Right on schedule, CBS has decided to ditch their new Friday night TV series, CHAOS, after just a few weeks on the air. The show stumbled in the ratings right from the start and never recovered. It’s no longer on the air but is it cancelled?
A dramatic comedy, CHAOS follows a small group of CIA misfit spies who make up the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services (CAOS). In addition to taking on threats to national security, they also must take on redtape and typical government bureaucracy. The TV series stars Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, James Murray, Tim Blake Nelson, Carmen Ejogo, Christina Cole, and Kurtwood Smith.
As detailed here, CHAOS debuted to a horrible 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 6.53 million viewers. That was quite a bit lower than the season average of Medium, a series that CBS cancelled because of poor ratings.
In the second week, CHAOS fell even lower to a 0.9 rating in the demo and 5.73 million viewers. Last Friday night, bumped up ever so slightly in the demo, to a 1.0 rating and 5.683 million. Unfortunately, that was far from enough of a gain to save the TV series.
CBS has pulled CHAOS from the schedule effective immediately. This week, a rerun of CSI: NY will fill the timeshot — and probably get better ratings. Next week, the previously scheduled The Royal Wedding: Modern Majesty will air. Then, beginning on May 6th, new episodes of Flashpoint will take over.
The network has 10 episodes of CHAOS left sitting on the shelf. CBS hasn’t said if there are any plans to release the unaired installments. Though CHAOS hasn’t been officially cancelled yet, there’s no way that they’ll be renewing it for a second season.
UPDATE: A statement from CBS indicates that the show will return to the schedule at some point in the future.
What do you think? Why did the TV show do so poorly, even by Friday night standards? Will you miss CHAOS?
Image courtesy CBS.
Typical corporate management crap. CBS finally gives me a show I enjoy with characters that mesh, a story line that is new, funny and refreshing and CBS takes it away. Find some real people who want to work to put on awesome shows like Chaos and can stand up to your poor management ethics by not put on another ignorant, degrating reality show.
My husbund and I loved watching Chaos. We want it back and not just for 10 more episodes. We told our friends about it and then it didn’t come back on. We are tired of dead body shows, even the ones we have watched for years. We hate reality shows so Chaos was a welcome change with a real story but a comedic side without being corny. CBS bring it back.
Great show! Another dopa like redesigning the CBS morning news. Bring Harry back and leave the weather clown and Matty behind!
Why would CBS pull such an entertaining show? I really enjoyed it and was looking forward to watching it every week. It didn’t even get a chance. come on CBS wake up and put it back on!
It sure seem like whenever my wife and I finally found a show we liked, then gets canceled. That sucks!
Why in the world would you cancell a show that quickly? I saw the first show aired and loved it! I was out of town the next 2 weeks and unable to watch. I was at home tonight looking forward to seeing it again only to see that it was not on! After researching …I see they have unofficially cancelled it? This is so aggravating! This was a great show! What r you people thinking? Uuuggghhhh! At least let us see the shows that r left…its a waste letting them sit on the shelf! Sometimes I wonder about these decisions!… Read more »
I have never commented on anything on internet before but I am a big fan of the CBS line up all through the week well most shows and I think that CHAOS was a killer show would be great on Thursday with CSI and The Mentalist
I really liked the show CHAOS but it took a couple weeks for me to get around to see it being that it was on Fridays at the start of summer pretty much
Hope it comes back on the air
CBS didn’t advertise for it well, and they put it on a bad night. It’s too bad they took it off the air. I think they could take a break from another night’s more poular but stale show for a while, like C.S.I., and put there instead. I hope CBS brings it back, or at least releases the remaining episodes.
CHAOS was a good show. So was Good Guys. But, as is typical, shows that get the good ratings are garbage and drivel like reality shows. Good shows like CHAOS and Good Guys apparently are far too intellectually stimulating and don’t get properly advertised. It almost seems like the networks don’t want good shows to succeed. To all the networks: I am not interested in watching reality shows where the only redeeming quality of the actors (because that’s what they are, or at least wannabees) is that they are good looking. Otherwise, these people are obnoxious and insult my intelligence.… Read more »
CHAOS and Good Guys were both great shows that we made a point to watch. I told a lot of people about Chaos; now its not on – after showing three episodes?? Come on – give it a chance. Don’t can it without showing the remaining episodes. I felt the same way about Good Guys being yanked. No wonder we now spend most of our viewing time watching cable networks like USA and FX – at least they support their shows.
Loved this show sometimes when a show doesn’t fit an exact pigeon hole it takes a while to build an audience particularly when you premier a new show at such an odd time of year. Would do great on USA of TNT fitting their personality based shows as opposed to CBS “must be slick” to stay on the air or be another CSI clone. Also loved “The Defenders” CBS just doesn’t give these shows a chance to build an audience. Blue Bloods is a great 10:00 show helps me go to sleep an hour earlier.
I am quite surprised and very disappointed that CHAOS has been booted out. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and I believe it had good potential. Although week #2 wasn’t as good as #1 or #3, it was a very good show. I don’t think it was given much of a chance. The sooner it comes back the better. If it was on a bit longer, I know the viewer numbers would increase and then hopefully another few seasons would be signed on.
I don’t know if this will do any good posting something here, but I do hope CBS will put Chaos back on. My wife and family enjoyed it. It seemed to have good writing and the characters played off each other well. Funny, light-hearted show, it’s sorely needed.
FOR **** SAKES…. WHEN WILL THEY ACTUALLY ADVERTISE GOOD SHOWS PROPERLY!?!?! THATS WHY THE RATINGS ARE CRAP BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT!!! ITS **** AWSOME SHOW… this is yet another piss off from CBS.
Oh great. Just when I see a new show and like it well enough to see it again and tell others to watch it I can’t find it on TV anymore. Was it advertised before being put in that spot? I still miss The Good Guys but at least it was given a fair chance. Chaos is interesting, entertaining, they go to a different country each week. Eric Close has been a long-time favorite in two other TV series. Please bring it back. I want some Chaos in my life.