Pirate Master: CBS Sinks Burnett Reality Show

It’s been a disappointing summer for Mark Burnett’s reality shows. FOX’s much-hyped On the Lot filmmaking competition has been falling in the ratings since its debut and was cut back to a single hour long episodes per week. It looks like Lot will finish its run but Burnett’s other new reality series isn’t so lucky.

Pirate Master debuted on CBS on May 31st and attracted a lukewarm seven million viewers — despite coinciding with the release of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film in theaters. Many feel that the series was highly derivative of Burnett’s Survivor series and ratings have been steadily falling.

As a result, CBS has cancelled Pirate Master effective immediately. Five hours are left in the competition and the network plans to post a new episode online each Tuesday at CBS.com. The “news show” 48 Hours Mystery will fill in for tomorrow night. Stay tuned!