So much of the renew/cancel landscape for CBS has already been revealed that CBS’ schedule announcement lack last year’s sense of anticipation. Last year Moonlight fans had to wait to the last minute to hear its fate, and Jericho fans waited to have any remaining hopes for renewal dashed. There’s no drama like that this year.
We know CBS has cancelled Eleventh Hour, Worst Week, Without a Trace and The Unit. If you’d been following things for a while, there weren’t really any surprises. We’d leaned towards Without a Trace over Cold Case, but are not surprised by the outcome, it has been pretty clear for more than a couple of months that it was one or the other.
Why Eleventh Hour?
Some have expressed surprise over Eleventh Hour’s cancellation, and when you consider its numbers relative to shows on other networks that were canceled (and even in some cases, renewed) I suppose the surprise is understandable. We weren’t surprised though. While we’re not prone to heavily emphasizing lead-in retention, given Eleventh Hour’s lead-in, its numbers weren’t really impressive. It was slightly below the network’s average 18-49 ratings. Plus, we’d heard noise for a while that CBS wasn’t thrilled with the show.
Though networks don’t typically cancel their average performing shows, it obtained those average ratings in a premium (though that premium had waned considerably by the end of the year) situation with a good lead-in/time slot. Plus, CBS actually has the luxury of being able to cancel average performing shows.
Patience with the new Wednesday comedy block
Though early in the year there were some questions over how long CBS would be patient with the performance of The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried from 8pm-9pm on Wednesday, Bill was initially extremely skeptical that either (or Worst Week) would be back, and he slowly migrated to thinking one of the three could come back. But CBS maintained publicly that the 8pm comedy block was something it wanted to stick with and by mid March or so, not even Bill was at the point of not being surprised if CBS brought back both Gary Unmarried and Old Christine.
I do understand why CBS is enamored with the idea of an additional comedy block, but it’s not clear to me why it is so enamored in this case. CBS/Paramount doesn’t produce either of the Wednesday shows, so it seems way more about cost than syndication potential. Or even ratings potential. Though neither show has the potential of Two and a Half Men, CBS seems content for now if these shows pull roughly a 2.0 rating with adults 18-49. That’s well below CBS’ average. Can the ratings improve next year? Will CBS remain patient if they don’t? We’ll see.
Medium and Flashpoint
NBC might have thrown a last minute wrench into CBS’ scheduling plans by not renewing the CBS/Paramount produced Medium. CBS publicly displayed its displeasure over NBC’s decision, Medium was likely a victim of Jay Leno cost issues. CBS is reportedly picking up Medium and its rumored it will be paired with Ghost Whisperer on Fridays. What exactly that will mean for Flashpoint is one of only a few surprises that will be revealed by CBS’ schedule announcement.
CSI and The Mentalist
CBS had freshman success with The Mentalist, but its formerly stalwart CSI showed rapid deterioration. The ratings erosion for CSI likely has several components:
- The broader trend for broadcast shows is erosion
- CSI has been on a long, long time
- William Petersen exiting and Laurence Fishburne arriving
CSI’s finale last Thursday was only a 3.4. Still good enough to be the 20th most-watched show, but there were eight airings on CBS that finished ahead of it, including the entire Monday night lineup of four thirty minute sitcoms and CSI: Miami. While The Mentalist has been a big “hit” in terms of total viewers, and indeed, just last week The Mentalist had more total viewers than CSI, CSI’s 3.4 rating with adults 18-49 was still ahead of The Mentalist’s 3.3 (and CSI: NY’s 3.2).
The big question seems to be what will CBS air after CSI on Thursdays at 10pm? Many people are touting The Mentalist for that slot. But a better question might be, is it time for CBS to air something else at 9pm on Thursdays and move CSI itself to 10pm?
We’ll find out soon enough.
Dexter is 5 X better than ‘The Mentalist’ !
Has the Mentalist been renewed yet?
Im expecting it is…..but with all these surprises this year…..idk what to expect xD
If “all eyes [are] on CBS” wouldnt there be alot of car accidents as people wouldnt have their eyes on the road, cars or pedestrians?
Lack of publicity for Eleventh Hour was key. CBS from the very beginning never showed it any respect and barely promoted it. They jumped in with both feet for the Mentalist and ran with it. It’s a shame perhaps with better writing and promotion EH could have been a hit. Good talent wasted. Sewell deserved better.
I don’t understand the confusion people have with “Old Christine”. The writing is always fresh like “How I met your money” and funny. With so many laugh track bad comedys CBS needs to stick with quality shows like “Old Christine” and promote it. I have told my friends about it because they never heard of it. They now love it (too late?) Obviously, if a network wants a show to succeed thay need to promote the hell out of it.
Medium should certainly move to CBS. NBC execs ahve no clue, they proved it by axing the show.
CBS’s public statement regarding Medium’s cancelation was great.
With Flashpoint typically structured around the Canadian 13-ep season, could Flashpoint and Medium both have limited run seasons? Maybe Medium can have Fridays at 9 in the fall/winter, then Flashpoint can have its 13 episodes in the spring/summer.
Will it be Mentalist or Cold Case on Tuesdays at 10 p.m.? My gut says Mentalist. I can’t wait to find out.
I really hope CBS leave “The Mentalist” on Tuesdays at 9pm. It works well out of “NCIS.” I also hope they don’t launch the new “NCIS” spin-off on Tuesday either. They need to do like they do with the “CSI’s” and air it on different nights. Maybe Wednesdays at 8pm…
Bring back The Unit
I think The Mentalist should stay on Tuesdays but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are preparing it to take over the CSI slot on thursday from 2010. Since CBS has the Superbowl this year, I wonder if it will get the post Superbowl or will one of the comedies get it.
if cbs pick up medium probably flashpoint will be move to sunday or tuesday or it will be cancelled if the show is $$$ expensive to produce
and im so glad “old christine” is coming back! but so sad 11th hour is cancelled
I dnt blame CBS being annoyed with NBC
They shud pick medium up without a doubt
What a great show to pair medium with
I would be amazed if CBS cancelled The Mentalist because it’s been the highest rated first season show this year. But as they won’t, I hope they leave it on Tuesdays rather than move it into the Monday and Thursday free-for-alls. After all, it’s high ratings are proof that people are tuning in to it. And comparably, Fox did renew Lie to Me with Tim Roth.
Once again, I’m staggered by yet another CBS fall season article which does not mention Numb3rs, which has been their highest rated Friday night show since, like ever, iirc. Can I assume that Numb3rs will be back in the Fall for a 6th season?
And finally, props to CBS for their early announcement regarding renewal of (arguably the best comedy on TV) The Big Bang Theory for not just another year, but two. I love TBBT and hope it continues long after those two extra years.
Flashpoint is cheap as it’s co-produced by CTV and so it could easily be a midseason show or moved to the summer along with the other Canadian import The Bridge.
It’s funny how Medium fans try to vilify NBC and act like CBS is some fan loving savior of low rated shows. While I’m sure the Leno decision did factor into this, NBC did renew Medium for 13 episodes. CBS wanted more money and more episodes.
The last few weeks Medium’s ratings have been low even by NBC standards. I’m sure the reason why CBS is really mad is because they don’t want the show on their network. They would rather have another network air it and get the low to mediocre ad rates while they continue to collect money from the lucrative deal from lifetime.
CBS does not care about fans. If they didn’t have a lucrative deal in place for Medium, they wouldn’t even care about the show and the show would have almost no chance to be on CBS.
I just love thinking back a few years when NBC would air ads saying watch “Medium” Monday at 10pm… because “CSI: Miami” is a repeat. LOL.
I just read on SitcomsOnline.com that the schedule is coming at 10am ET.
This wonderfully exciting and insightful show must be saved. Patricia Arquette, the rest of the cast and crew do not deserve to lose their jobs, nor do we fans deserve to lose this show.
I am stating a campaign to save ‘Medium’, and am going to CBS to pick up the show.
Here is what I will be doing:
Sending a letter to CBS pleading to save the show, and will title it “Don’t Put Medium to Sleep”, and will mark the envelope as such. Inside the envelope will be pills, which can be assumed to be some form of sleep aid or sleeping pill (NOT prescribed, just over the counter).
CBS contact info:
CBS Studios Address:
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA. 90036
General Phone Number:
323.575.2345
Please join me in showing CBS that ‘Medium’ does have a huge fan base and we want the show saved!
Also check out the website:
http://www.mediumdreams.com/
Michael W Anderson
MWA, you might want to wait five minutes and save a stamp.
The Mentalist is moved to Thursdays at 10pm after CSI. I will post the full schedule release as soon as I see it.
Tuesdays is NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife
Big Bang Theory moves to Mondays at 9:30p…
Friday nights = Ghost Whisperer, Medium and Numb3rs
ROFL..
will you be going to subway also? =p
besides, cbs will have announced their decision by the time you letter is postmarked.
NCIS:LA is a crap name, OSP would of have been better. The Big Bang Theory and The Mentalist moving to plum slot are signs of confidence by CBS.
Still waiting on release, but fall schedule posted here:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/20/cbs-announces-2009-2010-schedule/19145
Bad move putting NCS and the spin off on the same night imho they should of ben on seperate nights.
Robert,
This made me laugh: “MWA, you might want to wait five minutes and save a stamp.”
And yes, Medium is already picked up by CBS, per your latest post.
I thought that there was an outside chance that CBS might have moved The Mentalist to the Thursday at 9pm slot and put CSI in the Thurs at 10pm slot. After reading that the Wednesday night comedy block was going to stay, that took away a potential slot for the NCIS spinoff, so it made more sense to move The Mentalist – an established hit – to Thursday than to debut a show there as CBS has attempted to do a couple of times over the last 3 years (Shark and Eleventh Hour).
Definitely see The Mentalist being groomed to take over the Thursday at 9pm slot in the future though – perhaps a midseason switch if CSI continues to languish or fall 2010. I wouldn’t be surprised to see The Mentalist end up with a bigger overall audience on Thursdays, not really sure about how it will do in the 18-49 demo compared to CSI and the general Thursday TV landscape. This will be one of the more interesting things to follow come fall 2009 IMO.
CBS may have been shortsighted enough to cancel Eleventh Hour, but the Campaign to bring it back is not over. If you love EH like we do, check out this new link at our new site. There are still possibilities to save this show but we need each and every fan to help!
http://forum.planet-hood.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=52
Eleventh Hour was awful, pretty much everyone agreed.
It would have to be completed reworked, for any Network to consider this show.
i’m sure Cbs is pissed it didn’t do what Fringe did for FOX.
Has any show ever done this? retooled and picked up by another network?
“Some have expressed surprise over Eleventh Hour’s cancellation, and when you consider its numbers relative to shows on other networks that were canceled (and even in some cases, renewed) I suppose the surprise is understandable. We weren’t surprised though.”
Nice revisionist history there.
Retentionistas: 1
Revisionistas: 0
Riff, Eleventh Hour numbers fell to a level where its cancellation was not a surprise to me. At it’s initial ratings, it would have been a surprise.
As for retention being a valuable predictor, wait another week after the hub bub, and I will run some numbers!
Oh gosh!
Only 1 new drama from 2008 are back in CBS’s 2009.
“Riff, Eleventh Hour numbers fell to a level where its cancellation was not a surprise to me. At it’s initial ratings, it would have been a surprise.”
I don’t know what ratings you saw that I didn’t, but other than the series finale (which got somewhat flattened by the “ER” series finale), it was a very stable performer with a core 11 million viewers and 18-49 demos that ranged from high 2.0s to low 3.0s. The 3 episodes before the series finale were actually higher-rated than the series premiere. Did it have great retention out of “CSI?” No. Was it an time slot improvement? No. Was it a low-cost show? No. Did CBS like it? Although its 2 middle-aged female fans will bitch me out for saying so, not really.
Like I said, nice revisionist history.
Riff, here are the overnight demo ratings for original Eleventh Hours. They did range from the low 3’s to the high 2’s, but in the wrong direction.
3.4, 3.2, 3.2, 2.9, 3.1, 3.1, 2.8, 2.7, 3.8, 4.3, 3.0, 3.2, 2.7, 2.7, 2.9, 3.0, 2.8, 2.5
As I wrote early on, had it maintained it’s premiere rating, or even that 3.2, regardless of the retention from CSI, it’s renewed. Once it drops down to a the 2.7 range it was in danger.
Yet, if The Unit had those same numbers, it would have been renewed.
I don’t think retention is important as a direct percentage, but lead-in does affect expectations. A big lead-in means higher expectations.
Bill, the 2.5 was due to ER series finale. CBS made a terrible decision airing a new episode against a series finale. That and the lack of promotion did it.
vsaint, FOX promoted Fringe a lot, CBS didn’t promote EH at the same level. There it’s the difference.
If CBS didn’t like the show that much they would’ve have canceled it a long time ago or they wouldn’t have picked it up at all or they wouldn’t have ordered 5 more episodes. They would’ve let other network have it.
If someone thinks EH is a bad show it’s fine, but there are worse shows than EH that were renewed. And it’s understandable, because that’s the kind of crappy shows many people like.