CBS Cancels 'CSI: Cyber,' Ending the 16-Year 'CSI' Franchise Run
It's officially the end of an era at CBS, with the network canceling its latest -- and last remaining -- "CSI" property, "CSI: Cyber," bringing the once-revered franchise to an end.
"CSI: Cyber" ran for two abbreviated season on CBS, though it was never able to achieve the heights of its parent series, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which exploded onto the scene in 2000 and was once the most-watched program on television, peaking at more than 26 million viewers in its heyday. In contrast, "Cyber" -- the third spinoff of the franchise, following "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: New York" -- scored only a fraction of those numbers throughout its short run, pulling in 10.46 million sets of eyeballs at the beginning of its first season, and starting its second with just 6.79 million viewers.
According to Deadline, "Cyber" was hurt by its season two Sunday night timeslot, which frequently clashed with NFL games, though it performed better this spring when it was moved back to its original spot on Wednesdays. But even though it was produced in-house by CBS Television Studios, and made the network money thanks to international sales, it ultimately underperformed for The Eye (which is used to big numbers thanks to successful comedies like "The Big Bang Theory"), and was axed as a result.
The original "CSI" ended its 15-season run in 2015. Star Ted Danson, who joined the veteran drama in its later years, moved over to "Cyber" for season two, though he had already planned on leaving the series following its sophomore outing, and will star in the NBC comedy pilot "The Good Place."
"Cyber," which first premiered in the 2015 midseason, also starred then-newly-minted Oscar winner Patricia Arquette and James Van Der Beek. Its season (and series) finale aired back in March.
[via: Deadline]
Photo credit: Randee St. Nicholas/CBS