NBC has fired its first shot in the 2025 renewal wars—and the winners are clear: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D. have officially been renewed, with Fire heading into Season 14, Med into Season 11, and P.D. into Season 13.
All three Dick Wolf dramas continue to lead NBC’s drama viewership pack, with Fire averaging 7.9 million viewers, Med at 7.6 million, and P.D. not far behind with 7 million. That’s good news for One Chicago fans, but the network’s silence on the rest of its drama lineup has left viewers of Found, Brilliant Minds, Law & Order: SVU, and The Hunting Party twisting in the wind.
So what gives? NBC’s game plan is starting to look strategic. Renew your strongest brands (Dick Wolf’s shows), trim budgets (Fire is losing cast members Carver and Ritter), and put everything else on pause while executives figure out what fits their leaner, tighter vision.
But Found, Brilliant Minds, SVU, and The Hunting Party are all still in the bubble…and some cuts are coming.
Is NBC being too cautious with Found and Brilliant Minds?
Both shows are caught in many rounds of internal talks. Channing Dungey, Chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group, told Deadline that NBC “got great response from the creative teams” to proposed Season 2 and 3 pitches for Brilliant Minds and Found, respectively.
But there’s a catch. While Brilliant Minds boasts stellar critical scores (88% on the Tomatometer, 84% audience), Found is slipping, with viewership and buzz waning since its return (currently at 70% critic, 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes).
NBC has already renewed freshman entries St. Denis Medical and Happy’s Place. These shows are cheaper, easier to produce, and more aligned with NBC’s cost-saving strategy.
That makes Found and Brilliant Minds expendable unless fan response spikes or WBTV offers significant budget cuts. Don’t count them out just yet, but know that renewal isn’t guaranteed, even if it’s deserved.
Legacy vs. long shot when it comes to SVU and The Hunting Party
It’s hard to imagine NBC canceling Law & Order: SVU before Season 27—especially after appointing Michele Fazekas as the show’s first female showrunner. The move was hailed as historic and aligns perfectly with the show’s feminist legacy and enduring popularity.
Even without an official renewal, the network would face backlash for pulling the plug on its longest-running primetime drama. Fazekas’ return also signals long-term investment, not farewell prep.
But The Hunting Party? That’s a different story. Despite a twisty, polarizing finale and the promise of Eliza Coupe’s Jenna Wells as a new kind of villain, NBC hasn’t dropped a hint about its future.
The show’s niche tone and serialized format make it a tougher sell to general audiences, and the network may not see enough ROI to justify another season. Unless it builds serious fan momentum (à la Hannibal or The Blacklist), we wouldn’t be surprised if this hunting party was one and done.
So yes, One Chicago is safe. But NBC’s silence is deafening. Yet telling.
