NBC cancels Stumble - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 05-01-2026, 08:50 PM

https://deadline.com/2026/05/brillia...bc-1236878613/

NBC has made its first cancellations for the 2026-27 season, Brilliant Minds, starring Zachary Quinto, and Stumble, headlined by Jenn Lyon.

JamesG · 05-11-2026, 05:07 PM

NBC Execs Address "Stumble" Cancellation
by Nellie Andreeva
May 11, 2026

In the run-up to NBC‘s 2026 upfront presentation, the network canceled two scripted series, sophomore medical drama "Brilliant Minds" and freshman cheerleading comedy "Stumble".

“Honestly, we have a very, very tight schedule. Because we have a lot of sports, for our entertainment time periods, we had to actually give up on some shows that we really love to make room to launch our future potential hits,” Jeff Bader, NBCUniversal’s President of Program Planning Strategy, told Deadline.

The move didn’t come as a surprise as "Stumble" and "Brilliant Minds" were NBC’s lowest rated scripted series this season.

Still, there are mitigating factors, including the questionable scheduling of single-camera mocumentary "Stumble", starring Jenn Lyon, on Fridays behind Reba McEntire’s multi-camera sitcom "Happy’s Place".

"Stumble", which scored well with critics and viewers (82% and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes), got off to a rough ratings start on Friday and never recovered, even after NBC eventually put reruns behind the far more compatible lead-in "St. Denis Medical" on Monday.

Deadline asked NBC’s head of scheduling Bader about launching "Stumble" on Friday and its subsequent cancellation.

“I love that show,” he said. “Obviously, there is an issue with a single-cam coming out of the multi-cam, just tonally, it was different than Happy’s Place. We have very limited real estate, and we did the best we could, I feel terrible about it.”

Bader indicated that the network learned from the scheduling experience with "Stumble" and applied it to its development for next season.

“You’ll see that Lisa and team, they very specifically developed multi-cams to pair with multi-cams and single-cams to pair with single-cams, the flow should be better this year.”

Added Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming:

“Creatively, we loved this show. I think we could all think of shows that we loved creatively that unfortunately, didn’t go beyond one season. We’re incredibly proud of it, and think it had so much humor and so much heart. I’m disappointed that it’s not continuing.”

https://deadline.com/2026/05/brillia...es-1236888645/

TMC · 06-24-2026, 07:15 PM

NBC Quietly Canceled Its Best New Comedy After Burying It

Friday night is commonly known as the death slot for network TV shows, and NBC killed its best new sitcom by airing it at such an unappealing time.

05-01-2026, 08:50 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,945	NBC cancels Stumble https://deadline.com/2026/05/brillia...bc-1236878613/ NBC has made its first cancellations for the 2026-27 season, Brilliant Minds, starring Zachary Quinto, and Stumble, headlined by Jenn Lyon.

05-11-2026, 05:07 PM	#2
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,175	*NBC Execs Address "Stumble" Cancellation* by Nellie Andreeva May 11, 2026 In the run-up to NBC‘s 2026 upfront presentation, the network canceled two scripted series, sophomore medical drama "Brilliant Minds" and freshman cheerleading comedy "Stumble". “Honestly, we have a very, very tight schedule. Because we have a lot of sports, for our entertainment time periods, we had to actually give up on some shows that we really love to make room to launch our future potential hits,” Jeff Bader, NBCUniversal’s President of Program Planning Strategy, told Deadline. The move didn’t come as a surprise as "Stumble" and "Brilliant Minds" were NBC’s lowest rated scripted series this season. Still, there are mitigating factors, including the questionable scheduling of single-camera mocumentary "Stumble", starring Jenn Lyon, on Fridays behind Reba McEntire’s multi-camera sitcom "Happy’s Place". "Stumble", which scored well with critics and viewers (82% and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes), got off to a rough ratings start on Friday and never recovered, even after NBC eventually put reruns behind the far more compatible lead-in "St. Denis Medical" on Monday. Deadline asked NBC’s head of scheduling Bader about launching "Stumble" on Friday and its subsequent cancellation. “I love that show,” he said. “Obviously, there is an issue with a single-cam coming out of the multi-cam, just tonally, it was different than Happy’s Place. We have very limited real estate, and we did the best we could, I feel terrible about it.” Bader indicated that the network learned from the scheduling experience with "Stumble" and applied it to its development for next season. “You’ll see that Lisa and team, they very specifically developed multi-cams to pair with multi-cams and single-cams to pair with single-cams, the flow should be better this year.” Added Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming: “Creatively, we loved this show. I think we could all think of shows that we loved creatively that unfortunately, didn’t go beyond one season. We’re incredibly proud of it, and think it had so much humor and so much heart. I’m disappointed that it’s not continuing.” https://deadline.com/2026/05/brillia...es-1236888645/

06-24-2026, 07:15 PM	#3
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,945	NBC Quietly Canceled Its Best New Comedy After Burying It Friday night is commonly known as the death slot for network TV shows, and NBC killed its best new sitcom by airing it at such an unappealing time.