CBS has canceled Instinct after
two seasons.
According to Deadline, CBS in
May postponed a renewal decision on the drama series.
The cancellation was announced on
Twitter by Instinct creator and executive producer Michael
Rauch.
“I’m very sad to relay the news
that @instinctcbs won’t be renewed for a 3rd season,” Rauch
tweeted. “Thanks to our incredible crew, cast, writers, producers &
all who helped make our show, with respect, talent & kindness.
And a giant thank you to our diehard fans for your love, loyalty &
excellent taste (is it too soon to ask for a reboot?).”
The show starred Alan Cumming as a
reluctant CIA agent searching for a serial killer. Since leaving the
agency his character has successfully built a “normal” life as a
professor and writer. But he gets pulled back into the CIA when his
unique talents are needed to crack the case.
The series made history as the first
network drama with an openly gay lead character.
Cumming, who is bisexual, reacted to
the cancellation in an Instagram post.
“While I’m sorry I won’t be
getting to play with @bojnovak and the rest of the amazing cast and
crew again, I’m grateful for two seasons of fun and gore and
feeling like a dandy thanks to @danlawsonstyle’s costumes, and
selfies with corpses and vegan options at catering and Lala’s
occasional guest appearances in the police station when she got bored
in her basket beneath my desk,” Cumming wrote. “I’m also proud
to have played the first-ever leading character in a US network drama
who is gay. Yes, really. Because of @instinctcbs millions of people
will have seen a same-sex marriage portrayed for the first time and I
hope we changed and opened some minds in the process.”
Cumming, who married graphic artist
Grant Shaffer in New York in 2012, has previously praised CBS for
“having the courage” to broadcast the show at a time when
President Donald Trump “is actively condoning, by his silence,
violence, and persecution against the LGBT community.”
“[It's] all that more important we
should have a character with a healthy same-sex marriage,” Cumming
added.
The show's second season finale airs
Sunday, August 25.