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.
MAYBE SINCE CBS HAS NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN CANCELL THE BEST SHOWS EVER ANOTHER NETWORK LIKE TNT OR EVEN LIFETIME WILL HAVE THE GOOD TASTE TO PICK THIS (THE BEST SHOW IN A LONG LONG TIME) UP SO VIEWERS CAN ENJOY AND LET THEIR MINDS THINK.
Really???? This is one of the best shows on TV!!! How do they know how many viewers are watching these shows anyways? How do you get on the poll taking list????
JUST A POST SCRIPT. THE CAST HAS SUCH GREAT CHEMISTRY AND THE WRITERS ARE BEST. DON’T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT. I’D MOVE THE SHOW TO REPLACE THE “MENTALIST.” I’VE TRIED WATCHING IT AND IT’S ODIOUS. COLD CASE IS 100 TIMES BETTER. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT. YOU WAIT FOR SUNDAY NITE AND COLD CASE. GUESS WHAT, FOOTBALL, COUNTRY AWARDS, AND THE LIST GOES ON. ” HEARTBREAKING”
I AM SO SAD THAT YOU TOOK COLD CASE . WHEN YOU GET A GOOD SHOW LIKE COLD CASE THEN YOU CANCELL IT. WERE DOES YOU NUMBERS COME FROM????? WITHOUT A TRACE ANOTHER GOOD SHOW……BUT NO NO NO WE HAVE TO WATCH FAKE REALITY SHOWS OR STUPID COMEDY ….ENOUGH ALREADY PLEASE RE-THINK WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THEIR ARE T.V. VIEWERS THAT WILL SOON NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO WATCH .
Cold Case is my favorite show and I’m really disappointed that it has been cancelled. Unlike, other crime dramas, Cold Case drew me into the lives of the main characters as well as the weekly story line. I simply adore Thom Berry and hope to see him soon in another weekly TV series. Indeed, my sincere wishes are for the entire cast to have great success and prosperity in their new endeavors.
Always watched, or recorded if we were not home. This was one ot the few shows that you really had to think about, not watch first 5 minutes and know the ending. Why are all the good shows leaving? soon tv will just be all reality shows. so sad
Yea, my wife and I are very disappointed in this…This was the only show that we faithfully watch. It was a show that made you think and try to figure out who did it and had great back stories. Everyone wants reality shows, Dancing with the…and American Ido.. Such a shame, we hope another network will pick this up. I suppose the young generation doesn’t want to watch a TV program that will make them think to hard..
I can’t believe Cold Case is being cancelled!!!! It has been our favorite show. Why do the good shows get cancelled and the bad ones stay on? This is just rediculous! I think it would help putting it on a different night because it is delayed a lot due to sports programs. It is a shame and wish CBS will reconsider. Even my 3 yr old will miss it…she loves to dance to the music at the beginning of the show. This is depressing. There are only a couple of shows worth watching and this was one of them. Thanks… Read more »
I agree, the only problem Ifound with Cold Case was that they would constantly pre-empt it for other programs. Also it did better at the 9:00 time slot instead of the 10:00 time slot. This was one of my favorite shows even after 7 years and it should have been given at least one more chance. Trying it on a different night and leaving the time slot alone would probably bring a suprising result for CBS
This was my favorite show and I am so disappointed to see that it was cancelled. And the fact that we aren’t able to get the series or the music is even more disappointing!!!! I think that the network should have moved it to a different day/time and given it another chance to really see how much everyone enjoyed this show. What a shame!!!
Let’s just pray it can be picked up by another network….. (Remember how well Matlock did on ABC?) I’m sick over this….. I think CBS purposely sabatoged the show.
I think that this show would have lasted longer and had better demo (and I’m 30 so I fall in that range) numbers they had not kept jacking around with the time slot. If there was any kind of sporting event on television on Sunday you could almost count on it being pushed back and sometimes it wouldn’t even air at all. I love this show, and I think it is a shame that we are losing this unique and interesting addition to the line up.
I think it’s ridiculous to cancel Cold Case. If you are looking for a reason ratings slid, CBS has no one to blame but themselves. If you incessantly preemt a show for sports events, country music award shows and Hallmark movies, people will give up hoping to catch their show. Not to mention plaing so many reruns of the show. I am disgusted by this. I will miss Cold Case. It was one of the few times I even tuned into CBS.
This show was really one I enjoyed watching. It was a true mystery show. The writing and acting both were above what is now the normal for television today. I will miss watching each new show, now I will have to watch reruns on cable.
I love cold case. I can’t believe it is cancelled. I always watched it and and I love Lily and scotty and the boss and every one. You have got to be kidding me it is cancelled. There are very few shows that are worth watching and this is one of them. They always cancel the good shows. Shame on you!!!!!!
You should really listed to the older generation. They know what good shows really are.
CBS sucks!!!