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 was really disappointed to hear of this show’s cancellation. I’m going to purchase the DVD’s to watch. I don’t understand it! I missed it when it came back on because CBS kept changing the day!! I was the only show I never missed and the only time I tuned into CBS. Someone in corporate has made an error.
The major networks are chasing thinking people to the History and Discovery Channels. As it was stated by others, networks are putting out mindless and non-thinking shows that are pure crap! Wake up people, the market the networks are going after is our future learders! We should be scared!
Wow… Shark was just awesome, he made the show absolutely jump!; smart, witty, clever as only he can deliver. Guess that ain’t good enough anymore. I will bill CBS for my therapy
CBS is stupid to cancel the show. I would be willing to pay $10 per episode to download the show, so come on CBS! This is the best show I have ever watched.
I LOVE THIS SHOW AND WHEN I READ IT HAD BEEN CANCELLED I COULD’NT BELIEVE IT! GREAT STORIES, GREAT ACTORS, WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT? ALSO MOONLIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. TWO OF MY FAVE SHOWS WILL BE NO MORE.
I am truly saddened by the cancellation of this show. It was one of the best shows that I can remember in my 54 years of watching tv. I guess I’ll just have to watch the “stars dancing”. How sad!!
I have to agree with all of the previous comments about the demise of Shark. I am so sick of all the trash and stupid garbage on TV now – so it was great to have this terrific show with a wonderful cast headed by the amazing award winning actor James Woods. The execs at CBS are truly idiots for not renewing this program. I wish that they would rethink their decision. Shark would only continue to get better with time as it did over the last 2 years.
I am saddened to hear that ‘Shark’ will be cancelled. This is one of my favorite shows. Its a witty show that allows James Woods to show his great acting and comedic talent. I will greatly miss this show!
!SAS Entertainment
I agree with Ruth. Many good shows are getting the boot while reality trash monopolizes the prime-time time slots. I understand that television is a buisness, and that reality shows are inexpensive to produce, and are therefore, all proffit for the networks. But for Vader’s sake! Why the hell would these moronic execs take out good shows when there are pleanty of cookie-cutter dramas and sit-coms that could die. The problem here is people are just dumb. I’m not being mean. It’s just true. People don’t like television that challenges them or makes them think. That’s why reality television still… Read more »
CBS has messed with way too many shows that we enjoyed–starting with Cane and now cancelling Shark and Moonlight. Give me a break! My family and I loved these shows. I cannot believe that the reality shows are still on. They are garbage and the really good shows are cancelled. I’ll be watching other shows like American Idol, etc.
Why does CBS & FOX Always have to cancel the good shows and leave the ones that suck on the air. Way to go CBS with yet another screw one but I guess you have to keep up with FOX on which company is the biggest screw up in history.
NOT SHARK!!!
Man is there anything we can do to have them change there minds??
CBS is REALLY MESSING UP!!
A briljant show, great cast and good story’s, some things a lot of shows don’t have! And yet this great show is being cancelled . Unbelieveble.
I GUESS PEOPLE OVER 49 DON’T COUNT. WELL, CBS FEELS 18-49 WILL SUPPORT THEIR SPONSORS AND WE ARE DOOMED TO GAY HAS BEEN CELEBRITIES WITH NO TALENT, AMAZING DOGS, CHRISTINE(!!! I’M SURE EVERY 18-49 IS WATCHING THAT) AND EVERY FREAKIN CSI CITY ON THE PLANET. CBS IS LUCKY TO HAVE A SEASONED, TALENTED AND PERFECTLY CAST ACTOR IN JAMES WOODS. THEY TOOK JERICHO, THE UNIT AND NOW SHARK. JERICHO AND SHARK HAD NO PERMANENT TIME SLOT DUE TO THE WRITERS STRIKE. THE UNIT DID AND WILL BE COMING BACK. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU, CBS???????????? BRING THEM BACK, GIVE THEM… Read more »
The reason that shows like this get cancelled is that the 18-49 demographic is getting smarter, not dumber. They know that the empty suits at CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, etc., will cancel anything of a high quality or that is enjoyed by people with an IQ, so they don’t bother to tune in. After all, why get involved in a show and invest timewise and emotionally in a show and the characters if you know that the show is doomed to cancellation as soon as the show fails to reach some magic number, when it is put against mindless (and… Read more »