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?


Keep it going. I am hooked on it.
Please keep the show for season 2
Please don’t cancel this series we love it!!!
Code Black was a great show. The suit s should give it more time to catch on.
A lot of great touching moments on this show.
Would love the show to continue. Great story lines and love the treatments that are being done! Looks more real than most shows out there!
Keep it going!!! Love it!! It did get better as it went… Keep it going!!! I’m sure if you advertised it more or differently people will come and stay!
Love this show, more and more each episode. Love the characters, Guzman and Harden are excellent!!
Love this show. Watch it every week. Not just you regular medical program all scene are at the hospital mostly. Please don’t take it off!!
Love the show please keep on.
Love the show please keep on
I watch very little shows that I enjoy But code black is fantastic PLEASE keep it on
This show is great. Keep it, please. Am so looking forward to next season.
Keep it going love the show watched it every week after criminal minds was hoping there would be more episodes for season1.
Love the show. Please keep
By the way…53% of working nurses in the United States are over the age of 50. Your viewing demographics are for ages between 18-49. What about the “seniors”? We watch TV, too. This show is an excellent learning tool, not only for the medical field, but also for the public. Please do not cancel it.
I really enjoyed the show. You don’t find a medical show with such realistic problems and injuries. Most just gloss over a problem,and you don’t know what happened to the patient. I’m in the medical field and I would appreciate you giving this show a second season.