Call the FBI. There’s another victim of the cancellation axe over at CBS. The network has cancelled long-running crime drama Without a Trace.
First airing in 2002, Without a Trace follows an FBI team that’s tasked with finding missing persons. Each episode follows the search of an individual and tracks the time that they’ve been missing. The series stars Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano, Roselyn Sanchez, and Eric Close.
The series averaged 15.09 million viewers in its first year on the air and grew to a high of 18.68 million for season three. The show’s ratings have declined over the years and season seven has fallen to about 12.2 million. Like many shows on CBS, the drama tends to skew older.
As part of cost-cutting efforts, CBS put Without a Trace and Cold Case on the bubble this time around. Both Jerry Bruckheimer series have become expensive over the years and the network insisted on cuts in salaries and production costs. Both have had an upsurge in the ratings lately but CBS was leaning towards renewing Cold Case.
And then, Cold Case was renewed for season seven at the beginning of this week. As of Sunday, it was looking possible that Without a Trace could still return for a midseason run but the network has now decided against it. Costs and an abundance of new and cheaper shows are contributing factors.
Coincidentally, the series finale of Without a Trace airs tonight. The episode is called “Undertow” and revolves around a man who disappears after a late night dive. Oscar winner Martin Landau (Mission Impossible) guest stars as the father of Jack (LaPaglia) and Danny (Murciano) and Elena (Sanchez) take their relationship to another level.
Image courtesy CBS.
I think CBS made a bad move canceling this show. I enjoyed watching this series weekly eventhough they kept moving the night it aired on.I wish eveyone would just stop watching CBS until they quit this stuff.They did’nt even tell us it was ending that makes it worse.What do they think middle age adults don’t like drama series?Most young people watch very litttle television they are too busy hanging out with friends to do so.They canceled another show that came on for just part of a season that was good also The Eleventh Hour what is going on in CBS… Read more »
I think it sucks that Without a Trace was cancelled I really enjoyed the show. There is hardly anything left to watch. Life was cancelled also another show I enjoyed.
I have to agree I think that it Sucks! that they have cancelled Without a Trace. My husband and I were really looking forward to another great season. I think that they made a really bad decision to end this show.
So, is that terrible that “older” viewers tend to watch and enjoy this show?
It was my very favorite show on TV. I think Cold Case is dark and boring.
I will really miss this show and the acting of the excellent cast.
Very , very disappointed in CBS’s “stinkin” thinkin.
CBS sucks. They don’t care about the viewers, they care about their own monetary gain. Without a Trace was an amazing show and for no good reason they just end it. This is becoming a pattern with them. First, Judging Amy and now this? Well, I hope CBS knows that my watching any drama on that channel will be gone…”Without a Trace.”
I wish they would have a least told us that they were not going to renew. We would have known that the last episode was the last. I was so looking foreword to the new season. It sucks.
I realized the other day I have not had to DVR Without a Trace I am super sad to find out they are not bringing it back.
I can’t believe they canceled without a trace, this sucks!! It is one of my favorite shows. Why is it cancelled comparing to the stupid shows that are still on? The other shows may be cheaper but it is going to be a cheap thrill that last for a short time. Since when is 15 million viewers a week to watch a show a bad thing for a network for the last 7 years a bad thing? The viewers may have gone down a bit but that is because the time was always changing for the show especially the last… Read more »
More sitcoms (despise them), more reality shows (whose reality, and haven’t watched one of them yet) just airing a lot of cheap useless drivel geared toward a nation of mindless imbeciles and playing for advertising dollars. I watch five CBS shows faithfully every single week (when they’re not reruns or preempted) and they are CSI Miami, CSI, Criminal Minds, Without A Trace, and Cold Case…The Powers That Be have made a bad decision and will lose more viewers, with less viewers they can save their advertising dollars and try to shove MORE crap down our throats for our viewing displeasure.
I am getting sick and tired of CBS always cancelling shows that are good and replacing with garbage shows ,and while on the subject I am getting sick and tired of every latin star in a show is always getting written off it gets to sickening after awhile . I guess CBS doesn’t think they need to have a Latin population watch their station ,well they will be right if everybody keeps watching something else on other stations. Just like today with ERIC being written of CSI guess I won’t be watching that show anymore either. Feel free to write… Read more »
i love without a trace , my whole family does please bring it back! it never got a proper ending im depressed over this bad decision.
I didn’t realize it until I saw Enrique Murciano in another series. I think it was CSI? I can’t believe they cancelled this great show. Also, I hope they don’t take Cold Case off. They have some really bad shows on and they take off the good ones????
I love without a trace…so sad I hope it returns and not sure when the last episode is on..
I can not believe With a Trace is not on any longer ……… Take off the phony teen shows and put the show back on that has class and understanding , I thought CBS was my favorite station guess thats what I get for thinking
I too was wondering why I was not seeing any new show for Without a Trace. It was one of my favorites, I am very disappointed that it has been cancelled.