Tonight, Numb3rs finishes off its sixth season with episode 118, “Cause and Effect.” Will the show be back next season? A decision hasn’t been made yet but lots of people are betting that it will be cancelled.
Numb3rs follows FBI Agent Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) and his genius brother, Charlie (David Krumholtz), who helps the authorities 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 series debuted in January 2005 and has long been a successful player for CBS on Friday nights. In season one, Numb3rs averaged a 3.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and about 11.1 million viewers. They went up in season two, with an average of a 3.3 rating and 11.7 million viewers. Viewership has fallen since then however and last season, Numb3rs scored a 2.2 and 10.2 million.
This season, Numb3rs’ ratings have dropped further still — averaging a 1.8 rating and 8.26 million viewers each week. As a result of the decline in ratings, CBS (which is having a very good season) decided to cut back on the number of episodes and reduced their season order from 22 to 16 installments.
 Loading ... |
The official reason for the decrease is that CBS had too much programming and needed space to try out new series. Next week, Numb3rs’ timeslot will be occupied by a new show, Miami Medical.
CBS has maintained that the fate of Numb3rs hasn’t been decided yet but, considering the series’ production costs and ratings, it seems fairly certain that the show is done.
In fact, ABC and FOX are betting on it. The networks have already cast Morrow and Krumholtz in new pilots.
Morrow will star in a dramatic pilot called The Whole Truth for ABC, opposite Joely Richardson. He’ll play a fiercely competitive and successful defense attorney who is close friends with his equally talented courtroom adversary (Richardson). Whole Truth is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
Meanwhile, Krumholtz has been cast in a comedy pilot for FOX called Tax Man. The project’s being produced by Ron Howard and stars Krumholtz as an IRS Agent who’s trying to find nobility in his work. Judy Greer recently joined the cast.
If CBS does decide to bring Numb3rs back for another season, both Morrow and Krumholtz will be obligated to return. However, the other networks wouldn’t cast them in new pilots unless they felt it was a very strong possibility that Numb3rs would indeed be cancelled.
What do you think? Would you like to see Numb3rs return for a seventh season or is it time to say goodbye to the Eppes?
Image courtesy CBS.
my son and I have watch numbers together from the begining, He is now 11. It was our Friday night routine, and we are surely goping to miss it.
I love Numb3rs. Please don’t cancel the show. I looked forward to it every week.
One of the most intelligent series ever. Not only a procedural, not just a family show, it even made mathmatics interesting to someone like me, a total mathphobe. It was the only thing worth watching Friday nights (besides “Washington Week” and “Bill Moyers”.)
Great show dont end it
I and my family really love Numb3rs. It is basically the only drama show I’ve known of about math. It has been a boost to math. The CSI and NCIS series cover a good amount of science drama as well as a few other programs. I really enjoyed the local feel of Numb3rs (for us) as we live in California and specifically at one time in Pasadena and have spent a good amount of time in Los Angeles as well. The California Institute of Technology being the actual “Cal Science” in the show was great. I used to live near… Read more »
I agree that the series has gotten less and less interesting with the demise of any real math. Math was the best part. They could even have thrown more physics in there and that would have been great. I would like for the series to continue, maybe without Charlie and Amita for a while and let them be replaced by Larry and his socially inept physicist sidekick. It could open up all sorts of new avenues on interest. We really need to have SOME intelligent programming on TV and Numb3rs definitely qualified. Bring it back. Freshen it up, but bring… Read more »
I would love to see the show return. I love it and will miss it a lot. I would especially love to see Diane Farr come back and see the rest of the team doing so well. It really is a great show.
I cannot get enough of Numb3rs! Right from the very beginning, I loved it—-non-math whizzes like me get to see the beauty and art of math and it’s very real, everyday applications! Although Cause and Effect was an excellent finale, I will be broken-hearted if it is cancelled! My husband and I have been avid fans since the start—actually he started watching it because I was–he’s an electrical engineer who really enjoys the show, too. It is heart warming to watch how it is possible for the good guys to beat the bad guys, but it does not make the… Read more »
As much as I love the show, I have been pretty disappointed with the new season. It wasn’t very interesting, and I do not like how they turned Don’s character; I find Don very hard to listen to anymore. If the show went back to the normal run-down of things, I would glady watch it again; it would be interesting to see more on Charlie and Amita’s trip- along with Larry working with the FBI now. Either way, I don’t want Numb3rs to be canceled!
Even though Numb3rs is my #2 favorite show, I have to agree that this was a really great place to end and way to end it. Everybody has resolved the pesonal issues that created so much interest in the show and is moving on with their lives, and in this case with such a “nurturing family” focus to the show, as opposed to NCIS (my #1 favorite), the characters would not be so likeable if they didn’t mature and move on with their lives — and not only would covering that would make a totally different show, but trying to… Read more »
If it is cancelled, it will probably be their reduction of mathematics and focus on the FBI cases and people. When math is mentioned it always seems to be a term thrown-in with no explanation of what the meaning is beyond a brief sentence and a near perfect use of the math to solve a problem in an un-realistic time [even given usual TV limit of a 60 minute show]. When first aired, even non-math people said they wanted MORE math—but the writers gave us less. A few real mathematicians [Diaconis, Terrance Tao, Melanie Matchett Wood from Stanford who was… Read more »
To anyone who may be interested in saving numb3rs. Numb3rs.org has contact information for Mrs. Tassler at CBS. I encourage fans to send polite letters requesting a season seven. Also E Online has a Save One Show initiative going on right now. Follow the links to nominate Numb3rs.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b173…Is_Coming.html
You can also nominate Numb3rs via Twitter: “Here’s What You Must Do: To make sure your show is not forgotten as a contender, nominate it now by (a) posting a comment below, and/or (b) sending a tweet that includes “@kristinalert” and “#SOS” on Twitter.”
If we’ve seen the end of Numb3rs, I am quite disappointed as it’s been a favorite of mine since it’s beginning–a great cast, typically well-written scripts and very interesting.
I am stunned to read that March 12th may have been the last NUMB3RS! WHY??? There are SO FEW intelligent, lively, well-written, beautifully acted programs on television. It is impossible to understand why this show was canceled, unless one of the key actors wanted out. PLEASE TELL US IT ISN’T SO!!! I can guarantee there is a legion of fans out there! It was my ONLY show! I am in mourning. Has it been released on DVD, or will it be soon? Better yet, is there any chance it will be revived?
Numb3rs is indeed available on DVD. If you rent from Netflix they have the first 6 seasons.
I think “Cause and Effect” was a great ending to a great series. It’s so much better to be left wanting more than to watch something good die slowly. Best of luck to all involved who made the show so excellent and enjoyable.