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! 
I have just finished watching Series 1 of Shark. I am DEVASTATED that they have stopped the series. It was the best I have seen in many, many years. And James Woods is incredibly entertaining in the series — I felt a lot of his stuff was spontaneous. Oh, please bring it back again. Simply the best!!!
i watched that show when it originally aired, and i was only 16 at the time. i absolutely loved it from episode 1. they are giving the series such an injustice to cut it after what is basically a season and a half. please do away with so much of the garbage thats on right now, and bring back a show that actually makes a person think for a change.
Bring it back. James Woods and the cast was great . No legal show comes close to the action and the synergy that they gave to the show. I miss it and hope that there is a chance to bring it back or better yet make a movie.
Please bring Shark back! I am 25 and absolutely loved the show – it was never given a chance to succeed.
This show is riveting, especially James Woods who spews out brilliant facts so fast. It beats so many others any time. The pace is pounding and you don’t want to miss anything, . No slow mo here, unlike CSI David Caruso’s staring into space-or-ground mode, and his short sleepy blurps or Bones’ female forensic team where they regurgitate facts slowly. i enjoy NCIS and SHARK too! They’re both gold sellers.
Please bring SHARK BACK!
Shark has just finished here in the UK and it should be re-instated it was a brilliant show – so different from all the boring CSI’s – they have been done to death. SVU was stopped over here too & that was a good one.
NCIS, & Brothers & Sisters, maybe The Good Wife all thats left from you our American cousins. Bring Shark back please !!!!!!!!! And where is Criminal Minds going I think I’m watching very old series repeats – did that get axed?
I’m 22 and I loved shark and never missed a show, one of the only shows I use to get glued to, any chance it will come back?
BRING it back you never gave it change james woods briiiiillllant actor he’s famous dont they get it james is maaassssive x
BRING IT BBACK .GREAT SHOW.LOVED IT.DIDN’T MISS A SHOW. LOVE HIS ACTING
I just started watching this show and enjoyed it so much. Suddenly the show dissappeared. This was very hard for me because I loved this show so much. Love the actors. Love the intensity. Wish they would resume Shark!!!
so dissapointed, the show had everything:
-babes (woooooooooooo jessica devlin)
-aswesome actors esp. james woods
-excellent stories
anychance it coming back?
we are so disappointed Shark was cancelled; we miss it!
James Woods and a great cast ,refreshing script and I have to read that it didn’t attract younger viewers. So what…. What are we.
This was by far my favorite show!
Get rid of some of the stupid stuff.
I am very disappointed—-
They either bring Shark back or they can just go to hell. We’re all pi$$ed.
We’ve seen law shows like The Practice, Boston Legal, etc and of all these shark was the greatest.
I’ve watched TV shows and Shark was one of the BEST. It is unbelievable that it has been Canceled!!! It completely stupid to say Shark’s unable to attract younger viewers i am 21 my self. It was the best Law show on TV and canceled for no VALID reason. It Pisses me to think they are interested in some reality TV insteadof a great show.
Hey, let me tell you some thing some body has to start doing Shark season 3 and show CBS that they have made most terrible mistake in their whole history….
Dude I’m totally with you on this one. These ba$tard$ think they can just get rid of shark….I heard they’re saying that shark had low views c’mon let’s face it they never even gave it a chance….and now they’re saying CSI gets most views. CSI SUCKS!!! see I have a lot of friends who are incredibly pi$$ed off by CBS’s move to cancel Shark and I’m 19 BTW. We’re done waiting guys some action need to be taken as soon as possible.
i am with u i agree what u say in writing bring on the shark it’s the BEST ever law show JAMES WOODS is the best actor suits being a lawyer CBS you are bad you dont deserve anything come on other channels please bring back it brill weeeee miss it loads
Amazingly, what you write here, Julie is incomprehensible. Either you spend too much time watching television, or you lack basic respect for your fellow readers that would push you to write in such a manner that humans can understand. The rules of grammar and sentence structure, while lost on you, are in place for a reason. Come on, Julie.
Michael, People dont always follow the rules of grammar and sentence structure when they talk. Yet, we tend to understand eachother. Why don’t you have a look at what you wrote and discern who more likely lacks the “basic respect” you are referring to? What Julie wrote is just fine to me and perhaps to many of us readers.