What happened to Pure Genius? Recently, star Augustus Prew spoke with TVLine about the CBS series and why it’s likely to be cancelled.
The drama follows top medical professionals as they team up with cutting-edge tech experts and try to push the boundaries of modern medicine to save lives. The cast includes Prew, Dermot Mulroney, Odette Annable, Reshma Shetty, Aaron Jennings, Ward Horton, and Brenda Song.
Season one of Pure Genius finished in January after CBS decided not to order more episodes—a bad sign for any chance of a renewal. Additionally, ratings for the medical drama were not good. Over the course of 13 episodes, the series averaged a .86 rating in the 18-49 demo and 5.342 million viewers, making it one of the network’s lowest-rated and least-watched new series for the 2016-2017 season. It’s unlikely the show will be renewed for a second season.
Speaking to TVLine, Prew said he thinks Pure Genius had an identity crisis:
But if I’m being honest, I think we got caught between two different shows. I think CBS wanted something a little more procedural, and [executive producer] Jason [Katims, of Friday Night Lights/Parenthood fame] wanted something a little more character-driven.
Prew later added that the show’s lack of direction was what brought it down:
CBS and Jason had slightly different visions of what they wanted the show to be, and as a consequence we weren’t enough of either, if that make sense. If it’s going to be a procedural, we should have done a procedural and taken out of the character development. And if it was going to be about these characters and their lives and coming to terms with their own mortality — which is what I wanted the show to be about — we should have pushed that further. … It lost its reason to be. I think that’s where we fell down, if I’m looking at it under a new light.”
What do you think? Did you see Pure Genius? Do you think CBS should renew the show?
I loved Pure Genius and looked forward to seeing it every week. The reason I’m writing today is because I’m looking to see if it’s going to be on this year. From what I can see it’s been canceled. What a huge mistake. What does the public want to see more ladies of Crown Royal? TV has gone to the dogs.
My husband and I loved this show and CBS needs to rethink its decision to not order any more episodes. There are only a few shows we enjoy watching and this was one of them. Bring it back!
I looked forward to watching each episode of season 1. We kept looking for the start of season 2 and were disheartened to find that it had been canceled! What a shame they chose NOT to renew such a wonderful drama! We are back to leaving the television on the “Fox News Channel” except when we watch Netflix, Amazon, YouTube or “Bull”.
I loved the show, it was uplifting to see a show about outside the box cures and helping people vs all the other stuff out there
It was one of best shows ever. It was interesting, futuristic, well written kept us in suspense, great actors loved how he found and the rest of the cast how to heal people people that no one else could do and and them a second chance in life. THAT NEW SHOW STINKS. A child doctor. Will never watch the show you took a good one out for this crap. BRING GENIUS BACK
I’m so sad. The was my most favourite!!
The comments about why this fabulous show failed makes NO sense to me at all!! The show was sooooo intriguing and mind provoking and all about HOPE for those in the future to have Help from a currently dismal medical profession. I have been waiting and waiting for it to start again. Since I could not imagine why it would Not!! There are Soooo few new shows worth watching. This was one of them. Guess it’s back to the Old ones.
An amazing show and I’m sorry it was cancelled. It needed betterv support from the network.
It was an amazing show, drama and intrigue….. like no other. Why cancel this and keep the awful life shows that are showing nothing but human competition (the bachelorette, the bachelor, and activities that are bizarre ( lost, the obstacle courses, life competitions. Then there is the shortage of actual shows of any sort; replace some of these ridiculous reruns with quality shows like pure genius. Then you may not lose so much to Amazon, and Netflix.
I loved the show. It was amazing. If it was up against “parenthood ” it was set up to fail. It wasn’t given a chance.