UPDATE Oct. 10: CBS has given “Ransom” a second season. The original post is below.
CBS has canceled the last of its remaining shows in limbo, first-year dramas “Ransom” and “Training Day.”
Neither move is any kind of surprise, as the two series were the lowest-rated shows on the network this season.
“Training Day,” a series-ification of the 2001 movie that won Denzel Washington an Oscar, debuted on Thursdays in February to modest ratings, averaging a 0.75 among adults 18-49 over six episodes there. CBS then shunted it to Saturdays to play out the remainder of the season. Its 18-49 average for the season as a whole is o.6, along with 3.47 million viewers, on the night it airs.
Star Bill Paxton died in late February, midway through the season (although after production had finished).
“Ransom” was a low-risk play for CBS on Saturday nights, as it was financed mostly by international partners. Had it brought in better ratings than the “Crimetime Saturday” reruns the network usually airs on the night, it could have been a win-win.
That didn’t happen. “Ransom” averaged just a 0.4 among adults 18-49 during its run, tying ABC’s “American Crime” for the lowest rating on the Big 4 networks this season. That’s about what drama repeats typically do for CBS on Saturday, so there was no real upside in keeping “Ransom” around for a second season.
CBS ends up with a .500 batting average for new shows this season. “Doubt,” “The Great Indoors” and “Pure Genius” join “Ransom” and “Training Day” in being canceled, while “Bull,” “Kevin Can Wait,” “MacGyver,” “Man with a Plan” and “Superior Donuts” got second seasons.
The complete list of shows canceled this season is here.
