Here’s why you didn’t see A&E’s ‘Live PD’ on TV this weekend
New episodes of the popular TV show “Live PD” were not shown this weekend.
The live-action A&E documentary series that prominently features the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina was scheduled to be shown on Friday and Saturday, but episodes were pulled from programming in the wake of George Floyd’s death while in Minnesota police custody and the nationwide protests that have followed.
“Out of respect for the families of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives, in consultation with the departments we follow, and in consideration for the safety of all involved, we have made the decision not to broadcast Live PD this weekend,” A&E said in a statement to The State by spokesman Dan Silberman.
Public scrutiny of violent incidents involving law enforcement has intensified following the death of Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis last month.
Protests have been held across the U.S. in response to Floyd’s death on May 25. It’s the latest in a series of deaths of African American men in police custody, and has sparked national outrage since a video showed a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck before he died.
In a statement to The State, the sheriff’s department said the decision to take new episodes of “Live PD” off the air “was not made at the local level. It was made at the network level.”
When asked when, or if, “Live PD” might return to A&E’s programming schedule, Silberman said he didn’t have that information.
‘Stand against racism’
On Monday, the show’s Twitter feed included a message in response to the protests.
“We stand against racism. We stand for equality. We stand united with our viewers, employees, partners and the entire black community. We stand united for a better, more just tomorrow,” the tweet said.
“Live PD” is the No. 1 cable series on Friday and Saturday nights, Variety reported. New episodes air at 9 p.m.
The series debuted in October 2016, and follows several law enforcement agencies around the country with TV cameras during their patrols. It provides viewers with real-time access to law enforcement on patrol.
Saturday’s “Live PD” was supposed to be its 300th episode.
In a 2017 interview with The State, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said “Live PD” offers increased transparency demanded by the public as scrutiny on law enforcement increased along with tension between it and community members.
“You can’t be more transparent than being live,” Lott said in 2017. “It’s giving citizens an opportunity to see what police work is really about and also personalize our officers.”
The show’s initial run of eight two-hour episodes was extended to 21 episodes because of its surging popularity and ratings, which eventually extended the first season to more than 60 episodes. The episodes themselves also were extended to three hours each.
In addition to Richland County, “Live PD” has also featured South Carolina law enforcement departments in Berkeley County in the Lowcountry, as well as Greenville County in the Upstate. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office has been sued in for two separate incidents involving the TV show.
One lawsuit said a man was racially profiled and falsely arrested on drug charges in a 2017 incident that was filmed on “Live PD.”
Another lawsuit against the sheriff’s office came from a man who said in 2017 Greenville County deputies rammed his car and searched his vehicle before he was released with no charges. The suit also claims the man “was largely targeted in this manner because of his race.”
“Live PD” was not the only show following law enforcement that will not air this week. “Cops” was scheduled to return for it’s 33rd season on Monday, but has been replaced by alternative programming on the paramount Network, Variety reported.
This story was originally published June 7, 2020 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Here’s why you didn’t see A&E’s ‘Live PD’ on TV this weekend."
