Last Updated November 20, 2012
We frequently get questions about why we don't have a Renew/Cancel Index for cable shows. The short answer is because we couldn't do it and be as accurate as we are with the broadcast shows. For more detail on that, check out this post. Maybe someday we'll throw accuracy to the wind and do a "for entertainment purposes only" index for scripted cable shows, but in the meantime it occurred to me that we could at least maintain a renew status list for cable scripted shows. The table below is a first crack at that.
My goal (and I don't expect I have achieved that in this first crack at it) is to include all scripted cable shows excluding kids' shows and Adult Swim's shows. I don't have anything against kids shows or Adult Swim (or, for that matter, unscripted shows) but was looking to create something that could fairly easily be maintained/managed/updated.
Most of the shows on the list have statuses - if there isn't a status that just means there has been no announcement at the time of the most recent update (see date at top of post and/or above the table below).
If you find errors or omissions (excluding unscripted shows, kids shows or shows that have not aired yet) please note them in the comments and I'll update the table.
Notes:
- Kids shows and Adult Swim shows are not on the list below
- I've seen some squawking about shows on the list below that are owned/created by networks/studios outside of the United States. For purposes of this list, which focuses on U.S. cable networks, I'm only focused on where the shows air here in U.S.
- Shows from overseas like Downton Abbey & Sherlock that air on PBS in the U.S. are not in the list below (PBS is not a cable network).
- Despite some current inconsistencies in the table below, I do not intend to track episode orders or return dates specifically in this table at this time. The primary goal of the table is: what's been renewed, what's been canceled, and what shows fates haven't been decided yet.
Last Updated November 20, 2012
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| Show | Network | Current / Last Season | Status |
| Breakout Kings | A&E | 2 | Canceled after 2nd season |
| Glades, The | A&E | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season |
| Longmire | A&E | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Baby Daddy | ABCFAM | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Bunheads | ABCFAM | 1 | Extended S1 continues in January |
| Jane by Design | ABCFAM | 1 | Cancelled after 1st season |
| Lying Game, The | ABCFAM | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Melissa & Joey | ABCFAM | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd season |
| Pretty Little Liars | ABCFAM | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season |
| Secret Life of the American Teenager | ABCFAM | 5 | Upcoming 2nd half of 5th season will be its last |
| Switched At Birth | ABCFAM | 1 | Renewed for 20 episode 2nd season |
| Breaking Bad | AMC | 5 | Ending after 5th season |
| Hell On Wheels | AMC | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season, But... |
| Mad Men | AMC | 5 | Renewed for a 6th season |
| The Killing | AMC | 2 | Canceled after 2nd season |
| The Walking Dead | AMC | 3 | A lock for a 4th season renewal |
| Bedlam | BBCA | 2 | |
| Being Human | BBCA | 4 | Renewed for a 6 Episode 5th Season |
| Copper | BBCA | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Doctor Who | BBCA | 7 | |
| Luther | BBCA | 2 | Renewed for 4 Episode 3rd Season |
| The Hour | BBCA | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| tvbythenumbers.com | |||
| Game, The | BET | 5 | Renewed for a 6th season |
| Let's Stay Together | BET | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season |
| Reed Between The Lines | BET | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd Season |
| Futurama | CMDY | 7 | Second half of 26 episode S7 still to air in 2013 |
| South Park | CMDY | 16 | Renewed through 20th season (2016) |
| Workaholics | CMDY | 3 | 20 Episode 3rd season split into 10 ep S3 & S4 |
| American Horror Story | FX | 2 | Renewed for a 13 hour third season |
| Anger Management | FX | 1 | Renewed for 90 additional episodes (100 total) |
| Archer | FX | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season |
| It's Always Sunny... | FX | 8 | Renewedfor a 9th season |
| Justified | FX | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season |
| League, The | FX | 4 | |
| Louie | FX | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season but will not return until 2014 |
| Sons Of Anarchy | FX | 5 | Renewed for a 6th season |
| Unsupervised | FX | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Wilfred | FX | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season |
| tvbythenumbers.com | |||
| Boardwalk Empire | HBO | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season |
| Bored to Death | HBO | 3 | Canceled after 3rd season |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | HBO | 8 | Unknown. "It's always up to Larry," says HBO |
| Eastbound & Down | HBO | 3 | Renewed for a 4th season |
| Enlightened | HBO | 1 | Renewed for 10 episode 2nd season |
| Game of Thrones | HBO | 2 | Renewed for a 10 episode 3rd Season |
| Girls | HBO | 1 | Renewed for a 10 episode 2nd season |
| How to Make it in America | HBO | 2 | Canceled after 2nd season |
| Hung | HBO | 3 | Canceled after 3rd season |
| Newsroom | HBO | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Treme | HBO | 3 | Renewed for 5 episode 4th and final season |
| True Blood | HBO | 5 | Renewed for a 10 episode 6th season |
| Veep | HBO | 1 | Renewed for a 10 episode 2nd season |
| Bullet in the Face | IFC | 1 | |
| Portlandia | IFC | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season |
| Todd Margaret | IFC | 2 | |
| Army Wives | LIFE | 6 | Renewed for a 13 episode 7th season |
| Client List, The | LIFE | 1 | Renewed for a 15 episode 2nd season |
| Drop Dead Diva | LIFE | 4 | |
| tvbythenumbers.com | |||
| Hunted | MAX | 1 | BBC One not moving forward with 2nd season, Cinemax is considering its options. |
| Strike Back | MAX | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season |
| Awkward | MTV | 2 | Renewed for 20 episode 3rd season |
| Beavis and Butt-Head | MTV | ||
| The Inbetweeners | MTV | 1 | |
| Teen Wolf | MTV | 2 | Renewed for 24 episode 3rd season |
| Californication | SHO | 5 | Renewed for a 6th season |
| Dexter | SHO | 7 | Renewed for an 8th (and presumed final) Season |
| Episodes | SHO | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd season |
| Homeland | SHO | 2 | Renewed for 12 episode 3rd season |
| House of Lies | SHO | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Nurse Jackie | SHO | 4 | Renewed for a 5th season |
| Shameless | SHO | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd season |
| The Big C | SHO | 3 | Renewed for a 4th and final season |
| The Borgias | SHO | 2 | Renewed for a 10 episode 3rd Season |
| Web Therapy | SHO | 2 | Renewed for a 10 episode 3rd Season |
| Weeds | SHO | 8 | Series concluded after 8th season |
| Alphas | SYFY | 2 | |
| Being Human | SYFY | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd season |
| Eureka | SYFY | 5 | Canceled After 5th Season |
| Haven | SYFY | 3 | Renewed for a 13 episode 4th season |
| Lost Girl | SYFY | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd season |
| Merlin | SYFY | 5 | |
| Sanctuary | SYFY | 4 | Cancelled after 4th season |
| Warehouse 13 | SYFY | 4 | S4 expanded to 20 episodes (half have aired) |
| Boss | STARZ | 2 | Cancelled after 2nd Season |
| Magic City | STARZ | 1 | Renewed for a 10 episode 2nd season |
| Spartacus | STARZ | 3 | Renewed for a 4th and final season |
| Cougar Town | TBS | 3 | Renewed for a 15 episode 4th season |
| Men At Work | TBS | 1 | Renewed for a 10 episode 2nd season |
| Sullivan & Son | TBS | 1 | Renewed for a 10 episode 2nd season |
| Tyler Perrys: For Better Or Worse | TBS | 2 | currently airing *35* episode 2nd season |
| Tyler Perrys: House of Payne | TBS | 8 | concluded after 8th season |
| Wedding Band | TBS | 1 | |
| tvbythenumbers.com | |||
| Dallas | TNT | 1 | Renewed for a 2nd season |
| Falling Skies | TNT | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season |
| Franklin & Bash | TNT | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd Season |
| Leverage | TNT | 5 | |
| Major Crimes | TNT | 1 | Renewed for a 15 episode 2nd season |
| Perception | TNT | 1 | Renewed for a 13 episode 2nd season |
| Rizzoli & Isles | TNT | 3 | Renewed for a 15 episode fourth season |
| Southland | TNT | 4 | Renewed for 10 episode 5th season |
| The Closer | TNT | 7 | Concluded after 7th season |
| Exes, The | TVLAND | 2 | Second season expanded to 22 episodes |
| Happily Divorced | TVLAND | 2 | S2 expanded to 24 episodes (12 still to air as of 11/7/12) |
| Hot In Cleveland | TVLAND | 3 | Renewed for a 24 episode 4th season |
| Retired At 35 | TVLAND | 2 | |
| Soul Man, The | TVLAND | 1 | Cedric the Entertainer tweets its renewed, no official news yet |
| tvbythenumbers.com | |||
| Burn Notice | USA | 6 | renewed for a 13 episode 7th season |
| Common Law | USA | 1 | canceled after 1st season |
| Covert Affairs | USA | 3 | Renewed for a 16 episode fourth season |
| Fairly Legal | USA | 2 | Canceled after 2nd season |
| In Plain Sight | USA | 5 | Canceled After 5th Season |
| Necessary Roughness | USA | 2 | |
| Political Animals | USA | 1 | mini-series, USA says there won't be more |
| Psych | USA | 6 | Renewed for 7th season, premieres 2/27/13 |
| Royal Pains | USA | 4 | Renewed for 5th & 6th Seasons (26 episodes total) |
| Suits | USA | 2 | Renewed for a 16 episode 3rd season |
| White Collar | USA | 4 | Renewed for a 16 episode 5th season |
| Single Ladies | VH1 | 2 | Renewed for a 3rd season |
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Drop Dead Diva season five should be announced soon, last year they were in production in Jan.I hope it gets renewed, I’ll be upset if they end a series of four seasons on massive cliffhangers.
a couple of omissions that I noticed:
Comedy Bang! Bang! – IFC – finished airing season 1 – yet to be renewed or canceled
Key & Peele – CMDY – currently airing season 2 – yet to be renewed or canceled
What about Bullet in the Face (IFC)?
@Smoke: I didn’t include sketch comedy series, not sure if I will.
@Bruno: will add in the next update.
What about Retired at 35?
Minor correction: Treme’s final season will be the show’s fourth, not fifth.
No cable show may ever go into regular syndication but there is a brave new world of streaming old stuff (Netflix anyone?) where cable shows will find still find an audience and generate revenue in old age.
Thank you!!
Great job, by the way.
@Raykov: added; @Concerned: fixed; @Bruno: Bullet in the Face now in the list. thanks to all for the feedback.
I heard AMC and Netflex have made a deal for a third season of The Killing!
Thanks you for this! I didn’t know about Treme, i’m so sad! 5 eps is not a lot. =(
(I understand it’s not their biggest rated show, so I’m not gonna rant about “oh why” and “i hate them” and all that. I’m just sad.)
Technically I think Teen Wolf (MTV) was renewed for “two 12 episode seasons to be shot concurrently” due to some kind of economic incentive.
Also, Doctor Who still has the second half of its current season yet to air (and I think it’s a lock for another season given it’s ratings.)
Looks like HBO is entirely 10 episodes or less now
Boardwalk will probably get another 12 though
This is helpful. I appreciate it.
Me so glad my favorite USA shows White Collar and Suits are renewed. Also this is a great resource for those of us wondering what’s happening with our favorite shows. Thanks.
As mentioned before Doctor Who already has episodes ordered for next year (after they aired the second part of season 7).
But since it’s the 50 year anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013 it will not be a real season 8 but rather a bunch of specials.
As far as 2014 goes it’s as certain as it can be that there will be a new season though there may or may not be a new Doctor since it’s not sure if Matt Smith will stay.
Still missing Torchwood and Primeval: New World (even tough it didn’t air yet in the US).
this excellent, it provides one place where you can look you find out the fate of your favourite cable show
so how about making an entry for ‘Cable’ under the Renew/Cancel header?
@Robert You updated the status of Unsupervised, so did fx confirm the 2nd season renewal? There is no official cancellation, maybe Hornsby is just joking around?
@Boiler: if this gets out of “alpha”, I’ll figure something out as far as persistent linking.
@buku: I did change it to a blank status because there are conflicting reports on the Internet (there’s at least one link saying it was greenlit for a second season, but I couldn’t find anything official). I have reached out to FX for confirmation, but haven’t heard back yet. Edit: though I can tell you that apparently the 1st season is actually 13, not 10 episodes long and that per FX the remaining 3 episodes from S1 begin airing on December 6.
@Oneleggedjim Aren’t SATC, Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Burn Notice in “regular’ syndication?