'The Hunting Party' officially ends at NBC: Here's why
- By Maria Lopez -
- Jul 07, 2026
Recent industry reports claim that the crime drama The Hunting Party has been canceled after two seasons and will not be returning to NBC.
Deadline reported that the cast’s contract options have officially expired—a clear indication that NBC is no longer pursuing the project or keeping its stars committed to it. This development virtually guarantees that there will not be a third season, despite faint hopes that a streaming platform like Netflix might save it.
The conspiracy thriller, which starred Melissa Roxburgh as a former FBI profiler, combined a standard procedural crime drama with a high-concept mystery. The plot followed an elite team tasked with tracking down dangerous serial killers who had escaped from “The Pit,” a top-secret government prison.
The finality of the cancellation coincides with NBC’s ongoing efforts to revamp its schedule for the upcoming television season. The Hunting Party was conspicuously absent from the network’s summer and fall schedules released earlier this year, which originally fueled rumors of its quiet cancellation.
A broader reorganization at the network has affected a number of projects. Deadline revealed that cast options have also lapsed for another NBC project: the Emily Deschanel-led pilot Key Witness, which narrowly missed out on a series order.
Prior to the company’s upfront presentation in May, NBCUniversal executive Jeff Bader told reporters that the network was operating under a “very tight timeline,” a statement that foreshadowed these tough cancellation choices.
While The Hunting Party has come to an end, NBC is moving forward with a fresh lineup. New shows like Line of Fire, The Traitors, and Newlyweds are set to debut, alongside returning favorites such as Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Happy’s Place, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Ultimately, for fans of The Hunting Party, the expiration of the cast’s contracts is the most definitive sign that the Melissa Roxburgh thriller has reached its final conclusion.