NBC’s cancelation ofGrosse Pointe Garden Societycontinues a troubling pattern of network decisions that may get worse before it gets better. TheGrosse Pointe Garden Societyseason 1 finaledidn’t end on a particularly major cliffhanger, but it felt like the first chapter in a longer narrative. It renderedGrosse Pointe Garden Societyseason 2a thrilling storytelling prospect.
But how this tale of murder, intrigue, and infidelity in upper-class Michigan might’ve continued will have to remain a mystery thanks toGrosse Pointe Garden Society’s cancelation.NBC’s decision to pull the series wasn’t entirely surprising in light of middling ratings and only slightly above-average reviews, but it speaks to a larger issue in context of the network’s other cancelations.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society Is NBC’s Final Cancelation From The 2024-2025 TV Cycle
NBC Canceled Six Shows Altogether In One Season
After the network announced five cancelations in May, fans of NBC’sGrosse Pointe Garden Societymight have felt a tinge of hope upon seeing the dramedy’s absence from the list. However,Suits LA’s cancelationshould have been a sign of ill portent, sinceSuits LA’s ratings were slightly higher than those ofGrosse Pointe Garden Society.
This also might have been telling when considering where each show was at in its run. On top of the fact thatGrosse Pointe Garden Societyhad the lowest ratings of all NBC series canceled in 2025,Suits LA’s second-lowest ratings couldn’t save it from becoming the only show besidesGrosse Pointeto be canceled after only one season.
NBC’s other canceled series had time to earn their renewal.FoundandThe Irrationalwere both canceled after two seasons, whileNight CourtandLopez vs Lopezgot three. And, despite all butLopez vs Lopezfacing declining viewership, they clearly thought they’d be renewed sincenearly every canceled NBC series ended on a cliffhanger or major status quo change.
Found
2
Sir is found potentially dead while Gabi publicly admits to kidnapping him.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society
1
Alice appears to admit to Quiche’s murder after Catherine convinces the gang to mulch his body.
Lopez vs Lopez
3
George and Elsa come to sympathetic terms after her attempt to steal the house results in a mental health scare.
Night Court
Abby’s secret husband shows up right as Jake is about to propose.
Ted, Stuart, and Samantha finally agree to complete their merger.
The Irrational
Rose opens her own agency as Alec learns he’s being watched.
Each of these series’ endings spelled promise for their future storylines, even if it remained somewhat risky for the network to gamble on these status quo shifts, leading to a rise in viewership. Although it seemed every series’ ending could have led to the next season being its best yet,Grosse Pointe Garden Society’s cancelation felt particularly disappointing.
Why Grosse Pointe Garden Society’s Cancelation Is Frustrating
The Show’s Tone And Story Were Uniquely Fresh
Despite numerous understandable comparisons toDesperate Housewiveswhen it was first announced,Grosse Pointe Garden Society’s unique premisehelped the series establish its own identity from the very first episode.The show’s nearly season-long murder mystery and timeline-hopping structure kept each episode compelling, and clever hints such as naming the body “Quiche” landed brilliantly when the victim’s identity was revealed.
Even the episodes’ narration, a storytelling technique that can come across as trite and overdone if executed poorly, contributed to the series’ fresh take on the genre.Grosse Pointe Garden Societyembraced its concept with intricately crafted analogies between life and the art of gardening, giving each episode an individual theme within the broader construct of the narrative.
Rather than gradually losing impact, these aspects of the show actually improved over time, and it seems plausible thatGrosse Pointe Garden Society’s uniqueness likely contributed to its delayed cancelation, even despite its struggles to ascend from the bottom of the ratings. With its quality execution and enthralling performances, savingGarden Societyfrom the scrap pile shouldn’t have been unachievable.
In fact, NBC demonstrated one method of savingGrosse Pointewith their approach toLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5. With its binge-friendly story structure,Grosse Pointe Garden Societymight have thrived by moving to Peacock and removing itself from the weekly ratings game. Sadly, it wasn’t the only series with a singular premise denied that particular life raft.
NBC’s Canceled Several Unique Shows In 2025
Found And The Irrational Were Only Getting Better
WhileGrosse Pointe Garden Societystood out as perhaps the only scripted NBC series that wasn’t a sitcom or procedural,several canceled series under those umbrellas had their own unique premises.Lopez vs Lopezwas one of the few minority sitcoms on network TV, andFoundspotlighted overlooked groups of people from all walks of life.
Meanwhile,The Irrationaltreated each episode almost like a short film with a unique focus not often seen in current network procedurals, such as close-up magic or community theater (the latter of which delightfully played on Jesse L. Martin’s renowned Broadway career). Furthermore, bothThe Irrationalseries finaleandFoundseries finalepromised to ramp up each series’ dramatic storylines.
The issue is compounded when looking at what NBC chose to renew.The Hunting Party’s season 2 renewalis great news on its own, especially after it premiered with 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, aside from its focus on serial killers,The Hunting Partydoes little outside its conspiracy storyline to differentiate its tone from that of other procedurals.
Similarly, whileBrilliant Mindsuniquely draws from real-world medical cases, its tone and focus on neurodivergence feel highly reminiscent ofThe Good Doctor.NBC’s remaining 2025 fall schedule consists of two sitcoms and five Dick Wolf procedurals, a programming block not unlike that of any other major network. Interestingly, NBC’s new NBA deal might only make things worse.
NBA’s Arrival On NBC Shouldn’t Deter The Network From Doing Good Scripted Shows
The Network’s Latest Sports Deal Could Signal A Risky Change Of Focus
More than 20 years after the network lost its contract to ABC, theNBA is returning to NBC for the 2025-2026 season.NBC signed an 11-year media rights contract with the Association and tapped Michael Jordan as a special contributor, both of which suggest the network’s new sports deal is high on its list of priorities.
This isn’t uncommon.Sports are generally perceived as generating more revenue than scripted programmingthat might only cater to a specific slice of the population. A similar mentality often drives networks to preserve familiar programming over boundary-pushing content. AlthoughSt. Denis Medicalbrings a lot to the mockumentary format, the genre itself plays no small role in bringing in viewers.
Even so, withmainstream sports ratings droppingas of late, it’s potentially riskier now to shove aside fresh, quality programming in favor of a sports-focused schedule. On the other side of the coin,viewers tuning in to watchNBA on NBC and Peacockmight be less inclined to change channels when coverage leads into a series with a compelling hook.
In short, focusing on new shows with fresh angles could prove to be a lucrative long-term game plan regardless of how many viewers basketball brings in on its own.Grosse Pointe Garden Societywas an unfortunate casualty of traditional network trends, but it’s not too late for NBC to reassess whether those trends are truly doing them any favors.
Cast
Grosse Pointe Garden Society follows four suburban garden club members—Birdie, Alice, Brett, and Catherine—as they navigate entangled lives marked by murder and mischief while striving to bring vibrancy to their conventional existence.
