Variety has learned that NBC has canceled the medical drama “Brilliant Minds” after two seasons and the mockumentary comedy “Stumble” after one season.
“A Brilliant Mind” is based on the books “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” and “The Anthropologist on Mars” by Oliver Sacks. According to the official logline, the series stars Zachary Quinto as neurologist Oliver Wolfe and follows “Bronx General’s Dr. Wolfe and his team as they explore the medical mysteries of the mind.” “Ultimately, they end up facing the question of who deserves care.”
Season 1 of “Brilliant Minds” aired from September 2024 to January 2025, while Season 2 premiered in September 2025 and aired for 14 episodes before being pulled from the schedule by NBC in February due to declining viewership. The series will return on May 27th with six episodes remaining.
In addition to Quinto, “Brilliant Minds” also stars Tamvarra Perry, Ashley Lathrop, Alex MacNicol, Ollie Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, Brian Altemus and Al Calderon.
Michael Grassi created and executive produced the series along with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Lee London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, Demane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis, and Shefali Malhotra.
“Stumble” is set in the world of junior college cheerleading. In the series, a famous cheerleading coach (Jen Lyon) is fired after being caught drinking with her team. She eventually became a coach at a junior college in Oklahoma, where she hoped to put together a team that could win a national championship.
The show first aired in November, and the current series finale aired in March. Although the show received generally positive reviews from critics, it did not find a wide enough audience to warrant a renewal.
Ryan led the cast along with Taran Killam, Ryan Pinkston, Jarrett Austin Brown, Anissa Borrego, Ariana Davis, Taylor Dunbar, and Georgie Murphy. Kristin Chenoweth also has a recurring role.
“Stumble” received praise from screenwriters and executive producers Jeff and Liz Astrof. Jeff Blitz directed multiple episodes, including the pilot, and also served as an executive producer. Dana Honor and Monica Aldama also served as executive producers on the show. The studio was Universal Television.
With these cancellations, the only NBC comedy waiting to announce a second season is the midseason entry The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe. The second season of the drama “Hunting Party” is still in the bubble.
For the first time in years, NBC has ordered multiple pilots for the 2026-2027 broadcast season. That includes a reboot of “The Rockford Files” starring David Boreanaz and a PI comedy from Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici. These pilots are considered particularly strong candidates for series orders, and the network is also considering a number of other procedural and comedy pilots.
