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.
[…] Before Unforgettable, CBS viewer knew Poppy Montgomery from another crime drama, Without a Trace. Also starring Anthony LaPaglia, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano and Eric Close, this hit procedural TV series focuses on a special New York–based FBI task force known as the Missing Persons Squad. It ran for seven seasons and 160 episodes, before being cancelled in 2009. […]
WITHOUT A TRACE WAS MY FAVORITE TV SHOW AFTER COLD CASE.
I STILL CANT BELIEVE IT JUST DISAPPEARED.
I AM WATCHING RERUNS.
TOO BAD TV BIGSHOTS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT REALLY GOOD TV IS.
THANKS AGAIN CBS.
Can’t believe you cancelled Without a Trace. It was one of my favorites. Love Jack, Samantha and Martin especially. This was a bad and very disappointing decision. 12.8 million viewers sounds pretty good to me! Drop Cold Case instead. Save yourself some money there. Please reconsider bringing “Without a Trace” back. Heat it up between Jack and Sam. Viewers would love that!
Love Criminal Minds, CSI New York (love Gary Senice) and CSI Miami (love David Caruso). Also love “Law and Order SVU.” (Love Elliot). Don’t touch these please!!!
My husband and I love to watch the reruns over and over and over again…. We would love to see them bring it back! I know that we arent the only ones…PLEASE PLEASE bring without a trace back
PLEASE BRING BACK WITHOUT A TRACE I HAVE SEEN ALL THE OLD ONES OVER AND OVER AGAIN I LOVED IT
wow my favorite shows r gone y CBS. Lets bring them back. i love cold case and without a trace. best tv. shows ever wat is next CRIMINAL MINDS THEY BETER NOT.
jack is so sweet and nice to sam i wish i could write what happend in the show so any way
*~jack and sam~* PERFICT COUPLE
Would you please tell me hoe we get to see the final episodes of Without a Trace? It’s been one of the BEST TV shows I’ve ever watched.
I’d appreciate an answer from you. I want to at least know how it ended.
Sincerely………..Catherine Cady
@Catherien Cady: I believe they are showing the series on Ion, a cable channel.
I love without a trace this is the only show where I actually like all the characters especially Martin and Danny. Love them do much.
I love without a trace been watching is 3 X over and just found out it is cancelled. Very disapointing, all these other bad show they keep.
Loved Without A Trace…I have been trying to catch up and in addition enjoy the
re-runs. As of this writing, I have not seen the finale show. I just wanted to know if
Poppy Montogmery chose La Paglia or the character Brian, the father of her child. Was
this ever completed or did they just leave us hanging in the air for a completion…..
Would love to know! Sunny Bard
…….Without a trace was a premo drama……so sorry it was dropped…what a bummer…
I use to watch Without a Trace at first and loved it, although my favorite was Law And Order with Vincent D’Onofrio the best. Then both became almost silly in their personal problems. La Paglio acting like a nut case and then my hero, D”Onofrio, with his woman, on going serial killer case that got to me with her Bobby, Bobby. Hope they both come back like they began, D’Onofrio, the horizontal detective, and the two that made Without A Trace, great, Vivian and La Paglio.
Can’t believe Without A Trace is cancelled. I realy enjoyed this program, one the very best.
I hate that they canceled Without A Trace!!!! Loved this show….and are they canceling Cold Case too??? I hope not! Two Bad Decisions…..