Going Dutch Canceled: Why Fox Pulled the Plug on Denis Leary’s Comedy

The military draft is back, but not the kind anyone wanted. Fox has officially pulled the plug on Going Dutch. After two seasons of Denis Leary yelling at soldiers in the Netherlands, the network decided that the bill for this particular comedy was one they were no longer willing to split. The Going Dutch canceled news officially broke today, leaving the show's small but vocal fanbase wondering where it all went wrong for Colonel Patrick Lindsay.

A Premise That Ran Out of Gas

When Going Dutch first premiered, it had the ingredients for a classic Fox workplace comedy: a prickly lead, a fish-out-of-water setting, and the creative DNA of Joel Church-Cooper. Leary played a legendary, albeit loud-mouthed, Army colonel punished for his attitude by being sent to the least important base in the world. It was MASH* meets a travel brochure, but without the cultural staying power.

While the first season showed promise, the second year struggled to find its rhythm. The comedy often leaned heavily on "look how relaxed Europeans are" tropes that felt a bit dusty in 2026. Despite Leary’s undeniable charisma and ability to deliver a cynical monologue better than almost anyone in the business, the scripts began to feel like they were marching in place.

The Numbers Game

Television is a cold business, and the Going Dutch cancellation ultimately came down to the cold, hard data.

• Ratings Slump: The series sat near the bottom of Fox’s scripted rankings for the 2025-26 season.

  
  

• Streaming Struggles: On platforms like Hulu, where comedies often find a second life, the show failed to crack the Top 10 with any regularity.

  
  

• Production Costs: Filming a "European" base—even on a backlot—carries a price tag that a show with a 0.3 demo rating simply can't sustain.

What’s Left at Fox?

With this departure, Fox’s live-action comedy slate is looking thinner than a cafeteria mystery meat. Animal Control remains the sole survivor in a genre that the network used to dominate with hits like New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It seems the network is shifting its focus toward unscripted content and its powerhouse animation block, leaving little room for live-action experiments that don't immediately catch fire.

Fans of the Colonel’s rants will have to look elsewhere for their fix of military-grade sarcasm. For now, the gates at the Netherlands’ least-distinguished Army base are officially locked.

Did you think Going Dutch deserved a third season, or was it time to retreat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or over on our socials at The TV Cave.