So You Think You Can Dance Ends After 18 Seasons on Fox

Fox has confirmed there are “no plans” to order a 19th season of So You Think You Can Dance
The show last aired in spring 2024 with Cat Deeley hosting and JoJo Siwa, Allison Holker, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy as judges
SYTYCD ran for 18 seasons from 2005 to 2024, becoming one of Fox’s signature summer franchises
The show’s final years were marked by controversy, including the Matthew Morrison departure and Nigel Lythgoe’s sexual assault lawsuits
Fox’s 2026–27 unscripted lineup features more than 15 returning series — but SYTYCD is not among them

So You Think You Can Dance is officially off the floor. Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn confirmed Sunday that the network has no intention of bringing back the beloved dance competition, effectively ending a run that stretched nearly two decades and helped launch some of the most recognizable names in the dance world.

“Obviously, it’s a very important show in the history of Fox,” Thorn told reporters during a pre-Upfronts press call. “But right now, there are no plans to order another season. We’ve had conversations about it, but nothing formal.”

The show last aired in spring 2024 — its 18th season — hosted by the ever-reliable Cat Deeley, with JoJo Siwa, Allison Holker, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy on the judging panel. That season introduced documentary-style contestant profiles and a $100,000 grand prize, part of an effort to reimagine the format for a new era. It wasn’t enough to secure a future.

A Summer Staple That Lost Its Footing

For 15 years, SYTYCD was appointment television. From its 2005 debut through Season 16 in 2019, it was Fox’s defining summer franchise — the show that put contemporary, hip-hop, ballroom, and Broadway dance in front of millions of viewers every week. Then COVID hit, the show went dark for two years, and things were never quite the same.

When it returned for Season 17 in 2022, it came back with a new judging lineup: JoJo Siwa, the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss, and Matthew Morrison. But Morrison abruptly exited mid-season after failing to follow “competition production protocols,” with Leah Remini stepping in to finish out the season. The show skipped 2023 entirely.

Season 18 brought its own complications before a single episode aired. Nigel Lythgoe — co-creator of the series and a fixture on the judging panel for most of its run — was originally set to return, but stepped down after two lawsuits accused him of sexual assault, including one filed by American Idol’s Paula Abdul. JoJo Siwa was brought in as his replacement. (Lythgoe’s lawsuit was ultimately settled in December 2024.)

Holker’s presence that season carried its own emotional weight — she had been married to tWitch, who died by suicide in December 2022, just months after Season 17 wrapped.

What Fox Is Moving Forward With Instead

Fox isn’t stepping back from unscripted television — far from it. The network’s 2026–27 lineup is loaded, with more than 15 reality and competition series returning, including The Masked Singer, Hell’s Kitchen, Next Level Chef, LEGO Masters, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, and The Floor, among others. A new series called Marriage Market — following singles whose family members attempt to find them a spouse — has also been ordered.

SYTYCD, produced by Sony Pictures Television’s 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions, simply didn’t make that list.

The show was executive produced by showrunner Daniel Martin alongside series co-creator Nigel Lythgoe, Barry Adelman, Eli Holzman, and Aaron Saidman.

For fans who grew up watching the show crown legends like Season 2 winner Benji Schwimmer or watching Twitch himself rise from contestant to beloved judge, the news stings. SYTYCD wasn’t just a competition — it was a cultural moment, a show that treated dance as the art form it is. Twenty years later, the stage has gone dark. And for now, at least, no one at Fox is planning to turn the lights back on.