Between the competition from other channels and start time delays due to sports programming overruns, CBS has some real challenges on Sunday nights, particularly in the 10pm timeslot. Both The Mentalist (ended) and CSI (possibly cancelled) struggled this season. How’s newcomer Battle Creek been doing? Will it be renewed for a second season or will it be cancelled instead?
Battle Creek revolves around two mismatched law enforcement officers — Detective Russ Agnew (Dean Winters) and FBI Special Agent Milton Chamberlain (Josh Duhamel) — who have polar opposite views of the world and end up being partners. The rest of the cast includes Janet McTeer, Kal Penn, Aubrey Dollar, and Edward Fordham Jr.
The series got off to a poor start with a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 7.92 million viewers. That was a lower demo number than either CSI or Mentalist had hit this season. The viewership was pretty bad for a CBS show too.
In week two, the ratings for Battle Creek fell to a 0.83 in the demo with 6.93 million, a decline of 17% and 13% respectively. The numbers have gotten even worse in subsequent weeks — falling as low as a 0.7 rating and 5.58 million viewers.
Based on the ratings, there doesn’t seem to be any reason for CBS to renew Battle Creek for a second season. The numbers are just too low.
On the positive side, there are four episodes left after tonight’s airing. It looks like the network will let them air with the finale currently set for May 24th.
But, what do you think? Do you like the Battle Creek TV show on CBS? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for a second season? Is it a better show than what the ratings seem to indicate?
We are not in the 18-49 bracket, but we have watched every episode of this series and were looking forward to watching next season’s episodes. Please reconsider giving it a second chance.
Will someone kindly explain to me why I am not worthy as a viewer if I don’t all in the 18-49 age bracket? Did they forget how many baby-boomers there are out there? And we have no value because WHY? I feel a bit insulted!
Please bring back BATTLE CREEK for EVERYONE! We enjoy the show. There are nearly 5000 signatures on the petition RIGHT NOW!
Please sign and pass along the petition if you have not signed it!
https://www.change.org/p/cbs-savebattlecreek
Unbelievable. CBS puts a new show in an abysmal time-slot & then is disappointed with the ratings & cancels it before the 1st season ends! Perhaps a better time-slot should have been tried; with some of the trash thriving on CBS I doubt it would have hurt.
Battle Creek is one of my favorite shows. The acting is excellent and the wit and character development weaving through the unravelling of the crimes makes for very interesting viewing. Don’t take it away!
I think they need to save battle creek!!! I love the characters!!! Please save the show
Please keep this show on the air. My family loves everything about it.
Again please do not drop it.
So disappointed this show has been cancelled it was the best new show on TV and one of the best of all of the shows. The cast was great and the show was funny and different without being weird. I try to watch all of the new shows and it was honestly the only one I loved. I recorded it for several weeks before I watched and then once I did I was hooked. There was not enough about it at the beginning for people to start watching and after reading the other comments I can tell others felt the… Read more »
I just want to remind everyone that there is a petition to sign and to write to CBS AUDIENCE FEEDBACK, click on the category drop down box adding BATTLE CREEK, and leave your heartfelt message. Together we can hopefully change their minds and see a season 2!
Link for petition>> https://www.change.org/p/cbs-savebattlecreek
Link for CBS Feedback>> http://audienceservices.cbs.com/feedback/feedback.htm?footerSite
Let your friends know, share on social media too! We can do this!!
I agree with all that is said. We only watch one show on the big three. They have dumped us for the hip hop generation. Battle Creek has depth and complexity. Doesn’t CBS know that the hip hoppers aren’t watching the big three at 10:00. They have turned to mtv or any other semi porn channel by then
CBS seems to have a problem with shows they put on Sunday Nights at 10 PM. The shows in that time spot lose viewers because think of them have to get up for work the next day so they don’t shows at that time. Plus if they have a sports game run over time the shows get pushed back and no one is sitting up that late for a show. Look at the shows that got put in that time spot and lost viewers. CSI, CSI Miami and now Battle Creek. They got smart with some shows and moved them… Read more »
As a resident of Battle Creek I think that you cancelled it to quick! it was a great show with humor added it made it not your normal cop show. They actors were great! I think that it should have be on at 9:00 p.m instead of 10:00 p.m. That way it would have gotten more viewers and if Sunday night didn’t work you could have tried another night like Monday which is not a good night for TV. I rather see Battle Creek then some silly sitcom. I hope that CBS will take another look at Battle Creek and… Read more »
This is such a good show with great characters. Hope the network will keep it on for another season. Milt and Russ deserve another year !
I agree. Every time I find a good, entertaining, show it gets cancelled. Come on this show is awesome and deserves another chance. The networks forget the 50-75 adults who love shows like this. Please hear our “cries”. If I see another comedy, I will throw something. Come on networks give this show another chance.
Really disappointed that Battle Creek has been cancelled. Did CBS give it a chance? The writing and characters are deep and the chemistry with Winters and Duhamel works on all levels. It is refreshing to show flawed characters who work well together. This is the only new show this season I watched. Please reconsider!
PLEASE save Battle Creek!! Intelligent, witty shows are too few and far between!
With a plethora of law enforcement shows on network television, it was with great joy that we discovered Battle Creek. It truly rises above the average with solid and intriguing characters and great writing. We looked forward to it and are hugely disappointed that such a refreshing and quality show (so much better than most of the “cop” shows out there) has not been renewed. PLEASE reconsider, dear network, and move it to a more deserving time slot.
I would like to see Battle Creek renewed. Networks are to quick to cancell before new shows can find an audience. Saturday & Sunday night is a bad night for good network tv. I looked foward to watching it. . The show had good writing & good acting. It was nice to see a different take on detective shows. It was really refreshing to see how they dealt with the relationship between Russ & Holly-good job. Getting tired of the same old hint at relationship between characters (i.e. Scorpion+others) that go on forever. Perhaps if the time slot was moved… Read more »
We looked forward to watching Battle Creek each Sunday. The shows humor and quirkiness brought a refreshing show instead of boring CSI and LAO.
This is a great show. Come on give it at least 3-4 seasons. So what if it got off to a slow start – so did the original Star Trek. Battle Creek and shows like it are also avidly watched by 50-80 age adults. It seems we are the forgotten people.
Yes we are forgotten people. This show has great writing, great chemistry between all the characters and it was fun to watch. I guess we are not the “target” audience. I believe with a better time slot and commercials geared towards all audiences, this would be a huge hit. Come on CBS – you kept CSI-New Orleans – allow Battle Creek to find it’s audience.