The Real Reason Fox Canceled Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Despite the fact that Fox took a chance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the show never really picked up steam with ratings. Even after the series garnered plenty of critical praise and won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (with Andy Samberg scooping up one for and Best Actor in that category) in 2014, it became clear that Brooklyn Nine-Nine couldn't push past its ratings slump, and Fox simply pulled the plug on the plucky, positive show.

Dana Walden, Chairmen and CEO of Fox Television Group, explained in 2018 (via Entertainment Weekly) that the network wanted to prioritize better-performing shows, namely the animated series Bob's Burgers, over Brooklyn Nine-Nine: "Ultimately we felt like we didn't have the exact right place to schedule it this year. It performed best in our Sunday night lineup. We wanted to give Bob's Burgers an opportunity to have a plum time period and really grow. It really limited the opportunities to schedule Brooklyn."

A few networks showed interest in reviving Brooklyn Nine-Nine after its cancellation, including Hulu, TBS, and Netflix — though Hulu, which once revived Mindy Kaling's The Mindy Project after Fox canceled that too, eventually passed. But for a moment, it seemed as if Brooklyn Nine-Nine's season 5 finale would be its last-ever episode. Luckily, Schur had friends in the right places, and they stepped in quickly.

Amidst uproar from fans and celebrity admirers, NBC played the hero and picked Brooklyn Nine-Nine up for a sixth season. (This gesture is especially ironic when you consider that NBC originally passed on Brooklyn altogether, which pushed it to find a home on Fox in the first place.)