After seven years on the beat, the show’s over for Detective Lily Rush (Kathryn Morris). CBS has officially cancelled Cold Case.
Each episode of Cold Case begins by showing an unsolved crime from the past. The scene then flashes forward to the present day and a group of homicide detectives try to piece together what really happened, using old evidence and new interviews. The series stars Morris, Danny Pino, John Finn, Jeremy Ratchford, Thom Barry, and Tracie Thoms.
Cold Case began in September of 2003 and quickly became a staple of the CBS Sunday night schedule. The crime drama had a successful first season and, by season two, was averaging a 3.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 15.1 million viewers. For the next couple seasons, total viewership fell a bit but the all-important demo numbers rose, reaching a 3.8 in season four.
Unfortunately the ratings have come down quite a bit since then. In season five, the show averaged a 2.9 rating and about 12 million viewers. Last season, Cold Case sank lower, to an average of a 2.7 rating and CBS made a choice between renewing ailing Without a Trace or Cold Case. They chose to keep Cold Case but may have regretted it pretty quickly. This season, the show’s ratings dropped even further to a 2.15 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 9.6 million viewers.
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So, while the overall viewership isn’t terrible, the demo numbers are and that’s what brings the ad dollars. CBS often has the most total viewers, but they are often lacking in the 18-49 demo department.
To no surprise, CBS has cancelled Cold Case after seven years on the air. The show won’t be back for season eight next fall. Sadly, the show is not available on DVD. It’s believed that securing the rights for the show’s extensive use of period music is problematic.
What do you think? Are you sorry to see the series go? What could have been done to help the TV show’s ratings?
Image courtesy CBS.
Very very upset to see a show like Cold Case go. I will never watch Without a Trace.
Case Case was a show that I would Never miss.
I hope you re-consider your decision and put it back on TV.
My community always talks about Lilly Rush and Valance!!!! We want them back!
Sorry to see this show and Without a Trace cancelled. I don’t watch “reality” TV and never will – whoops, I do watch Curb Your Enthusiasm which is less scripted than many “reality” shows.
Why didn’t they move the show to a different night or time?
And, throughout 7 seasons, why didn’t they stop that awful schreeching voice at the beginning of each show? We got very skillful in fast forwarding right as that voice was going to screech…
Cancel Medium and give us back Cold Case which deals with cases that have never been solved.
I am very dissapointed in the axe of cold case cbs bad move i do think one of the problems is that they kept changing the times it was on, i used to tune in to find stupid reality shows on without a trace and cold case were cbs’s best shows i used to dvr both of them along with ghost whisperer, wow cbs way to care about the people who wgatheratch the show cold case with no series finale, shame on you cbs you are replacing the good with the bad, i am a 23 year old woman and… Read more »
I am awaiting the arrival of the dvd of the whole series. so I can watch it any time I want to. donna like you say it is like you are there in the detectives room. it is sad that some idiot decides that they need to cancell the show. they did the same thing to without a trace also.
Cold Case was a truly great show, full of emotion. I love all the people on the show. This was really a bad move. I saw some of the previews for the new shows. Not for me. Cold Case was like I was almost there with them. I absolutely love that show.
Cold Case was a great show and I am very sad to see it go. One of the best shows on TV. I could do with a few less reality tv shows. As was stated in an earlier post, the flash backs and music that fit each case made this a unique and great show. Bad move CBS!
One of my favorite shows, so sad to see it go. All my favorites are being canceled this season in lieu of ‘Reality TV’ which I find has no entertainment value whatsoever! I will take a good crime drama or even a comedy sitcom over reality TV any day!
I am a huge fan of this show and so sad not to be able to look forward to Sunday nights very soon. The biggest mistake CBS made was not being consistent with its air time. Always tried to tune it in and found it erratically replaced with stupid shows like the Amazing Race or some incredibly boring Hallmark special. What a let down!
I am heartbroken that the series is cancelled. It was so wonderfully entertaining, and put a nice twist on the average case-solving genre. I was always very emotional with the use of the soundtrack, it added so much.
Truly a shame.
I don’t understand why CBS had to get rid of another GREAT show. Gesh, you guys are so smart, NOT!
I think part of the problem was that the stars knew (or were at least prepared) for the show being axed and no one thought to tell the fans about it. I dont like the fact that they tried to pull the series finale off as a season finale (they did it knowing that they were axing Ghost Whisperer too) and that the excuses they used for axing the show are total BS. Yep, they saved so much money by canceling our show that they had to one actress and limit the scenes of another from Criminal Minds. And NO,… Read more »
It really stinks. Great show and even greater cast. I can’t believe that “Medium” was renewed but not this show.
I am extremely sad to see this show go! I am also extremely disappointed that there won’t be any closer, as in one last season. I feel betrayed by CBS as well as the show, “Cold Case,” that we, “the fans” are to just let go of a show that we’ve followed and loved. Basically telling us, “Yeah, the shows over. Too bad, get over it.” A better warning in season seven – such as a real ending, if not one last season to close the show would have been more professional and thoughtful for the viewers. I guess CBS… Read more »
“Cold Case” used to be one of my favorite shows, one of the very few that I set my DVR to record every week. But in the last couple of years, the lead character became more and more unlikeable and, in the end, unwatchable. Either the writers got off onto the wrong track or Kathryn Morris’s acting skills have diminished with age (very possible at age 80, but at 40??). The only way they could have salvaged this show was to kill off Lilly Rush in the last episode.