Soon after picking up six new shows for the 2013-2014 season, CBS began the predictable business of clearing out deadwood to make room for the fresh saplings.
On Friday (May 10) afternoon, CBS cancelled long-running hit “CSI: NY,” veteran comedy success “Rules of Engagement” and the freshman dramas “Golden Boy” and “Vegas.”
All four shows delivered numbers which, quite frankly, several other networks would kill for, but either the ratings weren’t quite able to make the cut on CBS or their costs were too high for the return or CBS just wanted to bring in new blood.
“CSI: NY,” for example, has been a huge success for CBS, logging nearly 200 episodes over nine seasons. And even this season, having escaped cancellation narrowly last spring, “CSI: NY” has done Live+7 numbers of 11.5 million viewers and a 1.9 rating among adults 18-49, which serves a purpose airing on Friday night, but not at the cost associated with a show in a 10th season with several big-name stars.
“Rules of Engagement” will get to 100 episodes this month and airing on Mondays at 8:30, the comedy has reliably retained a solid percentage of its “How I Met Your Mother” lead-in. CBS has always been able to move “Rules” around its lineup and plug it into different holes at different times — No, not in a dirty way — but with a seemingly strong comedy development slate, it was apparently just time to move on.
There will be less nostalgic lamentation over “Golden Boy” and “Vegas.”
One of the fall’s most heavily promoted and hyped shows due to the pairing of Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis, “Vegas” premiered solidly, but dipped til it was eventually stumbling so badly CBS moved it to Friday, where it fell under a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 in several airings.
“Golden Boy,” which was supposed to air on Fridays, was given a Tuesday show after “Vegas” slipped, but the time shifting drama failed to even approach those “Vegas” numbers in recent airings.
Check out all of the recent Renewals and Cancellations in our 2013 TV Shows on the Bubble gallery.