After five seasons on the air, CBS has killed a staple of the Friday night schedule. Ghost Whisperer won’t be back next fall on the Tiffany network. Not unless it can come back from the dead…
Ghost Whisperer tells the tale of Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a young woman with the ability to see and talk to dead people. Regular castmembers over the past five seasons have included David Conrad, Camryn Manheim, Jay Mohr, Aisha Tyler, Christoph Sanders, Jamie Kennedy, and Kenneth Mitchell.
The TV show debuted in September 2005 and the season attracted an average of a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 10.2 million viewers. In seasons two and three, the demo rose to a 3.0 rating with 9.9 and 8.6 million viewers respectively. For season four, the ratings went up again, to a 3.7 rating and 10.6 million viewers.
Unfortunately this year, the ratings fell — a lot. The season kicked off with a 2.3 rating and 8.7 million viewers. Things went further downhill from there. Last month, they hit a series low with a 1.3 rating in the demo and 5.96 million viewers. Though Ghost Whisperer was once a hit show for the network, those times are clearly over.
To little surprise, CBS has decided to cancel Ghost Whisperer. The series finale is set to air this Friday, May 21st.
However, because ABC Studios co-produces the series (with CBS), there have been discussions that it could switch networks. Medium ran for years on NBC before being cancelled and picked up by CBS.
ABC’s entertainment president, Stephen McPherson, has said that he’d be interested in picking up Ghost Whisperer if the series became available. ABC scheduler Jeff Bader told Variety today that they’ve toyed with the idea. He said, “We talked a lot about it. It could make a good lead-in to Body of Proof.”
To keep costs down, ABC has been committed to running only one scripted series on Friday nights but the execs will supposedly look at the possibility of picking up Ghost Whisperer in the next few days.
What do you think? Should ABC pick up Ghost Whisperer for season six or should it stay cancelled?
Image courtesy CBS.
I have followed this show thru all 6 seasons and still enjoy the show. They always find a way to put a twist in the show just when you think you know whats happening that keeps it fresh. I feel it still has many stories left to tell and I hope they get the chance even if it is on another network.
Gone are the days when networks stuck by their solid shows. Please keep Ghost Whisperer on the air. It is one of the truly good shows left today. It would be really great if ABC were to pick it up. I’ve been a fan since the beginning.
I’m so angry at CBS for canceling Ghost Whisperer! I’m through with them! Please ABC! pick this show up and I’m sure you won’t be sorry! My whole family is in an uproar over this! CBS has become dumb & dumber and I will not even watch the local news in my city affiliated with CBS! IDIOTS!
They need to keep this one!
There just isn’t many shows on network television that deal with the paranormal. I love the show and when it changed networks I followed it.
Sure, the plot sucked for a season (hubby dying and remarrying him) but damn, this was the critical error. Get back to some basics and evolve some more and you have yourself another hit.
What is next? Medium?
Please take it up. I love this show. My kids would rather bring their dates and watch this show then go to a theatre full of loud foul mouth kids on any given Friday! We all love this show!
ABC please please pick this show up. 1–8million viewers – ABC can improve that even more! 2–Worldwide Audience , People fromAustralia,Brazil and especially the U.K. are HUGE FANS!!! 3–Spin off and FAN sites , there are thousands , this shows you the LOYALTY and the DEPTH of that loyalty the fans of Ghost Whisperer will go to for the love of the show! 4-NUMBER 1 SHOW on a Friday Night – NUMBER 1 !!! Is there any better than a number 1 position? this show is GREAT and that proves it ! ABC we the FANS will FOLLOW Ghost Whisperer… Read more »
I hope ABC picks up Ghost Whisperer, too. It’s a romantic fantasy I like to indulge in at the end of a tough week. This may sound weird, but I love the interior shots of Melinda’s antique shop and home: the candles she always has lit (I’m surprised the place hasn’t burned down) and soft lighting and decor are beautiful. As Liz Lemon (30 Rock) once said: “I want to go to there.” Ghost Whisperer’s big problem lately has been weak scripts. Too much formulaic stuff and not enough arc. Maybe ABC could fix this. Please guys, it’s worth another… Read more »
The show became too ridiculous and predictable to even watch. The whole killing off Jim bit and the subsequent stupidity following that event was just too much for me.
Ghost Whisperer is one show that my wife got me into. We have now seen every show dating back to the beginning. It is a staple for us and we will miss it. I hope it is picked up by ABC. If so we will continue to watch it.
yeah pick it up pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I’m glad this show finally is getting canceled. My wife and I were faithful viewers from the beginning, until Jim died and came back in a different body. We watched a few of the episodes after that occurred, but eventually gave up on it because it became so ridiculous. I read recently that they also fast forwarded just like Desperate Housewives (another show we stopped watching). They jumped the shark with how Jim’s death was handled and now they’re paying for it.
Can’t agree more with you. They ruined the show with all the ‘Jim back from the dead’ idea. Also the Book of Changes and the Shadows thing are so… c’mon, I know it’s a fantasy, but they asked a lot to our imagination.
PLEASE DON’T TAKE GHOST WHISPERER OFF THE AIR!!!! ABC needs to pick it up. CBS is being stupid. I know so many people that watch that show. And every Friday night my friends and I get together to watch it. Millions of people still watch that show. And I can think of a lot more shows that do not have as high ratings as Ghost Whisperer. Please ABC! I believe that ABC will rock with the ratings if they pick this show up!
ABC or someone needs to pick up Ghost Whisperer!! Agreed.
I thing ABC should pick Ghost Whisperer because it’s still attract 6 to 8 millions viewers … And there are show like Gossip Girl, 90210 or 10 things I hate about you which attract 1 to 3 millions viewers and they keep the show so I don’t understand why suddenly CBS wants to cancel Ghost Whisperer just because the show lost viewer because the day when Ghost Whisperer aired has changed. And I don’t understand why 6 to 8 millions viewers is not enough for the CBS. Anyway hope ABC pick the show. it’ s a great great show and… Read more »
ABC – Please pick up the show.