NBC has cancelled the Jennifer Lopez helmed dance competition show World of Dance after four seasons.
According to Deadline, NBC has no plans to bring the show back for a fifth season. Season 4, which featured 12 episodes, aired between May and August 2020.
NBC filmed season 4 in the early part of 2020, finishing production just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down film production. The series didn’t appear on NBCs 2021 summer schedule. But what’s more, the network never announced auditions, filming schedule or anything associated with beginning a fifth season. In fact, judge Derek Hough signed a development deal with ABC last fall that included a seat at the Dancing with the Stars judges table. Derek previously served as a pro dancer on the show.
As far as World of Dance not being part of NBCs summer schedule–that could have been blamed on the pandemic. The series features dancers from around the world, which would make it very difficult to produce under COVID-19 safety requirements. The season 4 ratings were OK, but maybe not good enough to go the extra mile to produce it with COVID-19 protocols in place.
World of Dance featured a $1 million dollar prize for winners determined by the judges panel, which consisted of Jennifer, Derek and singer/dancer Ne-Yo. Jenna Dewan hosted the first two seasons and Scott Evans hosting the third and fourth.
Currently, with So You Think You Can Dance no longer on the FOX schedule, and the cancellation of World of Dance, that leaves The Masked Dancer and Dancing with the Stars as the only remaining dance shows on network TV. Considering that the remaining shows feature celebrities trying their hand on the dance floor, that leaves no competitions that feature contestants who are elite level pro dancers.
