After its sudden cancelation in 2020 amid nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, Live PD is reportedly returning to TV this summer under a new name.
On his Twitter account Wednesday, show host Dan Abrams confirmed that the show is returning with the working title “On Patrol: Live.” The Wall Street Journal first reported the relaunch.
“I have been patiently waiting and quietly advocating, but it was a question of finding the right partner,” Abrams told the Wall Street Journal.
"Live PD," which aired on A&E, embedded cameras in police units throughout the United States. The episodes aired with a slight delay but gave viewers a glimpse of police interactions with the public.
When it aired, it was among the top-rated cable shows.
Live PD became embroiled in controversy in 2020 when the show announced that it no longer had footage of a police-involved fatality in Austin, Texas, from a 2019 incident. Live PD said that because an investigation had concluded into the officers’ conduct, Live PD deleted the unaired footage.
The June 2020 decision to cancel Live PD came one day after “COPS” was placed on hiatus. COPS has since returned, airing on the streaming platform Fox Nation.
Like it did during its run on A&E, On Patrol: Live will air on Friday and Saturdays, this time on the Reelz cable network.
“At a time when people have a lot of questions about law enforcement, it allows the audience to see in real-time what police officers do and how they do it, including the nuances and the uncertainty about what happens next,” Abrams told the WSJ.
