It is not easy for any TV show – successful or not — to avoid the ax. Some start out strong and end up losing viewers over time, while others just can’t make it work in their freshman season. Plus, as audiences know all too well, cancellations aren’t always predictable. While some seem doomed right from the start, others remain on the bubble for some time. There is nothing certain in the success of a show, so the same has to be the case for its failure.
As signing season approaches for these shows, all five major networks will have to decide which entries from their lineup will get officially “axed.” Here’s a look at 8 shows that may be counting this TV season as their last.
1. CSI: Cyber
There is no denying the dominance that this franchise has on crime TV shows, but the last remaining show of CBS’s opened to pretty weak ratings in its second season, with the premiere seeing less than 7 million tuning in. The following episodes continued to see a decline. If the show, which earned mostly negative ratings its first season, sees an uptick in coming episodes, there’s a chance the network will choose to keep the CSI tradition going. But as it stands now, they will almost definitely get axed, nepotism aside.
2. Hawaii Five-0
This once decently popular show kicked off its sixth season this year with a whimper. Season six warranted series-low ratings, with only 8 million viewers. This of course isn’t as bad as CSI: Cyber, but these ratings put Hawaii Five-0 at the bottom of CBS’s roster during premiere week. The show has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but continues to pull lower down each drop. If the show continues to dip, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the network pull it off its roster – especially since syndication deals for the show are already in place and the cast contracts are reportedly up after this season. It won’t die out without a fight though. With die hard fans, this show could be revitalized in the next season’s signing. Anything is possible.
3. Sleepy Hollow
The Fox series was in this same position last season with rumors of cancellation, but the network decided otherwise. They went as far as to invest time and effort to revamp the show for its third season. But the show got off to a rocky start in its return, to put it nicely. The series debuted in its new Thursday time slot with a little more than a million total viewers. Since the series doesn’t have enough episodes for syndication, it still has to perform and so far, that’s not happening – meaning Fox will have no choice but to pull the plug for good after this season. They can’t afford to spend time and money on an anchor.
4. Bones
Here’s a great example of the fact that even great and successful TV shows eventually meet the ax. Fox’s long-running series was on the verge of cancellation last season, with even the cast suggesting that the show would likely be over. It is no surprise that many of these actors want out, since most of them have been part of this project since the beginning. But the network surprised many when it decided to renew the series for an eleventh season, despite a decline in viewership. Now the show’s back and the ratings still aren’t great. This comes as no surprise. The season premiere earned 6 million viewers. But it’s not just the moderate ratings that seem to indicate Bones will come to an end. Star David Boreanaz basically told E! he is ready to leave after this season. How can you have Bones without Booth? Answer: you can’t.
5. Castle
The highly successful and widely followed ABC drama has a loyal fan base, but it seems some viewers have stopped tuning regularly this season. The season eight premiere hit series lows, with a little under 7 million total viewers. While ratings are the lowest they’ve ever been, the good news is that they haven’t dipped all that much since. It seems as if the show has plateaued in ratings and viewers. This is good. This means the season is not losing the people who tuned into the season premiere. Is that enough for the show to stick around? Consider it on the bubble: while the show isn’t performing as well as it did in past seasons, it’s still a favorite on the network for many viewers.
Whatever happens, it is safe to say that these shows are in trouble and there needs to be serious change. Whether that means cutting their losses or restructuring what they have in hopes of survival, only time will tell.