CBS hasn’t had a successful medical drama in quite some time. How has Code Black been performing in the ratings? Will the network want it back for a second season or, will it be cancelled instead?
Code Black takes place in an Emergency Room in Los Angeles where underfunding and understaffing pile huge pressures on its staff. The cast includes Marcia Gay Harden, Raza Jaffrey, Bonnie Somerville, Melanie Chandra, William Allen Young, Harry Ford, Benjamin Hollingsworth, and Luis Guzman.
The series debuted in late September 2015 to a 1.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 8.58 million viewers. That was an okay start for the 10pm drama though the CBS execs were surely hoping for better.
The ratings took a big fall in week two, dropping 25% in the demo to a 1.16 rating with 6.83 million. The numbers for Code Black stayed at those low levels for the next several weeks and things weren’t looking good. Rather than ordering a full season of the series, CBS picked up five more episodes, bringing the first season tally to just 18 episodes.
Then, the ratings started to slowly rise and reached a mid-season high of a 1.47 demo rating with 8.50 million viewers. In 2016, the numbers have wavered however and last week’s installment hit a series low with a 1.05 demo rating and 6.04 million.
To date, the series has averaged a 1.27 in the demo with 7.13 million viewers. It’s ranking 15th (of 20 scripted CBS shows) in the demo and in total viewers.
Will CBS renew Code Black for a second season or cancel it? Looking at the ratings, the network should probably cancel it but they could easily go either way. Their decision will likely have everything to do with the strength of their upcoming pilots. We’ll know for sure by mid-May.
But, what do you think? Do you like Code Black? If you ran the network, would you renew or cancel the series?
We really enjoy Code Black. It is one of the very few network tv shows that we watch each week. We would really like to see a season 2.
I love this show. Good script, good acting. And it does not treat its viewers as “dumb”. It is a smart, realistic show with a good pace. Please keep it! We need a good medical show on CBS! I have heard/read many times how CBS appeals to “an older audience”. Perhaps if you extended the age of your demographics to include people older than 49, you would get a more realistic idea of how many people are actually watching.
This is my favorite show this season. I hope it will be back next year. I’d put it in the Good Wife slot.In the middle of this season there seemed to be a lot of panic writing: Instant romances, characters appearing & disappearing without much explanation. The people behind this show have to stick to their vision and be a gritty medical drama not a sex romp or psyco-drama.
I like this show, please renew.
I watched the whole season and I loved every episode. I really wanna see a season 2. I want to know if they get new nurses or equipment. What happens to Neal and christa. This was a good show. I say renew it.
My husband and I really enjoy Code Black. PLEASE renew for season 2.
Season 2 please.
One of the best shows on TV. It is awesome and very entertaining. I like that it’s not as much of a soap opera as some of the medical shows can be. I hope the network keeps it
Code Black is the new E R amazing. People are going to give up in network television soon because even when we as fans make a show a hit you cancel it . This show has the ability to entertain us for years smart exciting great characters
KEEP!!
I love this program. Please renew for another season!
Great show. As a physician my wife and I truly enjoy it and certainly hope it will be renewed.
As a doctor this is a good medical show. My wife and I truly enjoy it. One of the best Med shows I have seen. Please renew it.
Please keep this show! It is the only series show that I watch on network tv. I look forward to it all week. It reminds me of ER and Grey’s at their peaks! There is some utter junk that keeps getting renewed, give people a chance to watch it!
Code Black is a terrific show – Please Renew. I myself am retired from a hospital and this show is portrayed exactly the way it is. The cast is terrific.