NBC Cancels 'Brilliant Minds' and 'Stumble' After Low Ratings

NBC has cancelled the medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' after two seasons and the mockumentary comedy 'Stumble' after one season. 'Brilliant Minds' stars Zachary Quinto as a neurology physician and is based on Oliver Sacks' books. 'Stumble' follows a fired cheerleading coach trying to build a championship team at a junior college. Both shows failed to maintain sufficient viewership to justify renewal.

Key Points: NBC Cancels 'Brilliant Minds' and 'Stumble' Shows

  • NBC cancels 'Brilliant Minds' after two seasons
  • 'Stumble' cancelled after one season
  • 'Brilliant Minds' based on Oliver Sacks' books
  • 'Stumble' set in junior college cheerleading world
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Dramas 'Brilliant Minds', 'Stumble' fail to renew for new seasons

NBC has cancelled medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' after two seasons and comedy 'Stumble' after one season due to low viewership.

"Who deserves care? - Official logline for 'Brilliant Minds'"

Washington DC, May 2

NBC has cancelled the medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' after two seasons and the mockumentary comedy 'Stumble' after one season, reported Variety.

'Brilliant Minds' is based on the books 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' and 'An Anthropologist on Mars' by Oliver Sacks. The series stars Zachary Quinto as neurology physician Oliver Wolf, following 'Dr. Wolf and his team at Bronx General as they delve into the medical mysteries of the mind. Ultimately, they come face-to-face with the question: Who deserves care? as per the official logline.

Season 1 of 'Brilliant Minds' ran from September 2024 to January 2025, with Season 2 premiering in September 2025 and running for 14 episodes before NBC pulled it off the schedule in February as viewership dropped off. The series will return with its remaining six episodes beginning on May 27, reported Variety.

Along with Quinto, 'Brilliant Minds' stars Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, Brian Altemus and Al Calderon.

Michael Grassi created the series and executive produces alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra.

In the list of cancellations, 'Stumble' is another addition. It is set in the world of junior college cheerleading. In the series, a celebrated cheerleading coach (Jenn Lyon) was fired after being caught drinking with her team. She wound up coaching at a junior college in Oklahoma, where she hoped to put together a team that could win the national championship.

The show had its debut back in November, with the series finale airing in March. The show was mostly well-received by critics, but failed to find a wide enough audience to justify its renewal, reported the outlet.

Lyon led the cast along with Taran Killam, Ryan Pinkston, Jarrett Austin Brown, Anissa Borrego, Arianna Davis, Taylor Dunbar, and Georgie Murphy. Kristin Chenoweth also appeared in a recurring role.

'Stumble' hailed from Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof, who served as writers and executive producers. Jeff Blitz directed multiple episodes, including the pilot, and served as executive producer. Dana Honor and Monica Aldama were also executive producers on the show. Universal Television was the studio.

With these cancellations, the only NBC comedy awaiting word on a second season is the midseason entry 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe. The sophomore drama "The Hunting Party" is also still on the bubble.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Another show bites the dust! 😔 'Stumble' sounded like it had potential—cheerleading with a comedic twist. But honestly, with our own Indian shows getting better content these days, I don't feel as sad about missing Western series. We've got so many great desi shows on Hotstar and Netflix now. Still, sad for the cast and crew who put in hard work.
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Ananya R
I watched a few episodes of 'Brilliant Minds' and it was actually quite good! Zachary Quinto was excellent—very different from his Spock role. The episode about the man who thought his wife was a hat? Straight from the book! But I guess the Netflix algorithm has spoiled us. We binge everything now, and weekly releases don't work for younger audiences anymore. NBC should have just released all episodes at once.
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Vikram M
These cancellations make me appreciate Indian TV even more. Our serials run for years! 😂 But seriously, the US model of cancelling shows so quickly is frustrating for viewers. Shows need time to find their groove. 'Stumble' got just one season? That's unfair to the writers who had long-term plans. I hope they find new homes on streaming platforms.
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Siddharth J
I'm actually surprised 'Brilliant Minds' got cancelled. With Shefali Malhoutra on the production team (Indian name there!), I thought they had good representation. The show had diverse characters too. But I guess good intentions don't always translate to ratings. Still waiting for Indian creators to make their own version—something similar to this but with our unique medical drama style and maybe some masala!
K

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