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.
I agree about the football thing. If CBS would either end the broadcast of Sunday football when they say it will end, or pre-empt The Amazing Race when football runs a full hour or more over, I don’t think Cold Case would have fallen so much in the ratings. Even though it was always one of my favorite shows, there were times when I just gave up checking to see if it was on yet, and watched something else instead. Oftentimes I think networks shoot their own shows in the foot (particularly when, as is the case in some other… Read more »
Anything that gets put in the las time slot on Sunday night is doomed – football pushes back 60 minutes, then amazing race, then??? and finally Cold Case or in this new year it will be CSI Miami
I was sad to hear they cancelled Cold Case, It was a great show..they should at least tried another day or time slot. Cold Case was a great show!
I’m really sorry to see this cancelled. It was a smart show, well acted and well written. The characters were interesting with complex back stories. But most important was that it showed, week after week, that these cases went “cold” because those who originally worked them operated on assumptions that underestimated the variety and complexity of human motivations. We just don’t see much of that on network TV.
Maybe they moved CSI Miami to the dead zone so they could give it the heave ho next year too. Viewer ratings goes down whenever football shoves a 10:00 show into the 11:00 hour and people are in bed after a long weekend. I love Horatio and even if I fall asleep I will leave the TV on so someone at HQ thinks it is being watched. I too loved Lil and the gang and will miss them. Get rid of all of that bachelor stuff, all of the corny dancing, those young idiots sharing a house together, and all… Read more »
Sorry you cancelled Cold Case. It was one of my favorites and I never missed it.
MY wife and Watched this show every Sunday night. We were so mad when they took off Without a trace and now this show too. and to are acknowledgment they took off Ghost Whisper too. Yes the story went a little off, but that was our family time. Why would you take C.s>i Miami to put on a show that went off years ago.. Hawaii Five-o. the most stupid thing Cbs has ever done. any way we could write to cbs let me know. WHy wouldn’t they give us Finales of these shows. Awful CBS very awful of you..
Can’t believe CBS did it AGAIN !!! You moved this show to 9pm, then 10pm and now it’s gone ??? You’ve lost a viewer !!!!
I cannot believe you cancelled COLD CASE. The show was sensational and I never missed it. Did CBS ever think to change the day of the week, so people (who do not watch football) would get the program and more people would watch it? TV programmers are not intelligent ! Duh.
I just realized tonight that cold case has been cancelled, and i’m pissed cause like everyone else these networks just cancel stuff without any heads up and they leave you hanging with the endings.. Cold Case and without a trace should never have been cancelled, they could get rid of all these stupid reality shows, that show people doing the dumbest s**t for money, and they could cancel hawaii five o, i didn’t like it when it came on in the past and not watching it now…. Mike n Molly good bye, as u can see i’m venting alot cause… Read more »
Corporate is so dumb! they are canceling great shows, and arnt giving anything good back
Never mind that cancel this crummy Amazing race that goes over every week Its no wonder no one was watching!!!!!
wow … I was waiting for the new season to start … I never knew the last episode was the LAST episode ever … that’s really too bad … it was a great show that I looked forward to every Sunday night … along with Without a Trace which doesn’t seem to be on anymore either!!! This season has a line up of a bunch of new shows … none that really appeal to me … I was a diehard Cold Case fan … thank God Criminal Minds and Bones hasn’t been cancelled!!!
Why was Cold Case on Sunday Night up against Football which always changed it starting time. My favorite show but it was hard to stay up when the beloved football ran over. What a mistake!!!!
There is so much wasted time on TV, that it’s regrettable an innovative show like Cold Case is cancelled. CBS really should rethink this decision. Cold Case is one of the few shows on TV that we looked forward to watching each week.