CBS has announced that they’re pulling Harper’s Island series from its high-profile, post-CSI timeslot and sending it to a primetime deathslot. However, the network contends that the move doesn’t diminish their faith in the series.
Harper’s Island revolves around a group of family and friends who come together for a wedding on a secluded island. Before the nuptials can commence the wedding guests are slain, one by one, by a mysterious killer. The show’s ensemble cast includes Elaine Cassidy, Christopher Gorham, Katie Cassidy, Cameron Richardson, Adam Campbell, Richard Burgi, Jim Beaver, C.J. Thomason, Victor Webster, Jay Brazeau, Dean Chekvala, Matt Barr, and Harry Hamlin.
The premiere of Harper’s aired on April 9th, opposite NBC’s new Southland series. The show won the timeslot in total viewership (10.49 million) but was second in the 18-49 demographic with a 2.7/8 rating/share. However, when you look a little closer, those numbers aren’t as positive as one might think. Harper’s lost over a third of its CSI lead-in audience and almost as much in the coveted demo. On top of that, about 10% of Harper’s audience tuned out midway through the premiere episode.
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The second week, Harper’s dropped to an average of 8.17 million viewers and a 2.2/6 rating/share. Last Thursday’s installment fell once again to an audience of 7.45 million and a 2.0/6 in the demo. With this steady decline and consistent loss of the CSI lead-in, it certainly didn’t look like Harper’s was long for this world.
It’s no shocker that CBS has sent the 13-episode series to Saturday nights at 9pm beginning this week. Repeats of Criminal Minds will fill the timeslot for the immediate future.
But CBS has put a positive spin on the decision, based on the DVR and online viewership numbers. Kelly Kahl, the network’s Senior Executive VP of Prime Time, says, “The preliminary DVR and online streaming data suggest a passionate audience for Harper’s outside its current Thursday time period borders. This move gives us an opportunity to improve the time period on Thursday while experimenting with more original programming on Saturday, and continuing to serve an audience that is clearly engaged in the ongoing Harper’s Island story.”
Though this season of 13 episodes was always intended to conclude the mystery, the network was hoping to bring the show back for a second season, with a different cast and mystery. Though this move doesn’t completely close the door on that possibility, it’s highly unlikely. After all, when was the last time a show that was exiled to Saturday nights ended up returning for another season?
Image courtesy CBS.
I too love this show. Each episode I think I know who it is and am blown away that I was wrong. It keeps you on the edge. Would love to finish the series out to see who really is the killer. Please don’t cancel this show. There is alot of us who watch it.
PLEASE don’t PULL!!! FINISH! My mom and I watch it and got hooked! I don’t know who the killer is yet! SO PLEASE PLEASE don’t drop it off on a tip of a hat! Let it run through it course til we find out who the killer is please!!!!
As many others have already said… Please don’t end the show early. Although the ratings may not be what you expected there are many of us that watch the show every week. I work nights on the weekend so I dvr it and look forward to catching up on my days off. I can’t imagine watching 10 weeks and then all of a sudden not being able to find out how it all ends? Please dont disapoint the loyal fans
We watch this show as a family “get together”. Isand Mystery Party. In-laws come and we all sit around guessing “who done it”. Popcorn in all. Its great, please dont’ take it off, or at least finish the series out this season. I just KNOW my husband is not right about who it is!!!!
I an a 67 year old female and I love this show. Started watching it at beginning and was confused when it all of a sudden it switched nights. I hope you will at least let it go through to the end. I am so tired of shows that stop and you never know how they ended. Please let it go on.
I am a College student and I work over nights, so I have not been able to watch much TV as of late. When I first heard about Harpers Island, I knew that it was something that I was going to need to watch! Just the other day, I kicked back and ended up catching up on all of the episodes! I love it! What a great show! When I posted about it on facebook, I was happily suprised by how much response that I got on it. I found out that many of my fb friends have been watching… Read more »
I am extremely disappointed that the show was taken off its regular time on CBS…..I have been looking forward to watching it all week. I can’t believe that you would pull so many people along into this murder mystery and just drop it? If this is a pattern for CBS, then I may need to switch channels that are consistant wiht what the viewers want.
I HOPE YOU DO NOT TAKE IT OFF. BUT WHEN I TRIED TO WATCH IT 6-13-09
IT WAS NOT ON. WHAT HAPPENED? DID YOU PULL IT? I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THE SERIES NOW WE DONT KNOW HOW IT ENDED AND
THAT STINKS.
you can’t just drop the series, many of us has been devoted to watching this program weekly. you can at least finish this season. please dont leave us hanging on who the murderer is. i want and need to know. i would even watch the nexr season i enjoy the series very much. PLEASE DON”T CANCEL finish the 13 episodes you intended for the series. Thank you!!!
Please Please Please dont drop the series!!!!! I really want to know what happens! I record it and watch it when i can. I look forward every week to see what is going to happen next. Yall cant just drop it. It would me devestating not knowing the answers.
I think the only reason the viewership is down is that most people are DVRing it in today’s society. I was not actually someone who watched it from the beginning but about ep 5 I got online to check it out and ended up watching every one on there at that time and then started DVRing. I am totally hooked and would be incredibly disappointed if they don’t finish it out. it is like a murder mystery with Friday the 13th-style killings. The writers and cast of this show are amazing. I don’t think a 2nd season with a completely… Read more »
DO NOT CANCEL the show. I watch it faithfully and tell all my friends about it. Don’t leave us hanging and wondering what happened.
I love this show but it is on when we are away so I have missed some. I wanted them to repeat it or move to a different day. I really want to see the whole thing and would love for it to come back next season. Put it on Mondays and it would do great.
DO NOT GIVE UP ON THIS SHOW. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ON T.V. GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO DISCOVER IT. I AM RECORDING ALL OF THE SHOWS AND HAVE CAUGHT MY MOM, SISTER,AND 2 FRIENDS HOOKED ON HARPER’S ISLAND. PLEASE KEEP THE SHOW GOING. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE HARPER’S ISLAND. I HAVE DVR IT AND NOW HAVE 3 MORE OF MY FRIENDS HOOKED. IT IS EXCELLENTLY DONE AND I SIT ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL IT AIRS AGAIN. PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS WONDERFUL SHOW GO AND LET ALL OF US YOU LOVE GREAT STORIES AND ARE SO TIRED OF REALITY SHOW WE WANT TO PUKE.