As expected, CBS has pulled the plug on their long-running drama, Numb3rs. A mainstay of the Friday night schedule, brothers Charlie and Don Eppes won’t be back next fall with a seventh season.
Numb3rs revolves around an FBI agent (Rob Morrow) and his genius brother (David Krumholtz) who helps solve cases with mathematics. The cast also features Judd Hirsch (as their father), Alimi Ballard, Dylan Bruno, Navi Rawat, Aya Sumika, and Peter MacNicol.
The cancellation doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially when you look at the figures.
The ratings have dropped quite a bit in recent years. Last season fell to an average of a 2.2 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic and 10.2 million total viewers. This season, the ratings dropped further still, to a 1.8 rating and 8.26 million viewers. CBS cut the show’s episode order from 22 to 16 installments last fall. While the official word was that CBS had an overflow of original programming, networks don’t usually cut the orders of successful shows.
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The cast and crew filmed what could serve as a series finale and Morrow and Krumholtz signed on for new TV show pilots. While the actors would be contractually obligated to return to Numb3rs if CBS decided to renew it, ABC and FOX were confident that they wouldn’t.
Last week, it was confirmed that the show’s sets were being dismantled, another sign that Numb3rs was finished. CBS has now made the cancellation official.
On the positive side, Morrow will return next fall in a new series for ABC called The Whole Truth. He’ll play an attorney opposite Joely Richardson. Unfortunately, Krumholtz’s comedy pilot, Tax Man, was not picked up by FOX for the 2010-11 season.
What do you think? Are you satisfied with the way that Numb3rs ended? What will you miss about the show? Will you give The Whole Truth a try?
Image courtesy CBS.
I only found out Numbers was cancelled when I saw the previews for Rob Morrow’s new show. I am so sad. Don had just proposed to Robin and that was that I guess. Even though I like Rob Morrow, it’s too soon to bring him back in another series of the same ilk – courtroom instead of squad room – not much difference. I loved the character interactions, especially the brothers and their dad. But I guess the writing was on the wall as another cast regular (David) was departing for a job in DC. I watch very little mainstream,… Read more »
Let’s face it….if there is any type of show with substance, it won’t last. I have enjoyed Numbers from the beginning and will miss it.
CBS is so stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Numbers was the only show that I liked and my whole family watched the series. They were idiotic to get rid of Numbers and it will hurt CBS, since that was one of there best shows. I refuse to watch CBS anymore!!!!!!!!!!!
I have watched several shows like Covert, Rizzoli & Isles and Memphis Blue, I was very disappointed. The story line are weak and not entertaining, Covert is a Jennifer Garner (Sydney Bristow) what to be.
No I don’t think they should of cancelled Numb3rs. It was one of the best crime drama shows on but leave it to CBS. Hopefully TNT will continue to carry it or even have a Numb3rs marathon.
I was devastated to find out that Numb3rs was canceled. It really seems that the good ones, unfortunately the expensive ones to produce, are the ones to be canceled first while the much cheaper reality crap is kept around forever. It seems that there are plenty of commercials to keep the really good programs in production. Unfortunately, often the good shows make viewers think and I’m afraid that most people don’t like to do that.
The network made a terrible decision. I have believed for over a year that CBS was probably making it clear to the actors and creators of NUMB3RS that CBS was planning to drop the show. Everyone knows that this lack of support would make writing, directing, acting, etc. would decrease – Hey – you’re going to loses your job isn’t inspiring. This manipulation by CBS of what was the best show on TV naturally made everyone involved in the show lose their enthusiasm and THAT’S why the last year of the show wasn’t as good and lose ratings – because… Read more »
i think that numb3rs was a very good show and shouldnt have been canceled sure they dropped a few viewers but they still had quite a bit of viewers
I watched this one from day one. I loved to watch Charlie at his black board. The stories were always good. Will miss them.
They keep throwing away the thought provoking well written shows. Numbers was a Friday night staple. Hopefully it returns somewhere in reruns.
Sharon – reruns can be found on TNT. They run 2 episodes each week night – well actually not night, they air at 3 and 4 AM Central time.
Just saw another episode that reminded me how much I liked the family interactions – between the brothers Charlie & Don as well as each with his father. Though the situations and scenarios were often a bit of a stretch (though I’m not complaining, it was interesting & exciting to watch), the relationships and family interactions always felt very true to me, just spot on for what real life is like.
I think Numb3rs was a terrific show. It had an adult theme, entertaining and educational. Obviously not for a crowd that prefers trashy shows or reality shows that aren’t real. I hope some network picks up Judd Hirsch, there are just some actors that you would watch in just about anything and Judd Hirsch is one of them.
Of course the numbers dropped the last couple seasons! (no pun intended) Writers began repeating themselves, Diane Farr bailed, Peter MacNicol was more recurring than regular, Don found God and the Charie/Amita relationship should have died years ago. My respect for Farr and MacNicol remains intact and it was completely understandable that they would choose different paths during the run but my guess is the ratings started their downward spiral when Diane left. The relationship between Megan and Larry was much loved and her departure dampened the lighthearted aspects of the drama. The relationship between Charlie and Amita, however, went… Read more »
I try not to get involved with watching a show for very long because invariably if I do it gets cut. The disappointment on this one is just too much. Great cast, wonderful story lines, for what it’s worth they could have kept this one on forever and I’d be a happy camper.
Numb3rs failed due to CBS. It seemed the last two years that the show was turning into CSI, but then you would see the old Numb3rs style return. I attribute this to pressure from the network. Or, it was simply that the characters and underlying story were not growing, as CBS was always ready to drop the show. A well written story that involved thinking. Just the thing a tv network executive doesn’t get. I have CBS. NOTHING is going to make up for this, and I’ve stopped watching network TV. (Well, maybe if they finally cancel the dreadful, formulaic… Read more »
Why did they cancel Numb3rs? It seems they have more cops show coming up this fall and Numb3rs would have been a strong hold in it time slot. Out of all the ads for the new cops shows I am not impressed.
Bring Numb3rs back and get some new story lines
I agree!! It did not receive enough promoting .