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! 
Canceling “Shark” is a really bad decision, CBS! Please rethink it! This is a terrific show with outstanding actors, and should be given another chance!
I am very sad that Shark was canceled. It was a very interesting show and it captured my interest. I was looking forward to seeing the show in the fall. I am extremely upset about the networks decision to cancel Shark.. I am hoping that the network will change their minds. Please reconsider my position with regards to Shark. Older people look at TV just as much as the young people. Once again, I am really sorry to see it hit the chopping block without seeing a dramatic ending.
I too am shocked to learn that Shark has been cancelled. I was waiting for it to re-appear. I am 26 years old and I loved the show. It was well written and the performances by James Wood were spectacular. The show had character and wit. I am tired of these mindless, empty shows that are on tv now and I am shocked that Shark would be cancelled because CBS is excited with their new series. Please- nothing compares to Shark. As well, I know a lot of people in my age bracket who watched and appreciated the show.
I also am very upset with losing Shark….two shows I was interested in: Shark and The Unit….both CBS…..I didn’t understand what happened to the show; had to ask the question on the computer to get an answer….my daughter stated she heard on TMZ that it wouldn’t be coming back…..my husband and I are in the 18-49 age group…I really wish you would reconsider bringin this series back….loved all the cast…very exciting show…..I still watch the first season on DVD……been looking for second season…can’t find it……AND changing the night might not really be the answer for trying to raise the numbers… Read more »
Best show ever…
CBS…you have made a silly decision. Canceling Shark because of perceived shortcomings in the 18-49 age group might need some rethinking in light of today’s economy. We older folks have the money. The 18-49s won’t have a pot to piss in by comparison. In the recent past I have bought eight flat panel plasmas, eight DVD/VHS players and three Lexus cars. And not one of these purchases was influenced by the mindless crap on the reality shows. In the economy to come, purchasing power will be in the hands of the intelligent and well-employed, buying for cash or with superior… Read more »
Sooo sorry to hear the news of Shark’s cancellation. It was well written with a great cast of complimentary actors. My wife and I could hardly wait for each episode. Please bring James Woods back. We never really appreciated his gift for acting until he starred in this series. What a loss!
Ok, so CBS does it again. Another good show taken off the air. I must really be getting old if my taste in television shows doesn’t count. Maybe fans should send CBS tons of “sharks” to get the execs attention – worked with Jericho fans and their peanuts.
My husband and I are upset that Shark has been canceled. We have been waiting to see when it was coming back and found this on the website that it was canceled. James Woods was perfect for this roll and we enjoyed wating every week. I hope they reconsider and by some miracle bring the show back
Very sad. It was one of the few intelligent and witty shows with an amazing perfromance by James Woods and other members of the cast. CBS, PLEASE reconsider the decision and bring the show back. We LOVE it!
Not cool!! Shark was a show that I enjoyed and to be honest I really wanted to see what his character Sebastian was going to do to Wayne Callison after he kidnapped Shark’s Daughter Julie. And another thing Shark had better ratings than CSI:NY which portraied more of the L&O:SVU. Shark was a prosecutor that left the defense side of the courtroom to put criminals in jail and to do a favor for the mayor of LA. Shark really surprised me when he went after his cases the way he did. By living on the edge in the courtroom. If… Read more »
This stinks!!!! James Woods kicks DANCING WITH THE STARS butt. I love that he was actually doing a television series. Bring him back. Can we just get rid of the dancers instead??????
Man, I so mad I loved the show,and I don’t say that very often.
I am very saddened to learn “Shark” was canceled. I was never really a big fan of James Woods until Shark. I loved him and the rest of the cast. Best wishes to all involved in such a wonderful show.
Very disappointed to hear that Shark is not returning. We were faithful viewers, it was an excellent show. Too bad, there’s so much crap on the tv…I haven’t even watched Law and Order for years.