Comments on: Three Rivers: Waiting For the Axe

By: Trent

Trent — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:47:19 +0000

I was a Orange County law enforcement officer for 16 years, with the last 6 years of my tenure in the capacity of homicide investigator. I’ve viewed shows such as CSI & they might as well be cartoons. I cannot think that a show could possibly me more unrealistic than a CSI interrogating murder suspects. It’s almost insultingly comical. “Southland” was a much more accurate portrayal, unfortunately it was on NBC, and apparently NBC is no longer in the television business.

By: Zach

Zach — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:00:15 +0000

It is a goner sadly. We’re going to get one more season of Cold Case with 22 or 23 episodes.. then it will be time to bid farewell to it.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Wow! Australians are quick . Just one episode of Three Rivers and they canceled it. I think that because Vampire Diaries is doing better in demo than Three Rivers , CBS should cancel Three Rivers and put a repeat of Vampires Diaries instead. I love Cold Case , but I think is a goner too.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:28:19 +0000

Look at big bang theory go.

Good for them. Its a great show.

What’s sad is that it debuted when Chuck did. I think if Chuck were on CBS, or at the very least, not on NBC (or done so many disservices by NBC) it would have been a top show too.

Thoughts?

By: Zach

Zach — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:30:20 +0000

Cold Case only had a 13 episode order? As to it’s ratings… well, when it starts 40 minutes late.. that may skew the ratings just a little bit.

By: amyvil

amyvil — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:11:14 +0000

Personally, I think Three Rivers has potential IF they start focusing more on character development of the three leads: Alex O’Loughlin, Kate Moennig, and Daniel Henney. Their fans are all clamoring for more screen time of them. CBS also needs to move TR away from that awful Sunday night time slot to a more friendly location like Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. With Mandy Patinkin guest starring in mid November, they’ll be able to get at least some of the Criminal Minds audience.

By: vsaint

vsaint — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:05:04 +0000

Isn’t the whole vampire craze more greared at younger audiences, its all about some young girl, older male vampire seduction, sex.
I didn’t see much of Moonlight, but i didn’t get that vibe from it.
It was more older skewing? Could be wrong, but i ‘m 27 and never had any interest in it, only watching bits and pieces, here and there.
PLus the show was on a Fridays, unless your FOX in the 90′s and struggling, and you allow a show to grow, X Files. That’s a tough slot.

By: hookedonmick

hookedonmick — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:06:23 +0000

I think Alex saw a good idea. One he could get into. Actors can only perform what is scripted. I did not care for the first eppy of 3R but I did enjoy the second one. Personally I would have liked for him to have been in the NCIS spin off…..but I tend to like the action/crime better than hospital themed ones.

By: Shaz

Shaz — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:50:22 +0000

I think CBS’s thinking was that if Alex got a relatively big following in a cult show like Moonlight, how much more popular would he be in a show that targeted mainstream audiences?

You can’t really blame CBS for thinking that Moonlight was all about Alex. Even now, there are far more fansites for Alex out there than there are fansites for the other Moonlight actors or Moonlight itself combined. Even the so-called Three Rivers fansites post more content about Alex than the other Three Rivers actors. So the “we will watch Alex in anything” fans outnumber (or drown out anyway) the fans who are more interested in Moonlight as a whole.

You also can’t blame CBS for putting Alex in Three Rivers. Alex has said in interviews that he was offered several scripts and he chose Three Rivers. The most you can “blame” CBS for is introducing Alex and Carol Barbee to each other. So Alex being in Three Rivers is either bad luck or bad judgment (depending on if you think he should have been able to forsee how bad the show would be).

By: Mia

Mia — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:04:02 +0000

Shaz you’re right about Moonlight cancellation.
But ,CBS really thought Moonlight loyal viewers only cared about Alex , so they thought canceling Moonlight and giving Alex a new show would be a good move for them. CBS really wanted a Medical show , so they promoted just Alex in TR thinking Moonlight viewers were a sure thing and that new viewers would watch too.I think they put the show in the Sunday slot because they thought with Moonlight numbers and some new viewers the show could get 11 or 12 millions easily.
Well, looking at the ratings it is clear not even Moonlight fans are watching.
Moonlight was never about Alex . And promoting just Alex in this show forgetting about Kate , Alfre, Daniel…another mistake.

By: Shaz

Shaz — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:38:47 +0000

Other factors that played a hand in Moonlight’s cancellation:

- It’s a Warner Bros production, not in-house
- CBS asked Warner Bros and Joel Silver productions to cut the budget or cost of the show, they refused
- Lots of creative turmoil behind the scenes – Moonlight went through 5 showrunners and the creators of the show were fired when the show returned after the writer’s strike

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:36:03 +0000

Robert and I both thought the Moonlight cancellation was a 50/50 thing, even though it was CBS’ lowest rated scripted 18-49 show. I don’t think CBS missed out on a bonanza because they canceled it, but I don’t think it would have been a disaster if they had kept it either. The fact they haven’t been able to hit a home run in that timeslot since is after the fact information that couldn’t be anticipated.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:32:37 +0000

Julia made a good point that CBS could not have predicted the success of vampire media like Twilight and True Blood and even TB didn’t take off in a big way until Season 2.

CBS don’t cancel shows for no good reason but it’s because they are in a position that they can cancel shows with ratings that other networks would be happy with which is both a good thing and a bad thing.

By: DMP

DMP — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:17:52 +0000

If I recall correctly, the Demo and viewership numbers for Moonlight were about the same as “Medium” and “Numbers”… there is, I believe, a lot more to the story concerning CBS’s decision to cancel this show, which might come to light someday.
I would be shocked to see “Numbers” pulled before the end of this season, but not all that surprised if it is not renewed next year. The show has never rebounded from the loss of Diane Farr. Additionally, there seems to be a shift in emphasis from crime solving to the personal/professional/family aspects of the characters, which is not all that engaging.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:03:51 +0000

aaronhotchner, the Twilight books may have been selling like hotcakes already, but vampires on TV did not catch on until this summer. True Blood’s first season was not especially highly rated, but its DVD sales this summer were huge and it had a huge season two in the ratings. You expected CBS to see into the future that if it just holds on to a mediocre show for two seasons longer than the ratings warranted, they’ll get a pay off! I wasn’t aware that networks had become psychic. Definitely a good quality to have.

By: aaronhotchner

aaronhotchner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:57:42 +0000

Hi Julia
I realize Moonlighting wasn’t cancelled for Three Rivers or Medium but you have to wonder about a network that would cancel a show with such a strong fanatical following. And correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t Moonlighting on at the same time Twilight was gaining momentum? How stupid could CBS be?

I am a semi-strong CBS viewer but it used to be that CBS was the only network I watched. Now I watch 4 shows when I used to watch more like 12. That’s not saying much for CBS. CSI is on it’s way out. CSI Miami is pushing it with recent cast changes. Criminal Minds is history if Thomas Gibson leaves and then there is Survivor. If a person like me sat down with a CBS Exec he’d be crying and crapping his pants by the time the interview was through because he’d see that a once solid viewer is now on her way out. Like I said, I will never give any new CBS show a chance. They don’t deserve my loyal patronage and I know alot of people feel the same way. Every hour I spend on another network opens me up to their other shows and slowly but surely I find myself drifting over. Bye Bye CBS. Thanks for cancelling WAT for no good reason

By: aaronhotchner

aaronhotchner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:49:49 +0000

That’s another thing. How many dead body criminology shows can we have? How many shows about mental cases? So CBS cancels WAT (the only show with a real heart) The Unit (nothing else like it on the air) and now is going after Cold Case. They cancel Moonlighting – also nothing else really like it on the air (at the time it was on). Only to give us CSI, CSI Miami, CSI NY, NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, Criminal Minds and now Criminal Minds somewhere else (probably Seattle)
So CBS cancels anything that isn’t a fembot. Criminal Minds is a great show but do we really have respect for a Network that can’t do anything even remotely different and stand by it? What’s going to happen when all of a sudden people get sick of watching people and families bludgeoned to death and laying on a slab? They wont’ have anything left but amazing race and it’s 8 emmy’s

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:48:12 +0000

aaronhotchner, Moonlight was canceled two years ago, about a year before the vampire hype began. It was not canceled for Medium or Three Rivers.

As for losing you as a viewer, sounds like you are still a pretty dedicated CBS viewer and will be for a very long time. None of the shows you listed are in any danger of being canceled any time soon.

By: aaronhotchner

aaronhotchner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:45:17 +0000

I’m not a huge fan of Alex O one way or the other but I have to wonder why Moonlighting (or whatever his show was called) was cancelled when Vampires are the hottest thing in the world right now, only to bring Medium over from NBC and hand Alex this Craptastic Three Rivers show. His fans have suffered enough and perhaps they are doing what I decided to do after CBS cancelled WAT and The Unit, which is not give any new CBS show a chance ever. I currently watch CSI, CM, CSI Miami, Survivor – after those go off CBS and I will never meet again. They’ve lost me as a viewer forever. They don’t respect their fans. Good Wife, they can shove it, Three Rivers, shove it even further. They could offer up the best show in the world and I’ll never watch it.

By: Riff Rafferty

Riff Rafferty — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:52:54 +0000

Ack. CBS has a piece of “Cold Case” now. When did this happen?

Well, scratch that.

By: Riff Rafferty

Riff Rafferty — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:36:21 +0000

“The Big Bang Theory” and “Cold Case” are Warner Bros. shows. No (P).

Michael writes, “Can anyone think of a show in its fourth season or later that was yanked in the middle of its run? is there a veteran show I’m not thinking of that was yanked in the middle of its run?”

“The John Larroquette Show” was yanked 6 episodes into its 4th season, never to be seen on NBC again. Also “Rhoda” (won several Emmys – cancelled 2 months into its 5th season), “Miami Vice,” “Boston Public,” “For Your Love,” “Good Times,” “Weird Science,” “Just Shoot Me,” “Suddenly Susan,” “Mr. Belvedere,” “Simon & Simon” (often the #1 show of the week in the early ’80s – CBS never aired the series finale), “Dear John,” “A Different World,” etc. Plenty of others, as well, that had all remaining segs burned off over the summer; I just named ones I could recall that had episodes hit the garbage can. Most of those involved management changes at their networks, though. CBS has not had that. I was told “Cold Case” only got a 13 episode pickup, anyway. If that’s true, then common sense says it’s not going to be on until May.

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:11:29 +0000

on the color blindness note:

Sorry it doesn’t help. Red and Green are basically the same on a monitor. In print it would be no problem.

May I suggest Blue?

By: lisaw

lisaw — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:51:05 +0000

At least Cold Case fans won’t have the months of uncertainty that those of Without A Trace had last Season – even at this early stage it is almost a Slam Dunk it will get the axe.

However one thing I have noticed over the past few weeks is the number of people (including Bill) who believe that Cold Case and WaT battled it out for the last drama renewal on CBS.

Unless you believe CBS are lying this is not so – obviously CC was renewed, WaT wasn’t but they are on record as stating that the final renewal spot was between WaT and Numb3ers.

By: ABCFanatic2009

ABCFanatic2009 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:21:47 +0000

Three Rivers and Cold Case will end soon.

I don’t think people will watch Medical Dramas like Mercy, Trauma and Three Rivers when there’s already three hit medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy, House and Private Practice.

By: Shaz

Shaz — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:38:30 +0000

“3 Lbs” and “Presidio Med.” Neither of them lasted a full season either.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:24 +0000

Chicago Hope was pretty successful. I can’t really think of any other medical shows that have been tried on CBS.

By: daniel l

daniel l — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:50:49 +0000

CBS has never really had luck with medical shows, maybe they should just stick to what they’re good at, Crime Dramas and Spin-offs of other crime dramas

By: Olin23

Olin23 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:05:28 +0000

Oh, and by status I just mean having the (P) next to their name, not in terms of their possible futures.

By: Olin23

Olin23 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:56:59 +0000

Ghost Whisperer and Gary Unmarried are co-produced by CBS with ABC Television Studios. Since the (P) is next to Criminal Minds, which is another ABC/CBS co-production, I’m wondering if they should all have the same status?

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:36:08 +0000

Phil, I will publish the season to date numbers tomorrow, but CBS is currently #1 in viewership, 18-49 and 25-54, Fox is #1 in 18-34, so far this season. Fox is doing relatively much better this fall than usual.

However, all that will change when American Idol returns in the spring.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:32:07 +0000

Heradite – While NCIS: LA will return for a second year, The Good Wife is 50/50 in my opinion. Only time will tell.

By: Heradite

Heradite — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:19:52 +0000

I hope the Good Wife not only remains steady-but grows. I really want that series to be renewed.

GARY UNMARRIED FOREVER! I’m sorry, but that show is funny. I also love how the Big Bang Theory is now the number one CBS shows-especially since it’s renewal was in question it’s first season. GO BIG BANG THEORY!

@The_GodfatherSJP: They do get original ideas. Then it gets canceled cause people were to busy watching the CSI spin-off. Pushing Daisies was original. Eli Stone was original. Harper’s Island was original. Kings was original. My Own Worst Enemy was original. Then there are shows with basic premises, but that have something original to offer like Without a Trace, Life, Reaper, and Life on Mars. By the way, all the series I named were all canceled.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:02:30 +0000

CBS should axe Three Rivers after next week’s airing. Cold Case will be gone by May and Numb3rs may be gone in May but will stay in its slot throughout the season. With NCIS: LA and The Good Wife renewed, AOP should get additional episodes.

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:12:50 +0000

I really think CBS needs to put Accidentally on Purpose after Old Christine, it’s a better fit with it than Gary Unmarried.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:06:31 +0000

Is it true that CBS is the number one network? And wow they have a really strong line up.

By: Connor

Connor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:51:27 +0000

Three Rivers is dead.Prepare Miami Trauma for its replacement.Cold Case better get a finale prepared and The Comedies And Nummb3rs are set to go too.

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:51:01 +0000

vsaint, yes, multi-cam shows cost less per minute than single-cam shows (which dramas always are). But I doubt it’s enough less per minute to make up for how poorly CBS is doing Wednesday at 8.

By: vsaint

vsaint — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:45:43 +0000

Do 2 sitcoms GARY and CHRISTINE cost less to make than a 1 hour drama show?
Jericho was the last show to air 8pm Wed.

CHAD, CSI: Three Rivers.
Love it, hope cbs learns there lesson for mid-season and renames CSI Miami Trauma.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:30:16 +0000

Cold Case started at 11 pm! How can we expect good ratings at 11 pm :/

By: Tommy

Tommy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:01:06 +0000

Buzz – CBS has a very stable lineup so I don’t see them making a lot of schedule changes to try and help the few shows that are struggling.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:59:20 +0000

I don’t think Cold Case fans have anything to worry about until May. I would advise it’s writers to end this season as a series finale with enough wiggle room to come back for another season. Give the fans of the show a satisfactory ending. Depending on what they replace 3 Rivers with Cold Case may go up with a better lead in. How much I don’t know, but it’s always possible to be enough for a renewal.

By: Buzz

Buzz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:59:17 +0000

There used to be a show on Friday’s called CSI and no one was watching it, they moved it to Thursday’s after there smash hit show Survivor and bang…two spinoff’s. Try moving some of these shows for a couple of times and my bet is the rating will zoom up…just a thought

By: chris

chris — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:51:53 +0000

Worth noting that on the east coast Cold Case started airing 40 minutes late. It’s not even properly tracked this week. Love it or hate it, Cold Cases true performance can’t be gauged until after football season.

By: The_GodfatherSJP

The_GodfatherSJP — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Trauma, Mercy, Three Rivers…

All ER clones to an extent, and no one’s watching.

I’m going to tick off fans of said shows, but I gotta be honest, I’m glad all 3 clones are tanking. That’s the thing about broadcast that’s really ticking me off these days: the number of copy cat or spin off shows. CSI drives me up the wall with 3 shows, then there’s NCIS. At least the ER clones are tanking.

Maybe, just maybe, the nets may get it into their head to, I don’t know, come up with an original idea for a show?

By: Tommy

Tommy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:20:50 +0000

Alex I think that’s a good point about the Wednesday comedy block. I doubt CBS would be willing to take the risk of moving Men, or TBBT to Wednesday at 8. Also it would probably really hurt HIMYM to get moved to Wednesdays. I do think RoE could do well on Wednesday’s that show seems to pull decent ratings wherever CBS puts it. I honestly don’t know why RoE isn’t a Fall Show, it outperforms the new sitcoms that CBS keeps putting out there on Mondays (Worst Week, AoP, etc….)

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:20:18 +0000

Michael, very little chance Cold Case goes away prior to May. It’s just not coming back next fall. As Holly pointed out, this post predicts renewal for *next* season.

Although the copy about Three Rivers does note its likely to get pulled at any moment, I don’t think that’s likely for any other CBS show.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:18:38 +0000

Sorry,Holly, I should have been a bit more clear- I mean that it’s safe until the end of its run this season.My Bad.Although, is there a veteran show I’m not thinking of that was yanked in the middle of its run?

By: Holly

Holly — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:16:59 +0000

@Michael, If you read the text you will see that this index isn’t predicting whether a show will be canceled immediately, it’s predicting whether it will get a renewal and come back next fall.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:14:32 +0000

Can anyone think of a show in its fourth season or later that was yanked in the middle of its run? I can’t- Cold Case is safe.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:12:54 +0000

Ike, I am not immune to the goose-step at times. And copy and paste would have kept the error forever. I will stop it now!