ABC gave sophomore series Castle an order for nine additional episodes yesterday, bringing the season order to 22 installments. With decent ratings, can fans of the show relax? Is it safe from cancellation?
Castle revolves around an egotistical novelist (Nathan Fillion) who teams up with a police detective (Stana Katic) to solve crimes in the Big Apple. The drama also features Susan Sullivan, Molly Quinn, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Tamala Jones, Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever.
Last season, Castle averaged 10.32 million viewers and a 3.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This season, Castle has been averaging a bit more than 10 million viewers and is down to a 2.5 rating. The numbers have bumped up a bit in the past couple of weeks and it’s been suggested that that news was encouraging enough for ABC to give it a full season order.
Still, the news isn’t all positive. Aside from the large year-to-year dip in the all-important demo, Castle consistently loses a significant amount of viewers from its lead-in, Dancing with the Stars. This week’s installment lost almost 45%. ABC is surely not pleased with these losses.
On top of that, Castle is expected to have its biggest challenge in the next several weeks. Throughout its first season and thus far into its second, Castle has always been blessed with the hugely popular Dancing to help attract viewers. That’s going to change in November. When Dancing goes on hiatus, Castle’s not going to have that big lead-in any longer and will have to stand on its own.
If you remember back to the 2008-09 season, Samantha Who? always did quite well with a Dancing lead-in. When it was left to fend for itself last season, the ratings fell apart and it was cancelled.
Dancing with the Stars is set to end its season in November. Will Castle be able to survive or will ABC decide it can do better? What do you think?
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Dancing With the Stars is like a wedding reception and panders to voyeurs. FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance is a much better reality show, IMHO, because their dancers actually have talent and inspire others.
Castle is a bright, interesting, well-written show, which means it will probably be cancelled. It has drama, wit, humor, quality camera work and editing, excellent directing, great sets/locations, and an excellent cast, so it’s not long for this world, if ABC execs are true to form. It would be nice to see the television industry return to producing more intelligent entertainment like this that makes people think and use their imagination. Keeping Castle on the air for another few seasons would be a step in that direction.
Oh well, anything for a buck, even selling out integrity and creativity, so Castle will probably only see two seasons. Guess I’ll invest in more books and go it unplugged again if I can’t get good stories on TV anymore.
I agree with Kate. I would so much rather watch a show with a story line, or, at the very least, TALENT, than stupid B-list celebs making fools of themselves. Remember “Murder, She Wrote”? That was on for like 12 seasons. With the SAME actors, even! Why can’t we do that anymore?
Keep Castle. And keep Eastwick too, while you’re at it. Both are funny and cute and entertaining. Best of all, they’re not depressing, like Grey’s always is. Otherwise, my TV is going off, and, like Kate, you can find me at the library.
Both Castle and Eastwick are entertaining shows with excellent writing and acting. They are fun and also the only two shows on ABC that we watch. Without these two shows, we can just delete ABC from our favorite channels line-up.
I love Castle. It is entertaining and fun. Don’t take it off the air.
Go ahead, cancel another of my favorite new shows. You will do so no matter what the real world wants. We do not all appreciate comis characters or run of the mill sitcoms.
Pretty soon I won’t be watching TV any more, just watch shows on my laptop.
Marilyn Baraket
Castle is funny! I look forward to and enjoy the show every week! I agree with all the others. Why can’t the network keep a good show? Very soon I’ll have nothing to watch on TV anymore!
Castle is the BEST show on the air – please keep it going.
AFTER READING THAT EASTWICK WAS CANCELLED, I PANICKED AND HEADED FOR “CASTLE” ONLY TO FIND OUT IT MIGHT NOT SURVIVE EITHER. I HAD FINALLY FOUND TWO SHOWS THAT HAD MYSTERY, DRAMA AND HUMOR WITH EXCELLENT ACTORS. WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO REPLACE THEM WITH? MORE HOSPITAL OR CSI SHOWS. LEAVE THESE SHOWS ALONE AND LET US ENJOY SOMETHING LIGHT HEARTED FOR A CHANGE. I WILL ALSO HEAD FOR THE LIBRARY– AND I CAN’T EVEN READ. LOL.
Oh, please do not cancel another show!! I loved Eastwick and you took that off the air and now Castle? It was fun to escape with the charterers and try to figure out what the mystery or the plots might be? All of the reality junk is clogging the airwaves too! Let’s keep some mystery and drama on TV?? Also, I can not stand watching Dancing with the Stars. Nobody lives like those people! You shove it down our throats on a daily basis. I’m sick of it!! At least we had some drama and mystery with Eastwick and Castle. I’m so sick of seeing hospital FAKE blood and stupid CSI fake shows, they are depressing! Also, what has happened to real TV?? It is for entertainment and there is hardly any of that on TV anymore. I too agree that we need some fun and lighthearted show to entertain us! ABC will soon be off my radar too, because ABC will have nothing to show your viewers? Thank you!!
why is it that so few get to decide what the rest of the country gets to watch. do away with the neilson ratings and let the public decide for themselves thru opinion poles. BE FAIR
I love Castle and not because Dancing with the Stars is on first. I dont even watch dancing with the stars. Keep Castle and keep Eastwick ABC is making a mistake for canceling it
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