It looks like Unforgettable is joining Reckless on the casualty list this week. CBS has decided to cancel Unforgettable (for the second time) after three seasons on the air.
Unforgettable follows Carrie Wells (Poppy Montgomery), a police detective who has hyperthymesia — a rare medical condition that gives her the ability to visually remember everything. Unfortunately, the one thing she can’t remember is what happened on the day her sister was killed. The show’s cast also includes Dallas Roberts, Dylan Walsh, Tawny Cypress, James Hiroyuki Liao, and Jane Curtin.
The series debuted on CBS in the fall of 2011 and the first season averaged a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 11.3 million viewers. That wasn’t good enough for the network and they cancelled it in May 2012.
Sony Pictures TV (which co-produces with CBS TV Studios) shopped the series to other outlets like TNT and Lifetime. Ultimately, CBS ended up reversing their cancellation to pick it up for a second season of 13 episodes for a Summer 2013 run. They later renewed it for season three and another summer run.
There’s no denying that the numbers have been inching downward. The second season averaged a 1.0 rating with 7.06 million and the third, which wrapped a month ago, averaged a 0.9 rating with 6.09 million.
Talks had reportedly been underway for a fourth season order but, for whatever reason, that’s not happening on CBS.
There are currently 48 episodes of Unforgettable — not enough for a syndication package. However, Sony TV has a history of finding a way to keep shows alive. Though there’s been no word of efforts to find another home for the show yet, the studio has incentive to get more episodes produced for a syndication package.
What do you think? Are you sorry that Unforgettable has been cancelled again? Would you watch a fourth season on another channel?
I am so shocked and sad that the show is cancelled again. It is a marvelous show. Excellent acting and stories. We love Poppy and her TV ex. It’s totally CBS;s own fault that the ratings went up and down. They moved it around too much; also put it on hiatus way too long! Why??? PLEASE PLEASe find a way to bring it back or make new episodes for syndication,. I know it has a big fan base; we just weren’t given a chance to watch it often enough!! It’s one of the very best shows on TV! Don’t give… Read more »
Thanks for your kind message. Yes, there are lots of us who are annoyed that CBS dropped “U.” We love the series. There were probably several reasons in their decision, notably the amount of profit. If you are not aware Sony Pictures TV (who are extremely well-known in the industry) is now “shopping it” to various networks, with hopes that a network will pick it up and start broadcasting new episodes. I have been in contact with Sony. I expect it will be difficult (but not impossible) to sell the series. It comes down to budgets (costs per episode), a… Read more »
I really hope they do.. Just love this show
I was looking forward to watching Unforgetable. I’m so disappointed that it has been canceled.
Lots of us are disappointed. But don’t give up. I have been in contact with Sony Pictures TV, who are trying to find another network to take the series, and make new episodes. This process can take awhile, because budgets have to be calculated, and any networks interested will have to calculate profitability, and (if chosen) where they could fit “U” into their schedule. Even if they keep it as a “summer series,” I have a feeling we will not hear anything for awhile. But I am glad Sony Pictures TV is doing the negotiating. They know what they are… Read more »
We have loved watching Unforgettable for three seasons and would gladly find it on the dial for a fourth. We cannot stream programs like Netflix however, so it would have to be on some kind of “regular” cable type network. Thanks for your efforts.
I was thinking about why CBS canceled “U”. I suspect that CBS made money on the series. CBS is very good at making money. But they did not make enough money on “U,” unlike “The Dome” or “Extant,” which both have lucrative arrangements with Amazon. “U,” as you know, was shot in NYC. (They shot it in my neighborhood often.) I suspect CBS kept production costs low, and so it was not a case where the series was “extravagant.” Let’s just say–hypothetically–it costs $1M to shoot an episode, a new network will have to come up with at least $13M… Read more »
I think it would be a natural fit for Ion.
I think it would be a natural fit for Ion if they want original programming. They have shows like Cold Case, Flashpoint, The Listener and Blue Bloods.
Thanks for commenting. Sony has told me they are hard at work (on submitting) to networks. Keep in mind, though, that most of Ion’s programming is reruns. We are hoping that a network will shoot new episodes of “Unforgettable.” There is the cost factor in producing new episodes, and network budgets. Stay tuned.
We love “Unforgettable” and were so pleased when CBS decided to give it another season. There are so many really awful shows on, but this one is fun and entertaining. I like the characters and the format. I really hope someone will pick it up and let us enjoy it again.
One of my favorite shows!!! Get rid of the reality garbage! I can’t believe this show would be cancelled.:'( :'(:'(:'(
Many of us are upset about CBS’ decision to cancel this great show. But I have not given up on “Unforgettable.” I have been in contact with Sony Pictures TV, who are working very hard to get another tv network to broadcast new episodes of the series. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Thank you.
My thoughts exactly!
I have been talking to Sony. They are actively “shopping it,” with hope another network will pick it up.
My wife and I are now both retired and loved both Unforgettable and Reckless, we sure wish that you would bring them back.
I suspect that “Reckless” is a goner, but I have been in contact with Sony Pictures TV, who are working very hard to find another tv network for “Unforgettable.” Let’s hope they are successful. Great show.
Absolutely my family and I will miss it a great deal. This series is one of our favorite series. Poppy Montgomery is brilliant in her role as the person with perfect recall of events, places or items in helping to solve murders. CBS I am upset and pissed that you can’t see that there is a true following to this show. Why not cancel some of those fluff shows you keep feeding us. Hopefully this series can be picked up somewhere else so my family and I continued to be satisfied once a week on a beautiful series. Big fan… Read more »
First, I agree with you 1000%. Terrifically underrated show. As far as CBS goes, I am a shareholder. CBS, probably more than other networks, is extremely shrewd in making profits. Their dealmaking is legendary. I suspect they only wanted to renew 2 summer series, and the 2 which make the most money for them are “The Dome,” which is huge, and “Extant,” which has bad ratings, but CBS worked a deal with Amazon that is so lucrative that it pays for them to keep “Extant.” They did not work a similar deal with “Unforgettable.” However, I know–because it has been… Read more »
Yup !
As you may have read on this board, I know (for sure) Sony is aggressively “shopping” it to other networks, and so I keep my fingers crossed.
I AM GOING TO MISS UNFORGETTABLE. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER SHOWS YOU NEED TO GET RID OF BEFORE THIS ONE….
I am with you 100% on this one. “Unforgettable” is a very underrated show. But I am encouraged. I know Sony Pictures TV is hard-at-work “shopping it” to several networks, in order to get a fourth season. There are several networks where “Carrie” would be a good fit,
and so I will keep up hope.
Love this show! I have watched every season. Poppy is incredible she deserves another season.
Funny. I just responded to another person annoyed that CBS canceled the series. Take heart. I know (for real) that Sony Pictures TV is actively “shopping it” to several networks who would “do the show right.” I am hopeful.
I love Unforgettable, but once I saw it was on Sunday night I knew it was the end for this show. Putting it on at a better time would of course, give it a boost. I will be very sorry to see it end, and would definitely watch it on another network.
Sharen, clearly we both love it. Actually, it did well when being on Sunday nights in its second season. During the past season, ratings dropped, but part of the problem was having the awful “Reckless” as its lead-in. Once CBS had “U” in a better place, at 9pm, ratings improved. In fact, in September it was the highest-rated scripted summer series in total viewers. It even beat “The Dome.” The bigger problem is that both Sony Pictures TV and CBS co-owning it (rather than CBS owning it fully). Good news is that Sony Pictures TV is actively “shopping” it to… Read more »
(I count) at least 6 networks, both broadcast and cable, where “Unforgettable” would it on.
I have heard that Sony Pictures TV is great at selling; hope they will do their best with this one. It is worth it. (Sony, email me if you would like some ideas. lol)