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.
My wife and I love this show. Can’t believe it was pulled.
This is just stupid, put it on Friday night, the worst night for ratings, and then not give it a chance! I have been telling everyone I know about this show, it has everything, but put it on a different night.
THIS IS A GOOD SHOW WHY PULL THE SHOW AFTER THREE SHOW.
CBS MEAN
CANCELL
BEST
SHOW
great show give it more time
You need to put this show back on, but on a different day and time. This show was good and had potential. If it means anything………..I didn’t like LOST for the first few episodes and look what happened with THAT show! And here I enjoyed this show. The advertising sucked and it was not given a fair chance. Hope it comes back on.
My husband and I really like this show! The advertising for it, I feel was not done well enough! It would be nice to give it a second chance!
What happened to networks giving a show a chance to catch on? “Cheers” would never have made it in today’s cutthroat market. It was near the bottom of the ratings at the end of the ENTIRE first season. Three shows? On Friday night? Please! That’s like asking a new sprinter to run a 100-meter race in less than 10 seconds. This is a great show with great actors and a fresh, comic look at the CIA. Move it around; a different time slot or a different night. How about putting it at 10:00? Or at least put it behind a… Read more »
What a great show! …and then canceled? It sure was a fun show. CBS should reconsider especially with so many episodes already “in the can”. Bring it back!
As usual get another great show going with GREAT cadr and pull thr plug withoit giving it a chance..its all about ratings and not what viewers like!!
I agree with those that liked it. It was a fun show. I wish they would give it another chance to get off the ground.
I really liked the show! I watched it because of Eric Close, and was a little disappointed by his character. He can be really funny, but they wrote his character as just a straight man for the others. I thought some of the writing could be better. But I was just warming up to all the characters! They didn’t give it enough time to catch on. Bring it back!!
CBS has done it again. You ahd a very funny and entertaining show that you cancell. At least you are consistent in having a good show and blowing it, first with two and a half and then chaos. what have you guys at cbs who are making the decisions been smoking?? evidently some good stuff cause you f up again.
I really liked this show! This year I went from watching 3 – 5 hours of TV a day to watching 3 – 5 hours a week, or less. There’s nothing on the air to watch but the same ol’ same ol’. I’m excited when I find a new show that’s worth watching, but what’s the use? It will just get cancelled before it gets started. I like Flashpoint, but the plots don’t seem to have much variety.
I LOVED IT ! NOT EVERY SHOW GETS 100 % RIGHT AWAY ! IT TAKES TIME FOR PEOPLE TO EVEN HEAR ABOUT HOW GOOD IT IS . JUST LOOK AT THE FIRST SEASON RATINGS FOR SEINFELD !
I TRULY HOPE IT COMES BACK !
Another good show not given a fair chance. They should put it in tuesday for a few weeks see how it does.
My husband and loved this show. I don’t think that you advertised it very well. We had not heard about it, but my husband taped them while I was in England for 3 weeks. We have just finished watching them and love the cast of characters. Can’t understand why you took it off. Perhaps advertising it better would help the ratings. No one we know had heard about it. Please reconsider.
I have been watching Chaos and thought it was pretty funny. Too bad they won’t give it more of a chance than three weeks.
Honestly, I never watched it. The commercials just didn’t look all that funny or give me a feel on what the show would be like. Seemed like goofball version of the unit by the commercial I saw.
I truly enjoyed this show my teens and I were all watching it¡
I enjoyed Chaos, very likable cast. But then I loved The Good Guys. And Stargate Universe. I can’t win.
loved it! they need to give it a chance