The Chi will say goodbye next year after eight seasons on Showtime.
Creator Lena Waithe announced the cancellation of the Chicago-set drama on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
“When I created The Chi, it wasn’t just about making a TV show — it was about owning our narratives and telling our stories with truth, care, nuance and complexity. It was about showing the soul of the South Side — the beauty, the pain, the grit, and the magic that lives in every block, and in every family,” Waithe said in a statement.
The decision to end the series comes before production gets underway on the final season in early 2026.
“After much reflection, we have made the decision to end The Chi with season 8. I know, for the sake of our story and our characters, it’s the right thing. I am committed to delivering a final season that our Chi family deserves,” Waithe added.
Related: ‘The Chi’ Renewed for Season 8 as Audience Surges

The drama tells the story of residents from Chicago’s South Side who are “linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.”
Season 7 followed Alicia (Lynn Whitfield) taking control and avenging her son’s death.
Whitfield stars alongside Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Birgundi Baker, and Luke James.
Kadeem Hardison, Chris Lee, Brett Gray, Rotimi, Jackie Long, Charmin Lee, Jill Marie Jones and Daniel J. Watts returned to guest star, along with Hannaha Hall, Jason Weaver, La La Anthony, Vic Mensa, Kandi Burruss, Tai Davis, Rolando Boyce, Ahmad Ferguson, Cortez Smith, Genesis Denise Hale, Joel Steingold, Judae’a Brown, Zaria Imani Primer, L’lerrét Jazelle and Brian Keys.
The season additionally welcomed newcomers Phylicia Rashad, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Karrueche Tran, Kyla Pratt, Punkie Johnson, Reagan Gomez, and Tammy Townsend, as previously reported.
Season 7 of The Chi debuted May 16, 2025 on Paramount+ with Showtime, and the finale aired on Aug. 1.
A total 2 million cross-platform viewers watched the premiere in its first week, making it the most-streamed debut episode in the show’s history.
Following the success of the premiere, the show was renewed in late May for an eighth season.
The hit series first premiered in 2018, with Waithe executive producing under her Hillman Grad banner. Justin Hillian of Hillianaire Productions and Jewel Coronel with Uncut Gems serve as executive producers and co-showrunners.
Additional executive producers include Common, Aaron Kaplan, Rick Famuyiwa, Resheida Brady-Anderson, Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone of ID8 Multimedia, Naomi Funabashi and Rishi Rajani. Supervising producers Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield directed multiple episodes in season 7.
The cancellation comes amid changes at Showtime parent company Paramount Global after it was acquired by Skydance Media for $8 billion, with the deal closing in August.
Despite the The Chi ending, conversations are underway with Waithe about future projects across the Paramount family, Urban Hollywood 411 has learned.
Read the full statement from Lena Waithe below:
“When I created The Chi, it wasn’t just about making a TV show—it was about owning our narratives and telling our stories with truth, care, nuance and complexity. It was about showing the soul of the South Side—the beauty, the pain, the grit, and the magic that lives in every block, and in every family.
After much reflection, we have made the decision to end The Chi with season 8. I know, for the sake of our story and our characters, it’s the right thing. I am committed to delivering a final season that our Chi Family deserves.
It’s been the honor of my life to build a platform for artists to shine—not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes as well. To helm the longest-running Black drama on television is a huge honor and it’s something I don’t take lightly.
I’m deeply grateful to every single person who helped build this world—our writers, actors and crew who give so much of themselves to make this show what it is.
As for what the future holds, I still plan on telling stories, continuing to build community, and making space for us all to be seen.”
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