Which CBS TV shows will be cancelled or renewed for the 2011-12 season? With the greatest number of series on the air, CBS continues to be the most-watched network. Other than now-cancelled Medium, they really don’t have any big problems on the schedule.
The Sunday night line-up — 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and CSI: Miami — have seen some off nights but they’ve also endured annoying overruns caused by football games. Of any, CSI: Miami is in the most danger. It’s been on the air a long time and is likely not cheap.
Blue Bloods and CSI: NY are definitely on the fence as they’re both averaging a 1.8 — about what Numb3rs and Medium were averaging last year. In that case, one was renewed and the other was cancelled so it’s hard to say. It seems likely that only one will survive and CSI: NY is older and probably more expensive. The Defenders is a lackluster performer so it’s reasonable to think, unless the ratings improve, that CBS execs will cancel it and opt to try something else. The Good Wife could certainly be in danger as well.
Below is a list of the regular CBS TV shows and their 2010-11 season average ratings to date. It only incorporates the ratings for original episodes that have aired this season (no repeats). The data is sorted by the 18-49 demographic averages, the group that advertisers will pay the most to reach and, therefore, how the network measures success.
| Scripted TV Shows | Average viewers (millions) |
Average 18-49 demo |
||
| 1 | Two and a Half Men | 13.91 | 4.5 | |
| 2 | The Big Bang Theory | 13.07 | 4.3 | |
| 3 | NCIS | 19.51 | 4.0 | |
| 4 | Mike & Molly | 11.47 | 3.7 | |
| 5 | Criminal Minds | 14.04 | 3.6 | |
| 6 | NCIS: Los Angeles | 16.14 | 3.5 | |
| 6 | How I Met Your Mother | 8.79 | 3.5 | |
| 8 | CSI | 13.86 | 3.1 | |
| 8 | Hawaii Five-0 | 11.35 | 3.1 | |
| 8 | $#*! My Dad Says | 10.48 | 3.1 | |
| 8 | Rules of Engagement | 8.34 | 3.1 | |
| 12 | The Mentalist | 14.53 | 3.0 | |
| 13 | CSI: Miami | 10.45 | 2.6 | |
| 14 | The Good Wife | 12.01 | 2.4 | |
| 15 | The Defenders | 10.02 | 2.2 | |
| 16 | Blue Bloods | 11.22 | 1.8 | |
| 17 | CSI: NY | 10.11 | 1.8 | |
| 18 | Medium (cancelled) | 6.52 | 1.3 | |
| News or Reality TV Shows | Average viewers (millions) |
Average 18-49 demo |
||
| 1 | Survivor: Nicaragua | 12.1 | 3.7 | |
| 2 | Undercover Boss | 11.7 | 3.3 | |
| 2 | The Amazing Race | 10.9 | 3.3 | |
| 4 | 60 Minutes | 14.03 | 2.7 | |
| 5 | 48 Hours Mystery | 6.12 | 1.3 | |
The closer a show is to the bottom of the list, the closer it is to being cancelled (if it hasn’t been cancelled already like Medium). If it’s closer to the top of the list, it’s more likely to be renewed. Shows that are in the middle (“on the bubble”) can be a little tougher to call. Their future typically comes down to other factors like overall costs, contracts, who produces the show, and what new shows are on the horizon.
The list has been separated into two sections. Of the two, scripted programming is the most expensive. News and reality TV shows are less expensive to produce but the networks can’t program just news/reality (though they might like to since they are less of a financial risk).
It should be noted that Friday and Saturday nights are the least watched evenings of television so ratings for shows on those nights are lower. The networks understand this and take it into account. However, regardless of when a show is aired, its production costs remain the same. Ultimately, it must still be profitable enough for the network to keep ordering more episodes.
Raw data: © The Nielsen Company via Media Week. * Nielsen doesn’t release the final Friday and Saturday night ratings until a few days later. Numbers with an “*” may change slightly once the final numbers are released.
What do you think? Which shows do you think won’t survive to see a new season?
Image courtesy CBS.
Love CSI Miami & Blue Bloods.
Love Blue Bloods, it’s a great show with a great cast. Hawaii 50 is also a great new show that I hope stays around for a while.
What has happened to “let’s make a deal”. The show “SUCKS”. The content with the rapping and the little skits have killed the show. Wayne Brady, not a good fit with this show.
Sorry for the dislike of this show. I was really stoked when I heard it was back on. You had a good thing with bringing it back, but get back to the original format. Step up the reveals. The slowness makes the show look like your changing what is being revealed. And stop the little skits and the rapping. Not cool.
keep the defenders and blue bloods love them both.
Blue Bloods is the best show I have seen in a long time. I hate the way it is pre- empted . If the move to Wednesday improves it’s rating ,please leave it alone. It did so well for a low t.v.watching night. A police show with great acting. Please keep it!
I love CSI Miami I’m so use to watching it on Mondays, maybe that’s why the rating are getting low because you change the day so you have to search for it or even remember that it has been change. What happen today I didn’t see the Good wife or Ncis losangeles.
I don’t know why The Mentalist is #12. Wasn’t it sold into syndication? How can **** My Dad Says be better off than that? I hope it doesn’t get cancelled. Except for CSI: New York and Medium, I have no idea why any of the others below The Mentalist would be doing so bad either. And MK, Two and a Half Men is probably already on its penultimate season. They’ll have to be another as it was already renewed, but due to issues with Charlie Sheen, they’ll probably end it after that. Also, are the rating accurate? How do they… Read more »
Wow. I’m shocked Good Wife might be in danger. I would be very disappointed if CBS cancels the show.
Why on earth do people still care about Two and a Half Men???? I’m happy that Mike and Molly is doing so well, and I’m really enjoying Hawaii 5-0 thanks to Scott Caan and Daniel Day Kim.
You are way off the mark about “Blue Bloods.” I happen to know that CBS is ecstatic about its performance, and they aren’t basing their ecstasy on the 18-49 demo. Any show that’s averaging 13 million viewers on a Friday night isn’t on the fence. If anything, they’ll renew and switch it to a night when they can grab an even bigger audience. It’s an extremely popular show!
@sixtyfiverosesauthor: We’ll have to see how it fairs in the second half of the season. CBS wouldn’t cancel their whole Friday night schedule but we don’t know how Medium’s replacement will do yet either.
By the way, as you can see from the chart, Blue Bloods doesn’t average 13 million viewers. It premiered at 13 million and has been averaging 11 million since then.
CSI: Miami still has an immensely huge fanbase both nationally and internationally. I think it would be a big mistake for CBS to cancel it or either of its sister shows.
Blue Bloods has been a great show and I truly hope CBS opts to keep it. I know it’s uncommon to have families bond over the dinner table but if you were to census the majority of the population – I think you’d be shocked at how many people still value this or at least want to value it in some form. Great actors with integrity and credibility – it can only get better from here. The story line has leads that can build up to even more. If you’re listening CBS – this one is a keeper. I challenge… Read more »
Wow, even CBS might cancel some of my favortie shows. I need to ask something: WHAT THE F**K IS THE BIG F**KING DEAL ABOUT THE DEMO?? I mean really? If the show is getting over 10 million viewers and only just under 2 million in the stupid demo it’s in danger? Wow that sucks. Come on, don’t be like Fox. Or do it anyway. Screw people over. I said last season they’d be starting a horrible chain reaction. No one listens.