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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I like this list even though it’s upsetting to know they are trimming 2 episodes aka over 16% of a season of True Blood. I just find it so weird how Networks keep shows on well past expiration to get to Syndication and cable companies now do 8 to 10 episodes. I don’t get how Networks work I guess. If there’s less reason and way less time to watch it, no wonder ratings keep going down.
Hunted just got axed by BBC One. Since they were footing a substantial part of the cost of the series, and the US ratings have been just short of non-existent, that doesn’t seem to bode well for it’s future on Cinemax, either.
In Plain Sight wasn’t cancelled. It was announced months prior to air that the 5th season would be the final one and the show concluded at the end of its annoyingly short 5th season.
Ok, now the way things are looking, Cinemax is going to continue Hunted w/out the BBC. Or, at least, they’ll try. I don’t think it’s set in stone yet.
Any word on Comedy Central’s “Ugly Americans” by chance?
oh NO Hell on Wheels better be back – its so good!!
Missing underemployed from MTV. Thanks for this!
As long as they find new showrunners, it’ll be back. That said, I don’t think it’s particularly good. It’s decent, but far from spectacular.
Did the Burn Notice renewal accidentally get erased from the chart?
Cinemax are welcome to Hunted. It flopped on the BBC despite heavy promos during the Olympics.
Did the Burn Notice renewal accidentally get erased from the chart?
It did! Fixed.
Thanks for this list! Predictions are FAR less important to me than having one place to check to find out if a show is coming back or has been canceled.
Yeaaay AHS. 3rd season is a go. I suppose True Blood might need to wrap up for Anna Paquin to deliver her baby. Maybe thats why they shrunk it. I assume you can only go so far until you have top take a rest. Although they do talk about farmers in the olden days working right up until it was delivery time, and then plopping out a kid right on top of a tractor or something. Maybe I have that wrong.
Awesome list
I’m sad to see that Starz has cancelled Boss. Tom Kane was my kind of politician.
Jane by Design was cancelled? Well, that’s news to me.
love Common Law, can’t believe it has been cancelled. best new show of this year
Thanks for this. I watch a lot of cable shows. It’s nice to know what I can look forward to seeing for the summer season and then some.
Any word on Cinemax’s Femme Fatales renewed for season 3? Thanks
‘Tis time to update Merlin to cancelled – 5th is last.