While some shows are getting orders for additional episodes, Numb3rs has just had its number cut by CBS. How does this bode for the drama’s chances for a seventh season?
As Friday night viewers know, 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 series is currently in its sixth season, having debuted in January 2005. For the show’s entire run, it’s been a staple of CBS’ Friday night schedule in the 10pm position.
In its first season, Numb3rs averaged a 3.2 rating in the demo and 11.1 million viewers. In season two, the show’s ratings rose to an average rating of 3.3 and 11.7 million viewers. Overall viewership has dropped since then. Last season was watched by an average of 9.75 million and the demo was 2.2.
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This season however has been a different story. Numb3rs’ numbers are way down. It’s fallen all the way down to a 1.7 rating in the all-important demo. Overall viewership has also dropped to an average of 7.9 million viewers.
If you look at these figures, it’s not hard to understand why CBS has decided to cut this season’s order from 22 to 16 episodes. In addition, the network already has a couple other dramas that can take its place, including Flashpoint — a show that’s cheaper and already proven to work on Friday nights.
What does this mean for Numb3rs’ future and its chances for a seventh season? The episode cut doesn’t mean anything in itself but the ratings that caused it certainly do. The show is already in syndication and, now in its sixth year, the show is quite difficult to produce. Unless the ratings return to their previous level, the show will surely be cancelled.
What do you think? Would you be sorry to see the show cancelled or would you like to watch a seventh season?
Image courtesy CBS.
This is one of the few shows on TV that actually makes you think and isn’t as predictable as death and taxes. Please don’t take it away! Too many CSI’s and vampires already!
NO NO NO!!!! NUMB3RS should not be cancelled!!!Intelligent and entertaining!
Please don’t cancell this show – it’s one of very few that indicates the television schedules are NOT being run by people with IQ of a grape. PLEASE NO MORE so called REALITY shows, for crying out loud, haven’t you beat that dead horse enough?
Numbers is a great show. It however needs some tweeking to keep it from becoming a soap opera. Look at Law and Order and why it lasted for 20 years. No mush, no love interests and no sex. Numbers needs to be more challenging in its scripting and storylines. The acting is fine. I was getting tired of Peter McNichol’s whimsical and somewhat unstable personality in the show. His role is or was very distracting.
NUMB3RS IS THE SMARTEST SHOW AS OF THE MOMENT! IT SHOULDN’T BE CANCELLED!
Numbers is always one of the smartest shows in tv land. The cast is great to look at and the “family” storyline is the best part. Don’t let it go…..and please NO MORE reality garbage!!
i love the show numb3rs and i dont want to see it disappear
i’am a big fan of numb3rs and i love this show and i don’t want the show to be cancelled and i hope that cbs reconsider to cut back on episodes for sesoen 6 and let its hole season run for 22 episodes and go for a sesoen 7 or more and this is coming from a numb3rsfan in belgium
I would want 10 more seasons..Its a great show…
Kill the un-reality shows instead. Now THAT’S tired drudgery! “Survivor” should go. . .no one on the show dies, they ALL survive–some just get voted off. That show should die.
This show was fine in the first season, but now its just tired drudgery. Kill it quickly and make the world a better place.
This is one of the best shows on TV. I live in a rural area without cable & can’t get CBS stations. However, I have purchased each years’ series when they became available & am looking forward to this year’s when it finishes. There is so much junk on TV now I rely on my DVD to watch purchased series instead. Please don’t stop this terrific series.
I wouldn’t want Numb3rs to be cancelled. I just started watching the show and I’m already addicted to it. I would be really sad if it ended. Please don’t cancelled it. Thank you.
CBS is in the process of cancelling some of the decent shows I watch, like The Unit, and there’s now talk of cancelling NUMB3RS. Yes, I’m in the over 55 age group, so apparently I don’t count. If CSB starts replacing the good shows with those stupid ‘reality’ shows that are merely staged showcases for incredibly egomaniacal asses of both sexes in a hurry to backstab everyone else on the show, then goodbye CBS! I won’t even be watching the local news. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Letterman get cancelled, but knowing CBS, they’ll keep him on because it’s okay… Read more »
Normally I would agree to this pointing to a cancelation, but with the economy hitting the skids as it has, I just think it is a sign that the new ad revs aren’t justifying the budget so they are cutting the number of shows since they can’t retroactively drop past show budgets.
Also remember that Friday and Saturday viewership is way down across the board due to people going out and “drowning their sorrows” and much of the Friday scheduled shows appeal to those who use PVRs or can Torrent shows to timeshift/locationshift them.
@WolvenSpectre: If the demo rating wasn’t SO much lower than last year, I might agree with you.
It’s true that the whole night is suffering. With that in mind though I think it will be very difficult to justify producing a show like this for a night when there’s not much of an audience.
If Friday ratings keep going like this we’ll end up with repeats or cheap reality fare (ala Saturday nights). Sad.