CBS Cancels ‘CSI: Vegas’ and ‘So Help Me Todd’ After Multiple Seasons
CBS Network Makes Painful Decisions as New Series Join
CBS has canceled CSI: Vegas after three seasons and So Help Me Todd after two. The news was revealed earlier this week by Deadline, indicating that both dramas were in grave danger and were heavily on the bubble.
CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd Ratings Performances
Despite CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd being solid ratings performers, the entire CBS schedule is doing well this season, and three new drama series are joining in the upcoming season of 2024-25. The addition of new series meant that CBS had to make tough decisions, resulting in the cancellation of So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas, which are the least watched CBS drama series this spring in linear and multi-platform ratings.
In current linear Nielsen viewership, CSI: Vegas holds the 21st position among all non-sports broadcast programs with 6.234M viewers, followed by So Help Me Todd at the 22nd position with 6.224M viewers. It’s worth noting that they have higher viewership numbers compared to several series on other broadcast networks that have been renewed for next season.
In terms of 35-day multi-platform viewership, So Help Me Todd slightly edges over CSI: Vegas with 7.7M viewers compared to 7.6M viewers. However, there are currently no plans for these series to move to Paramount+ following their CBS cancellations.
Budget Pressures Lead to CBS Series Cuts
Due to broadcast budgets being under pressure amid a soft ad market and overall belt-tightening by media companies, CBS had to make series cuts to make room for the new additions. While CBS renewed Elsbeth and the return of The Equalizer is expected to be contingent on a new deal with star/executive producer Queen Latifah, the future of NCIS: Hawai’i remains uncertain.
NCIS: Hawai’i, a Top 15 broadcast series in total viewers and the first installment of the NCIS franchise with a female lead, is the subject of tough business conversations. A partial Season 4 of around 13 episodes is a possibility.
Trusted Franchises with a Legacy
Both CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd are part of distinguished CBS/CBS Studios franchises, with CSI being a long-standing series on the network. CSI producer Bruckheimer Television has another CBS drama series, the hot sophomore Fire Country, which has been renewed for next season and is on track to potentially spawn a Sheriff spinoff. The development of a Cold Case reboot, another Bruckheimer TV and Warner Bros. TV collaboration, is also being negotiated at CBS.
CSI: Vegas, a follow-up to the 2000 CSI series, launched with original cast members William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprising their roles in Season 1. Marg Helgenberger, another original star, joined the sequel in Season 2. The cancellation of So Help Me Todd concludes its Cinderella story, as the series exceeded expectations, received early renewal for Season 2, and went on to become one of the surprise hits of the 2022-23 season.
About CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd
CSI: Vegas, a CBS Studios production in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television, was created and executive produced by Jason Tracey. The series features William Petersen, Jorja Fox, Marg Helgenberger, and an ensemble cast.
So Help Me Todd, a CBS Studios production, starred Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin, and was created and executive produced by Scott Prendergast with Elizabeth Klaviter as the showrunner.
