CBS recently unveiled a new show called The Bridge. Never heard of it? You’re not alone and you just know that doesn’t bode well for the TV show’s future.
The Bridge revolves around a tough and dedicated cop who’s voted to become the police union’s leader. Officer Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) ends up fighting crime on the streets while also battling corruption on the force. The series features Douglas, Frank Cassini, Michael Murphy, Ona Grauer, Paul Popowich, and Theresa Joy.
The TV show debuted on Saturday night with two episodes. Per the overnights, the first episode attracted an invisible 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and just 2.98 million viewers. It was easily beaten by repeats of Cops and America’s Funniest Home Videos.
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The second episode of The Bridge drew a 0.5 rating in the demo and increased to a still meager 3.51 million viewers. It was trounced by America’s Most Wanted but did beat a repeat of ABC’s struggling Scoundrels.
You know a series is in trouble when, after just a few episodes, it’s sent to a timeslot on little-watched Saturday nights. When a show debuts on Saturday nights during the summer, you can just tell the network has no faith in it and is just burning off the episodes.
The Bridge comes from Canada’s CTV, in a similar arrangement as Flashpoint. It’s much cheaper for CBS than the scripted programming that the network commissions itself. Still, these numbers are horrible. CTV has already ordered a second season but there’s essentially no incentive for CBS to pick it up with ratings like these.
CBS has 11 more episodes of The Bridge. As currently scheduled, they’ll run on Saturday nights through September. With ratings like these, that seems highly unlikely to happen.
What do you think? Had you even heard of it? If so, is The Bridge worth watching? Would you cancel or keep it?
Image courtesy CBS.
FINALLY! A police drama that is worth watching! The Bridge is a new and intriguing angle.
CSI…boring, Flashpont…boring, Blue Bloods…ridiculous and worst of all……Hawaii 5-0…..OMG NO, NO, NO!!! No wonder CBS is getting destroyed by other networks.
Go ahead and cancel The Bridge so that FOX picks it up, puts it in a decent time slot and makes the show popular!
This show was never given air time on TV like the other shows! I would have missed it if I had not come across it on a Saturday night! Why are good story shows taken off? Something dum stays on? I liked this show and it sould be given the build up other shows have gotten! Give people a chance to see it first! Lets find a station that gives shows a chance to make it!
The Bridge and Flashpoint are the highlights of TV this summer. Just like CBS to ” not actively promote something” and then bury it in a bad time slot. It is intelligent TV with real characters instead of Hollywood caricatures. There’s a reason more people are tuning in to new shows on Fox, TNT, USA , AMC. The least that CBS should do is hire away the writers who know how to write good TV shows from CTV.
This show is AWESOME!!! I have also been looking for it. I watched it one Saturday night and couldn’t stop talking about it! I also could’t find it again! I have told others about it and they were not able to find it, now we know why!
I Think the show was not promoted as well as the other new Dramas! I had not seen anything about it I just happened upon it! Please bring it back with better promos! I think You will get the ratings you are looking for!
Keep this show, it is real and different from the usual.
This along with flashpoint are the best tv series I have seen in quite some time please do not cancel. When can I see another series?
Frank Leo is an refreshing change from the rest of CBS’s cop shows. 3 CSI, 2NCIS and soon 2 Criminal Minds! Damn I like CSI:NY and both NCIS but do we NEED another Criminal Minds? So lets cancel the original , interesting show in favor of retreaded old plots in new locations ! The Bridge has none of the following: buff almost model looking cops of which the women do their often bloody, funky dirty jobs in white linen and 5 inch heels with 4 inch fingernails. Male counterparts who wear desiner suits and sunglasses worth a month’s salary and… Read more »
KEEP THE BRIDGE! canadian copy shows are great. flashpoint is also great although intense and durham county was way intense but i wouldn’t have missed it. not everybody spends saturday night out. some of us love to cozy up to a good drama on tv.
The Bridge is an excellent. Very real and I’m truly missing it on Saturdays. Please bring it back. Just need to get the word out.
The Bridge was very entertaining. We were looking to have something worth watching on Saturday nights. We think it is a big loss. Hopefully, they will reconsider the day and time for airing a great program like The Bridge.
Never commented about a TV show before. I liked The Bridge. All the SSIs are over the top for me. The Bridge was real! Hve looked for it for the past two Sat nights; not to be found.
Our loss.
Slide these shows into prime time, Monday through Friday, somewhere.
They have excellent characters and good story lines for people who want to watch something other than the imbicilic sitcoms being shoved down our throats.
FLASHPOINT and THE BRIDGE are excellent. . . .
They are just in the wrong time slots to get decent ratings.
Please – do NOT cancel either show!
It figures you would keep a crappy show like Flashpoint and cancel one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time.
Perhaps the title was misleading.
I’m really disappointed. Can the rest of the episodes be seen on-line or elsewhere?
I loved it and hope the CBS picks it up. I think the poor ratings were due to the day of the week it showed and the last of publicity it got. Great acting and worth a second shot!