CBS has announced their new schedule for the 2009 – 2010 season. The network has the most viewers overall so they don’t have to make a lot of changes. But, because they’re in such good shape, they can still afford to shake things up a bit. That means dumping some shows whose ratings weren’t too bad.
The network has also picked up Medium which was cancelled by NBC. CBS says that they’re targeting a younger demographic next season but their choice of new shows doesn’t wholly reflect that philosophy.
With the largest number of returning shows of all five networks, CBS has renewed 48 Hours, 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, The Big Bang Theory, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Flashpoint, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Whisperer, How I Met Your Mother, Medium, The Mentalist, NCIS, The New Adventures of New Christine, Numb3rs, Rules of Engagement, Survivor, and Two and a Half Men.
Returning this Summer are Big Brother and Million Dollar Password (which is unlikely to return for season two). New series for the Summer months include Do You Trust Me? and Jingles.
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Next season, the Tiffany network has a fair number of new shows on the way as well. They include Accidentally on Purpose, Arranged Marriage, The Bridge, The Good Wife, Miami Trauma, Three Rivers, and Undercover Boss. You can also expect the NCIS spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles.
And now, for the shows that won’t be back next season. Interestingly only a couple of these had really bad ratings. When you’re at the top of the heap, you can be choosy.
Eleventh Hour
A brilliant biophysicist helps the government investigate strange cases. The ratings weren’t too low and the show has a devout following but CBS execs cancelled it after 18 episodes.
The Ex List
A psychic tells a young woman that she’s already dated the man of her dreams and, if she doesn’t marry within a year, she’ll always be alone. The series was pulled after four installments but all 13 episodes were completed for a possible DVD release.
Game Show in My Head
A hidden camera show from Ashton Kutcher in which everyday people perform crazy stunts in public to try to win up to $50,000. The show enjoyed a brief eight episode run in January and won’t be back with more.
Harper’s Island
This murder mystery show started out pretty strong but quickly lost viewers. CBS is burning off the existing 13 episodes on Saturday nights. If there was going to be another season, it would have revolved around a new mystery.
Swingtown
A drama that follows three families in the swinging seventies. CBS ran it during the summer months and it attracted a small but devoted audience. The network tried to find another outlet for season two but couldn’t.
The Unit
This beloved military drama followed the lives of both a special forces team as well as their family members at home. A victim of cost-cutting measures, Dennis Haysbert and company won’t be returning to fight again.
Without a Trace
This venerable crime drama about the FBI’s New York Missing Persons Squad is about to go missing itself. Due to budget cuts and sinking ratings, the show won’t be back for season eight.
Worst Week
Thankfully, we got to see unlucky Sam and his bride have their baby together. Unfortunately, we’ll never get to see if Sam’s klutziness is hereditary. The show has been cancelled after 15 episodes. There was talk of renewing the show as a cheaper, multi-camera sitcom but it didn’t work out.
Will you miss any of these cancelled shows? Has CBS made any mistakes or have they gotten these right? See any they shouldn’t have renewed but did? Please don’t forget to leave your comments below!
Note: CBS later changed the name of new series Miami Trauma to Miami Medical.
Here are updated cancelled/renewed listings for the five networks: ABC | CBS | The CW | FOX | NBC
Images courtesy CBS.
I am so sad to hear the The Unit was cancelled. It’s one of my favorite shows and one of the best written dramas on TV. I wish CBS could have made room for this one; it deserves to still be on the air.
I am disappointed that The Unit and Without a Trace was cancelled. Both of these shows were very very good. The reality shows are getting pretty boring and most are stupid, like The Amazing Race even tho it won an award. I’ve watched it twice and didn’t like it. I usually watch CBS most but with these programs gone I will watch less. You have really messed up dropping these shows. Do love Medium tho glad you picked that one up. We needed something good for Friday nights and Medium and Ghost Whisperer are GREAT!
I cannot believe CBS cancelled the BEST show on TV – The Unit!!!! Any chance another network will pick this one up?
CBS you missed the mark by cancelin “Without a Trace” and “The Unit” Great shows. Just wait and see ,show like Accidentally on Purpose and The Medium are dead on arrival. You got cheap and tried to save a buck and lost more than you gained.
I could not believe you would cancel Without A. Trace. My husband and I looked forward to it and now it is gone. You are removing some of the best shows.
You cancel the Unit? Why would you cancel one of the best shows on TV? Is it because it’s pro America and you don’t want to make Obama look like he’s president over such an obvious anti terror show. It’s a good thing 24 isn’t on your stations!
I am very disappointed that CBS cancelled the TV show The Unit; this show provided a interesting and very unique view into the lives of our military families not to mention it was a very good show that did not follow the same fun of the mill story lines. I found the writing and characters like a good book; you could wait to find out how the story would end yet you were disappointed at the conclusion while eagerly anticipating the next episode. As the previous comments stated, how many CSI series are required, the fact that they take place… Read more »
Without a Trace and The Unit were among the better shows in the squalor of network prime time television. Leave it to a major network to once triumph by sinking below my rapidly decending expectations. Still, hope springs eternal. Hundreds of major U.S. cities operate without a CSI namesake and with I may yet perish of boredom before watching all the chanels currently rerunning movies I recall having enjoyed once. The race to irrelevance by the three major networks and the minions of competing cable chanels, now reduced to reruning I Love Lucy, is reason to reconsider my belief in… Read more »
My whole family is sorry to see that The Unit and Without A Trace were canceled. The Unit was unique in it’s presentation of the viewpoint of both the family and the military. We need shows like that to remind us that our military is always defending this great nation and they make tremendous sacrifices. It was one of the few shows that portrayed our military as the heroes that they really are! Although I am a fan of the CSI shows, between all the CSI and NCIS, there’s not much of a variety. At the very least, CBS should… Read more »
Please bring back without a trace and the unit
Thank You
I can’t believe that the Unit was cancelled. This was one of the best shows. Doesn’t matter what TV station is its, it always happens were the best shows are cancelled & the worst ones are kept on air such as the Medium… The TV stations need to get their act together & make better judgements on what shows to keep. Medium should have been cancelled & the Unit in it’s place at an eariler time…
I totally can’t believe this how could CBS cancel The Unit that was one of my favorite show. I thought my Tivo had a glitz or something when I couldn’t find any new episodes of The Unit. I am very sad I loved the way this show was written and the vantage point of the wives was excellent. I will really miss this show and Swingtown!!! CBS needs to have more consideration for the fans!!!
Without a trace was one of my favorite shows. I cannot believe CBS cancelled this show – especially with all the repeative shows like CSI variants … You had a younger viewer with this show – big mistake.
I wondered what happened to Eleventh Hour. I thought it was a great show. But I’m really surprised about Without a Trace. That show was excellent. I just saw one of the characters in CSI, and suddenly realized I hadn’t seen WAT in a while, and thought I’d check it out. I’m really sorry to see these two excellent series end. Sure would be nice if they were picked up my another network or cable channel.
I cannot believe that “The Unit” was cancelled, especially when the coneheads decided to keep “Medium!” The scheduling of The Unit last season was an absolute joke, with the schedulke change to Sunday night, the starting late about half the time. They almost destined the show for cancellation with that combination. How can us dedicated viewers put pressure on CBS to renew for one more season to wrap up all the loose ends? The last episode of season four is not the way to end such a high quality show. My father was a retired Command Sergeant Major, Ranger tabbed.… Read more »