CBS has decided to cancel Shark after two seasons on the air. What killed the series?
Shark debuted on September 21, 2006 and stars James Woods as Sebastian “Shark” Stark, an arrogant and cutthroat prosecutor. The TV show did pretty well in its first season on CBS. It ranked 24th for the season with an average of 13.7 million viewers. The one downside was that the show’s viewers tended to skew older. But, in a season littered with prematurely cancelled drama series (Smith, 3 lbs., The Nine, etc.), the show’s ranking and survival was an impressive achievement. The series was renewed for a second season.
Season two kicked off on Sunday, September 23, 2007. In that 10pm timeslot, Shark had to compete against ABC’s popular Brothers & Sisters and consistently lost in total viewers and the all-important 18-49 demographic.
Like most shows, Shark’s production schedule was interrupted by the writers strike. When the strike was over, production resumed and four more episodes were created. After a long absence, new episodes began airing in late April. In the show’s new Tuesday night timeslot, it was easily beaten by ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen in both total and 18-49 viewers.
The show’s chances for a third year were still up in the air until just recently. Ultimately, the combination of Shark’s inability to attract younger viewers, the writers strike, and CBS’ excitement over its new dramas is likely what led the network to cancel the series.
Woods tells the LA Times that the cast and crew were “very saddened” by the news but were trying to stay positive. He continues, “We’re a little baffled by the decision but we’re very supportive… None of us can figure out quite why. But we have no bad feelings. This show did an enormous amount for me personally. We all won doing the show.”
>The current season, cut short by the writers strike, is made up of only 16 episodes. Shark’s series finale is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20th. It’s unlikely that the episode will offer any kind of closure for the series. Stay tuned! 
Please bring back the Show Shark and the TV show Justice they were the best shows ever!!
My husband and I never missed an episode of Shark. It was one of the better shows on the entire four non cable networks. CBS is in desperate need of good shows. What is wrong with them? We have found we are watching more and more of cable TV because there is so little being offered in the way of good shows. Another poor choice by executives who know little about their audience. No wonder they are going down.
I am very disappointed that Shark has been cancelled. This was one of my favorite shows. Do we always have to cater to the younger group under 35 years of age. I am 40 and feel that we need to have more shows that attract this age group. I loved the actors and the story line. Each week I would be so sexcited to see the next show to find out what happens to each character. I am deeply saddened.
bring back shark!! it is a great show and had an amazing cast. you people at cbs killed the show by moving the day and time so much. so put it back on the air and give it a certain time and day.
your # one show is ncis move it and I bet it will not do as good as it is now. so bring shark back.
What a bummer. My husband and I loved Shark and the amazing James Woods. There isn’t anything on the networks worth watching, except Dancing with the Stars, and we would click back and forth to see Shark. Besides, they kept moving the time slot – hard to build a following, when you’re always trying to “follow” the series.
What the heck is wrong with an older viewing audiance? Murder she wrote and Matlock played to older viewers (which I watched in my 20s and 30s BTW). Many of us older folk, I’m 48, are very tired of this silly Heidi and Spencer crap. Too bad Shark was canceled.
I was totally shocked to find out that this had been canceled due to the fact that the viewers were not of a young age! I say bring back the Shark the cutthroat team and the really annoying DA (Cuttler) 😉
James Woods is one of the best actors on the planet and was amazing at the part he was given. Bring back the Shark!
I am gutted!!
I loved this series and think it is unfair not to continue with the third series.
Bring back Shark!!
James Woods is an incredible actor. The show was well thought up and the acting was spot on. The only other series that has the caliber of acting, and writing on it is Law and Order. But not nearly as funny. I really thought this was a series that I would be able to be watching on reruns in another 10 years. As far as the age demographic I am only 29. My wife and I watch very little tv and this was the only show ever that I scheduled my evening around to watch! I guess the show was… Read more »
Very disappointed to hear Shark has been cancelled.. All the good shows off the air so quick, how about getting ride of all the reality stupidity like Paris and the crap on tv. Bring back Shark
what a shame. my family and i used to wait for the show every week. now it is cancelled. it is just being showed in malaysia. james woods, a damn good actor.
You can tell the”networks”don’t care about the really good shows on tv , all they care about are the ratings..bring back SHARK and KNIGHT RIDER and the good darma shows.
We lose a lot of great viewing every year because of this rating crap that the networks seem to think is so important. If this is so, why do they place their good series’ up against other top rated shows? The networks need to start thinking “out of the box”. Toss out all those crummy reality shows. If they truly wish to have their dwindling viewer back, they need to start talking to each other. Add another hour or two to their primetime slots. Move the news back another hour to accomplish that end. Perhaps, by moving their evening news… Read more »
I’m very disappointed that shark has been cancelled. This was a very good show, the actors were great,the story lines were interesting and I couldn’t wait till the next show the following week. Most of my friends and relatives felt the same.I just can’t believe all the crappy shows that are keep on and the good shows are taken off. I do hope whom ever thought to take shark off, might change their mine and put back a excellent show SHARK.
Bring back Shark! Reality TV is highly overrated and people burn out on it, as you see Celebrity apprentice is now being axed! We need good drama’s!! Not a bunch a teens voting each other out of a house or off an island!!