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.
We would call Friday night “Ghost Night.” and watch Ghost Whisperer and Medium and another spook show like Ghost Hunters. It was a fun night and we looked forward to it. I think the Ghost Whisperer is Rad and will miss it but hopefully I won’t. Is there a petition we can sign or something so they can not take it off the air?????
I am so disappointed I never missed the show and I enjoyed watching Melinda and Jim together. I feel like the other people I will not be watching any of the new CBS shows unless they bring back Ghost Whisper/
Go to the actual CBS.com site and find their comments, complaints, & requests forum and express your displeasure! It’s very easy and you can really let them know on THEIR site (we need to flood their email inbox) that we will not go down without a fight. And to those who say, “It’s done – we can’t change it.” We won’t know until we try.
Yes, this is the most awesome show ever and any more one of the few non- reality crap shows on TV. I love this show and own every season on DVD. I’m impatiently awaiting for the DVD arrival of season 5. This show needs to stay on TV
I’m sorry, I liked GW as well… but GW went way off the deep end the past two seasons. It seemed more realistic the first three seasons. Then it went and became too unrealistic. Medium got picked up because NBC axed the show after 5 seasons. CBS picked it up for season 6 and the upcoming season 7. Allison Dubois predicted a 7 season run. Medium is just more realistic than GW. (If we can call either show realistic)
I have personally decided to boycott CBS on Friday nights and truthfully, some of the clips of the new shows that will be on this fall interest me as does Flashpoint. But I WILL NOT give CBS my viewership on Fridays for any reason. I’m just too disappointed and angry. I just don’t understand why Medium got picked up but not GW. You can’t convince me that viewership made THAT difference. Although I am not a Medium fan, a lot of the same people watched it BECAUSE IT CAME ON AFTER GW! I hope every CBS Friday show flops big… Read more »
I hope ANY network picks this wonderful show up! You can not go wrong with The Ghost Whisperer! I just found this show a few months ago and fell in love with it right away! I am still watching the past seasons trying to catch up! This show is amazing and I can honestly say that the network that picks this show up will have us as a devoted fan!
I so agree with the post about “a great family show cancelled forever?” I certainly hope some network picks up Ghost Whisperer.
I’m so sick of reality shows and crime shows. Ghost Whisperer was a true family show. What a great loss of great talent and great storylines.
I love Ghost Whisperer! Please don’t cancel it! It is the only show I watch and it is amazing! I look forward to it every night!! It has a great story line and it is never boring and always very entertaining. Bring. It. Back. Please.
I love Ghost Whisperer. I hope it gets picked up for many more season. I always watch the show. I get upset if I miss a show. To me its like its a soap opera. Please bring it back.
I love this show. I hope the decision by ABC is reversed and they do pick it up. Sometimes, I had to record the show and watch it later as I started working the night shift. It was the only show that I watched without missing one episode. I wish I owned a network!! I certainly would pick it up. We need Ghost Whisperer as there are way to many crime shows and reality TV. A great family show gone forever??
Please bring Ghost Whisperer back without the son. The show seemed to go far away from the original story line when it jumped ahead five years and the son was introduced. Put it back the way it was, it was more interesting and entertaining. Keep all the same characters except him. The show is very good entertainment and enjoyable to watch and never fails to bring a tear. Thanks Come on ABC bring it back.
I hope they pick it up. It’s a good series with a great story line
Please ABC, give this one back to the viewers.
I love Ghost Whisperer!!! Me and my daughter’s sit down and watch it together!!!! Why is it that when you like something they take it off the air? Shows that aren’t doing that great are still on the air!!! Please bring it back!!!!
I watch Ghost Whisperer every night on ion & syfy. I absolutely love it! I’ve seen some episodes 2 or 3 times. I never get tired of it. I’m so sad that CBS has decided to cancel it. I ABSOLUTELY hope that ABC would pick it up. Ghost Whisperer is the ONLY show I watch on CBS. So I suppose CBS will lose some viewers.