Fox’s Cops shifts gear with cable move

Long-running Fox series Cops is moving to Viacom-owned cable channel Spike TV after almost a quarter of a decade on US broadcast television.

The Langley Productions-produced docu-series is due to end its 25^th season of Fox this month, having debuted on the channel on March 11, 1989. The format places viewers in police cars as officers respond to criminal incidents.

It will now transfer to Spike, retaining its Saturday 8pm primetime slot with new episodes launching in September. Spike also has access to library episodes.

“Cops is a remarkable series that has been able to sustain strong ratings well into its third decade, a monumental achievement in television,” said Spike’s president Kevin Kay. “As we continue to grow and expand our audience, new episodes of Cops, with its loyal audience of Adults 18-49, is the perfect addition to our primetime lineup on Saturday nights.”

“After 25 seasons with Fox, we are delighted to find our new home with the Spike family where we previously aired Undercover Stings,” said John Langley, president, Langley Productions. “And we are doubly pleased that our Cops timeslot remains Saturday nights for our fans.”