Aaron Korsh's legal drama "Suits" had a solid eight-year run on cable, but its explosive resurgence into the pop culture sphere after Netflix added it in 2023 is a comeback for the history books. Unfortunately, its spin-off, "Suits LA," isn't following in its footsteps.
NBC is shutting the doors on "Suits LA's" West Coast office after just one season, Variety reported this week. This expansion of the "Suits" universe led by Stephen Amell premiered in February with plenty of buzz.
The series follows a new cast of characters building an LA law firm focused on criminal and entertainment law. Several original “Suits” cast members have made appearances, including Gabriel Macht, Rick Hoffman, and David Costabile. We even called it one of our most anticipated shows of the year.
But NBC wasn't quite able to capture the same binge-worthy mix of legal chatter, character-driven drama, and stories worth caring about that made the USA Network original such a hit. "Suits LA" came off as a low-budget imitation of a finely crafted original, earning a 39% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. (The original 9 seasons of "Suits" rank between 78% and 100%.)
The ratings reflected that drop-off in quality as well. According to TVLine, "Suits LA" has averaged just 2.35 million total viewers. Out of the 11 dramas NBC aired this TV season, it only beat out fellow freshman "Grosse Pointe Garden Society" in terms of viewership.
Now it seems NBC has read the writing on the wall and realized "Suits LA" isn't the smash hit the studio thought it had on its hands. When the "Suits LA" season finale airs on May 18, it'll be the last hurrah for the "Suits" universe. For now, at any rate. NBC or another network could always revive the IP somewhere down the line.
"Suits LA" is one of five shows NBC is pulling the plug on, joining the ranks of "Lopez vs. Lopez," "Night Court," "Found" and "The Irrational." That list could grow, though, as the fates of other under-performing series like "The Hunting Party" and "Grosse Pointe Garden Society" remain up in the air.
