‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Scraps First Season 8 Episodes Over Worldwide Police Protests

As global protests continue against police violence in the wake of the killing of George Floyd while in police custody, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is joining the growing list of TV series re-evaluating the stories they want to tell. According to series star Terry Crews, the NBC police procedural has scrapped the first four episodes of Season 8 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Crews revealed the news when speaking with Access Hollywood, telling the outlet that showrunner Dan Goor and others in the writer’s room “had four episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash.” He said that they now have to start the season “over” and determine “which direction it’s going to go in,” something that he said they are currently unsure of. Crews added that they have “had a lot of somber talks” and “deep conversations” about the current unrest in the world and the global protests and they “hope through this we’re going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year.” The actor called the reboot of the season “an opportunity” and said they “plan to use it in the best way possible.”

While Crews did not reveal any details regarding the four scripts that were tossed out, speaking during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers earlier this month, he had revealed that the upcoming season would be influenced by the Black Lives Matters protests. Crews said that he and other members of the cast and crew had hopped on a Zoom call to discuss “what’s happening in this country” and the “many abuses of power” the world is witnessing, Digital Spy reported. He added that they had a “really, really eye-opening conversation about how to handle this new season.”

News that the series would be treading into territory that is more akin to reality did not settle well with many, however, and soon calls for the police procedural’s cancellation were voiced on social media. Just days later, though, NBC confirmed that it had no plans to scrap the series, as it was among several series, including a number of police procedurals, to be unveiled in the network’s upcoming fall TV schedule. In a statement, NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy said that NBC “has always championed positive programming, and the events of this year have allowed us the time to take pause, examine our business with a new lens and take some immediate action.”

On Tuesday, Goor announced on Twitter that he and the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine had made a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network. He also said that those behind the series “condemn the murder of George Floyd and support the many people who are protesting police brutality nationally.”