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.
Yes, let’s have another of the mind numbing “reality” shows that are far from reality as you can get.
Pandering to a socio-economic group that celebrates: Donald Trump (and his hair) Undercover Boss (ahem…undercover?), Survivor, and wait for it…The Great Race.
Good lord…save me from the dumbing down of America.
Ooops too late!!
Chaos was something different, a little off-beat maybe, but really good. I think much better than some of the schlock currently on TV. CBS did not even give it a chance to develop an audience. I would really like to see it come back in the future.
This was a great show, the reason I think it did so poorly is that it never had any real promotion for it. I didn’t even learn about CHAOS until the second episode and then went back and downloaded the first episode. This is just another example of CBS ******** us the viewers out of good shows (Moonlight, anyone?) because it doesn’t measure up to THEIR standards even though they did nothing to promote it and the viewers loved it.
This has been one of the only shows besides NCIS that I had been putting aside time to watch! My family and I have all been waiting for it to return, and I am shocked to hear that it has been pulled. I was hooked from the 1st show. I just don’t understand the logic behind what gets to be on T.V. these days. PLEASE BRING THIS SHOW BACK, so I actually have something decent to watch besides NCIS!!!
I really like this show. Whatever situation occured to cause poor ratings had nothing to do with the actors, plots, or storylines. I hope to see all of the current episodes and more.
This is the first show I have ever been hooked on, from the first viewing. Great characters (all of them!), great writing, and refreshingly new, great plots. Very, very rewarding to watch. I will look forward to it coming back in a better time-slot, with more advance advertising; or on dvd.
CBS, wake up! Put this show in a good lineup, and buy Bones, Burn Notice, and Royal Pains. We wouldn’t watch any other network, but of course, PBS.
I liked Chaos and look forward to its return!
Bring it back! We all loved this show!
This is one of the best shows ever!!! It’s interesting, funny and smart. WHY would you cancel it?? How about trying another time slot??
The show that needs to go is Flashpoint, it is boring, way too serious and predictable.
Wow, I have been looking for quite some time to add this to my regular taping on my PVR and low & behold………..they cancel one of the best shows I have seen in years. Figures……..give us some more mind numbing reality crap.
The good ones always die young. Maybe this show got too close to home.
it was a good show & in this show their is a new type of drama and actions and i am kinda like it please bring it back .
I hope USA picks it up. they are the only channel to watch these days
Good call – instead let’s get another reality show going – how about following a bunch of talentless bureaucratic tv execs axing creative well -written quality shows like Chaos.
Excellent suggestion
Please bring it back!!!!!! It is a really good show. I am not really a Friday night TV watcher, but when I started watching CHAOS I was hooked. Like someone else said it is a refreshing change with all the other TV crime dramas. I think it did start off slow, but I can see it getting really better with some time and I think more people will get into it. The characters are amazing and funny.