Going into the fall season, CBS’ Vegas series was one of the new TV shows with the most buzz. Many people were expecting it to be one of the hits of the season. Has it measured up? Should it be cancelled or renewed for a second season?
Airing on Tuesday nights, Vegas takes place in the Las Vegas of the 1960s and revolves around Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid), a former rancher, and his clashes with Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), a Chicago mobster who moved west to set up his operation. Others in the cast include Carrie-Anne Moss, Taylor Handley, Sarah Jones, and Jason O’Mara.
The show debuted back on September 25th to a 2.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 14.85 million total viewers. While the viewership was strong, CBS was likely expecting a much better demo number — especially considering the show’s high-profile talent, positive reviews, and the show having a strong lead-in like NCIS: Los Angeles.
In week two, the ratings dropped 20%, to a 2.0 rating with 12.11 million. In week four, they dropped another 20%, to a 1.6 rating with 10.8 million.
The numbers have remained fairly steady since then and the 15 episodes that have aired thus far have averaged a 1.7 demo rating with 10.9 million viewers.
While that demo might be enough for a show on NBC, it’s not likely good enough for CBS. Right now, Vegas is one of the network’s lowest-rated weekday series in the demographic which advertisers favor. Vegas has a lot of total viewers but so do many other CBS shows.
Last season, Unforgettable occupied the same timeslot and performed better than Vegas — averaging a 2.3 demo rating and 11.3 million viewers. It was cancelled.
The network ended up making a deal with Sony TV to bring Unforgettable back for a short season this summer and both sides likely made some financial concessions to make that happen. Word is that most of the supporting castmembers have been dropped. A deal like that is not likely to happen with Vegas.
Unless the ratings start to climb, it doesn’t look very likely that Vegas will be back for a second season.
On the positive side, the series will be back on March 19th and there are seven new episodes yet to come.
What do you think? Do you think CBS should cancel Vegas to make way for a new show? Or, should they renew Quaid and company for a second season? If you were running the network, would you change anything try to attract higher ratings?
I very much enjoy this show. The dropping of Vegas. Would be yet another reason to turn to cable for good drama programming . I do not watch reality shows and the networks are littered with them.
I am very angry about no longer seeing Vegas, and I feel actors need protection from such crap as dropping their show, and their income, I would like to FIRE those making such decisions, as dropping a popular show. You advertise Elemental as the the most popular drama, well that is only YOUR opinion. Vegas is is very refreshing newer show with great script writing, acting, imagination., all ingredients neccessary for a favorite TV show, while “Elemental” doesn’t have it, too complicated to be entertaining, while Vegas, NCIS, Person of Interest, Bluebloods should remain. Remove Elemental and Unforgettable, or a… Read more »
PLEASE do not cancel this show, ‘VEGAS’ that was on CBS. I know many-many people who watch this show religiously, and we were so surprised it has not been back on TV yet!!
Whomever, or if anyone has taken a survey from public television polls I’m positive this show, ‘VEGAS’ will prove to be more positive then negative…try it! They have my vote…YES, YES, YES, for the TV show VEGAS, please bring it back!!!
You are crazy to cancel Vegas that is one of the greatest shows going. There’s already to little to watch on tv as it is.
I live in Las Vegas and it appears that CBS doesn’t care about LAS VEGAS at all.
I wonder if this is political.
Bring back Vegas. It was a good show and YOU didn’t give it enough time , but I guess that the people that support your network don’t count. I don’t like most of the reality shows, but I do like a GOOD mystery and Vegas is a very good one. Maybe your problem is that there isn’t enough foul language or enough nudity in it. SHAME ON YOU.
CBS has really let our family down. We looked forward to each episode, really like the characters and the actors that played them. The story line was always interesting and clever. I just don’t understand why they would cancel an obviously great show. Another disapointement brought to us via network executives. CBS you should be ashamed.
Please bring Vegas back on my husband and I both really enjoy watching the show together.
CBS cancels another very good show, apparently because it didn’t appeal to the 18-49 crowd. The storylines were interesting and probably not far from what happened in the 60’s when the mob moved in to create the gamblers’ paradise. CBS cancelled another good show about the Supreme Court a few years back – believe it was called “First Monday in October, and another one where Josh Brolin was a freshman legislator in Congress, yet they keep the “new” Hawaii Five-O which is just awful. I wish another network would pick up “Vegas” – it was a great show.
Keep Vegas on, one of the best series on TV.
Vegas was just getting started…Now CBS dumps it?????
It could have been the next Dallas….
Maybe TNT or TBS or even the CW will pick it up. Yes, it was Adult TV, show it earlier before we go to sleep.
Keep Vegas on as it is frustrating that the networks just want to broadcast repetitive garbage for the clueless.
As with everything else these days the media focuses just on under 30 dims and anything with historical or well written content for an adult audience is dropped as advertises only want to target the young and vacant. Usually shows like Vegas take a gestation period and need time, word or mouth, to develop an audience. Remember the original ‘Star Trek’ was also dropped with similar ratings. Unfortunately movie production follows the same course and now there is nothing except Marvel Comics, Cartoon and Furry Creatures on the big screen. If you think Toy Story 4, Iron Man 6, and… Read more »
Bring Vegas back. My wife and I really enjoy the show
Bring back Vegas. Just when it really gets going is not the time to pull it.
DO NOT CANCELL VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!