NBC Picks up Multiple Seasons of Canadian Drama Series Amid US Writers Strike

The ongoing writers’ strike has put many shows that are currently in production on pause, which will more than likely delay the lineup for the summer and the fall. However, in an effort to still keep the schedule beefed up and in the case of any delays, NBC has picked up two seasons of Canadian medical drama Transplant, according to Deadline. The network initially acquired the drama back in 2020 after COVID caused productions to shut down, and many schedules were impacted due to delays. In December 2020, NBC picked it up for a second season.

NBC revealed its fall schedule recently, but Transplant was nowhere to be found. It’s likely the third season of the drama will be held for midseason, which is going to be a long wait for fans since the second season wrapped airing on the network in spring 2022. Initially premiering in February 2020 on CTV, Transplant became the most-watched Canadian original series. In March of this year, the series was renewed for a fourth season with no signs of slowing down.

Transplant stars Hamza Haq as Syrian doctor Bashir “Bash” Hamed, who flees his country with his younger sister, Amira. The two build a new life in Canada as Bash, with battle-tested skills in emergency medicine, tries to rebuild his career in the field. The series also stars Laurence Leboeuf, John Hannah, Jim Watson and Ayisha Issa. 

It’s possible that while Transplant isn’t on the schedule for fall, it may still air in the fall. There’s no way of knowing how long the strike will continue for, but since Transplant‘s third season has already finished airing in Canada, it will be an easy way to slide it into the schedule if need be, as it only has 13 episodes. Either way, though, the medical drama will be part of the 2023-24 schedule on NBC, be it in the fall or midseason.

This likely won’t be the last time a network will acquire a series to help fill its schedule in case of delays from the writers’ strike. Shows are already being affected, and some suspect it could go through the summer if an agreement isn’t reached. So it’s possible that whatever fall schedules networks have, they have a backup just in case it’s needed, as it wouldn’t be surprising if Transplant found its way to the fall lineup.