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.
This show is GREAT!!! Why do all the good ones bite the dust? This show is very good and the story line is different from anything I have seen before, just like Without a Trace, this is so wrong and I hope that my little e-mail is considered.
So there goes another good show! Going to miss it!:(
What a travesty! Cold Case appealed to, among many others, an older viewing audience with a lot of discretionaly money to spend on sponsors’ products. CBS moved it from its spot directly after 60 Minutes (another senior favorite) to an hour later and then to, yet, another hour later. Fortunately we were able to schedule a TiVo season pass and never missed an episode. What were you people thinking?!?! Who makes these scheduling decisions? Hope they’re working for free. You lost a lot of viewers with a lot of money to spend.
Unbelievable! Such a travesty to cancel “Cold Case.” How can they cancel such a quality program? … and I suppose they want to replace it with yodeling, yapping, or a “ME” program! It is the reason I purchased a TV after eight months without, representing my personal protest against the lack of quality in programming. It was bad enough when “Without A Trace” was removed. Is this a conspiracy, leaving us with only crappy reality and “entertain me” mindless blather in place of something that might actually make us think or appreciate those who still know how to think?
Agreed!
I hate they canceled cold case!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My favorite show eveeeeer!!!! I’ve missed a lot recently at the end of the last season and idk wat was happening..but if they are going to cancel a show that good like cold case shouldn’t they have at least done a damn finale?!? Shouldn’t they have made a last two episodes to respectively finish off the amazing show that it is?!?! I don’t understand……….this is bs!!!!
We are really upset, as are so many, about the elimination of Cold Case. It was such an excellent show that had unique creativity and blended the past with the present. CBS has now dropped two of the best TV shows, including Without A Trace. There is so much nonsense on the air with the ridiculous reality shows. Good acting and story lines don’t have the same impact they once did.
I cannot believe that this show won’t be on the air anymore. I think this was one of the best shows on TV. Guess I’ll only be watching CBS for NFL games now. I had been hearing that this show was really expensive to make because they had to hire two actors to play the same character.
I think they should have keep it on . Cold Case was a really good show to watch every sunday night .It tell you how they solve cases back in the past .I had just started watching it back in 2010, So what I seen it was a very interesting show.
Cold Case was one of the best shows on TV. I don’t even bother to watch on Sunday night any more once 60 Minutes is over. The decision makers at CBS are knuckleheads. First they cancel Without a Trace, and now Cold Case, but they leave us with Big Brother and other stupid reality shows. Hire some new people there. Please.
I am very sad to see cold case cancelled. My wife and I made it a point to watch the show every Sunday. It always had a great story and the periods it represented was in line to the history of that time. Also, the actors were very good and they blended very well together. It is sad when money is the factor when it comes to a very good dramatic TV progam.
I am so upset. I looked for Cold Case tonight and just found out that it is cancelled. What is wrong with people? There is such junk on TV today and this was a clever, well thought-out show.
I was so disappointed Cold Case was cancelled. It was unique in so many ways, particularly the way the show portrayed the actors. You were a part of their real live problems on the show. All the actors were struggling with issues outside the office. This allowed viewers to connect to the actors. Also the ending minutes, whereby the victim(s) are seen in a surreal way made the conclusions unique. Also, the actors came in all sizes and body shape which was rarely seen in the other TV dramas. Again, a connection to the viewers. Cold Case will be greatly… Read more »
This was my favorit show for sure. When successful shows take on years, the writers feel the need to experiment with the story lines and it is this very element that often leads to the doom of the show, ala “LOST”. In Cold Case, fans were turned off by the short list of attempts to pair Detective Rush romantically with other male actors where there was no chemistry. They were all mismatches given Rush’s strong character. More attention should have been made to casting. Sometimes jumping out to love interests doesn’t always work in a police drama such as this… Read more »
I am so upset that Cold Case is cancelled. It is my favorite show. Maybe the producers could have advertised for fans to write fanfictions and send them in as suggestions for new episodes. I have a few of them lined up myself (though never fully written out – they’re not finished yet). That would not only revive the series, but it would show the network how much the people still care for that show.
after watching disc 4 of season two I finally got to see about scotty valens. his girlfiriend alisa. the psyciatriac problems she had. I understand fully what he was going thru. during my navy career my wife was put into a lockdown hospitial. she is from the philipines and I was on a ship out of long beach ca. we were udnerway a lot during early 1988. so when she went to the hospitial I had to take emergency leave to help my mother in law take care of the kids. but as time went on she became better, she… Read more »