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?
The problem with the networks is that they put too much credit in the ratings. How many of us are Nielsen families? I’m over their golden age of 49 so they do not care about me at all.
I started my nursing career in the Emergency Room in 1965. Note that I said Emergency Room..not Department. That was before Respiratory Therapy, Paramedics, and Ermergency Department specialties. Physicians were in their offices or hopefully making rounds during the day or early evenings. Those after hour calls to home were brutal. While my career has taken different directions, I have spent my entire career in health care, including providing administrative oversight for 5 physician residency programs. Code Black takes me back to my roots. And, it has confirmed again that the basics haven’t changed. Code Black has successfully melded the… Read more »
This is one of my most favorite shows. Please renew!!!!
Renew Code Black – I don’t watch many shows with regularity, but I do watch Code Black. Great cast – storylines have been good, with a little work can be great.
Love, love, love Code Black!! My new favorite show!! Please renew!!
What do I think??? If the big shots at CBS have even half a brain they will renew this awesome show. It is an outstanding program. If they cancel, “Mama” will be mad!
Please, please renew this excellent show. Code Black is the best new show of the season and deserves an opportunity to prove itself.
It is cbs’s fault the show is doing badly. The first episode was weak. So a lot if people lost interest, however the episodes have gotten better. The season finale was not worthy of a finale show. I absolutely love this show. Have not missed one episode yet. Renwe it please!!!!!
It seems to me that networks no longer give a show enough time to develop fully before it’s cancelled! I didn’t catch the 1st season of SEVERAL hit series (i.e. ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, etc). Not all series start as hits the first season but seem to pick up as the show and characters develop. I LOVE THIS SHOW! The powers that be need to give some shows more time to develop instead of cancelling and moving on to the next show. It’s getting to the point that I’m not interested in investing emotionally in a new series that will… Read more »
Please renew Code Black for next season
love it! please renew
Great show. Love all the characters and they keep evolving. Please renew. PLEASE
Please renew! Love the show, I watch it every week! Medical shows aren’t usually my thing but this one has got me hooked. Keep them coming!
I agree – please renew. As a nurse (who worked in ICU and ER – now a Nurse Practitioner), I rarely watch medical shows – they never portray nursing correctly. While it is not perfect, this is the best ‘healthcare’ show I have seen in a long time with good ‘real’ nursing representation. Good story lines and adequate acting
Renew!!! Love the show, I dont watch to many tv shows but will continue to watch this one!!!