NBC has made its first cancellation decisions for the 2026-27 season, opting not to renew Brilliant Minds and Stumble. The move leaves the sophomore medical drama starring Zachary Quinto and the freshman cheerleading comedy led by Jenn Lyon off the network’s fall plans.
Brilliant Minds was NBC’s lowest rated drama series on linear and posted the steepest double-digit year-to-year declines, making its exit a clear call even before the network pulled it from the schedule in February to make room for two-hour Voice episodes on Monday. The final six episodes will be released May 27.
Stumble looked more vulnerable after a rough ratings start when NBC placed it on Fridays behind Happy’s Place, but the network had recently been trying to put the series in front of more people and even invited its talent to NBCUniversal’s TV awards season luncheon 10 days ago. It also drew 82% from critics and 96% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes, a reception that did not translate into enough linear traction.
The cancellations leave Law & Order and The Hunting Party as the remaining NBC scripted shows still on the bubble. The Hunting Party, which stars Melissa Roxburgh, had strong U.S. launch ratings on Netflix for Season 1, but that momentum did not produce meaningful linear gains for Season 2 on NBC. Law & Order, which launched in 2022 as the network’s mothership series, still lagged behind One Chicago and SVU even after its linear viewership settled on par with SVU.
For Brilliant Minds, the latest move amounts to the end of a run that never found enough audience strength to survive NBC’s shifting schedule. For Stumble, the timing shows how quickly critical support can be outweighed by where a show lands on the grid.
