced by SWAT)
As you can see above, CBS has a full fall 2021 TV schedule already and premiere dates for those shows will be coming down the pipeline in the coming months. Meanwhile, with negotiations breaking down between MGM and CBS’ parent company, if a reversal is made and Clarice actually gets cancelled instead of renewed, over 300 people are going to be out of work. These are people who thought they had something lined up for next TV season after CBS made the call on Clarice just a few weeks ago.
This isn’t a first time a show has been renewed and then a company has reversed course and cancelled said show. In fact, this happened a few times even recently thanks to pandemic protocols and budgets ballooning. Netflix in particular cancelled Glow after already announcing the Alison Brie starrer had been renewed. The show's creators in that case reacted politely but with sadness. Clarice is also a totally different situation as most shows have figured out safe ways to go back into production at this point. It's likely getting cancelled not because of close contact but because its producers and its network can't get on the same page.
Obviously, Clarice has not been officially axed yet, but with negotiations either breaking down or not being made in "good faith" depending on which side that is reportedly being talked to, it's likely the Silence of the Lambs sequel series will not be heading to Paramount+ next TV season. We'll keep you updated no matter what happens, however.
