Status: Cancelled
Aired: 2011-16, 5 Seasons Totaling 103 Episodes
Network: CBS
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Amy Acker, Sarah Shahi
Series Website: www.cbs.com/shows/person_of_interest/
Description: PERSON OF INTEREST is a crime thriller about an ex-CIA agent and a mysterious billionaire who prevent violent crimes by utilizing an all-seeing machine that can predict the events before they happen. Although John Reese and Harold Finch have successfully prevented numerous crimes thanks to The Machine’s omniscience, the team was unable to stop the malevolent artificial intelligence known as Samaritan from coming online. Brought to life by Greer, head of the private technology corporation Decima, Samaritan has the full power of the U.S. government behind it and is using those resources to hunt Finch, Reese and the hacker, known as Root. The trio, along with Det. Lionel Fusco, suffered a major loss when Samaritan’s operatives wounded and captured Sameen Shaw, their comrade-in-arms. Upon gaining full autonomy, Samaritan set its sights on destroying The Machine, which now exists only as a few lines of source code in a briefcase held by the team. On the run and without access to The Machine’s intel, the team must find a way to continue saving lives as they attempt to reboot The Machine and fight back against impossible odds. CBS.com
Why Was It Cancelled? Despite the fact that this show regularly placed in the Top 25 based on total viewers throughout its run, sci fi-averse CBS lost faith in it by the end of its fourth season and did a “preemptive” cancellation by only ordering thirteen episodes for its fifth year. The network did not officially announce that as its last season, but the writing was on the wall and the creative staff approached that as the show’s final chapter. That gave it a chance to go out on its own terms and it at least had a decent run with 100+ episodes, plus the show is recognized as an important sci fi entry from the current decade. And the writers did leave enough of an opening in case another network or one of the streaming services decides to pick this one up for another season or more.
Final Season Ratings Results:
| Air Date | Airings | Live+SD Rtg | StD Avg | Tot Vwrs (M) | Live+7 Rtg | Cancel Alert |
| 5/3/16 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 7.4 | n/a | Final Season |
| 5/9/16 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 5.8 | n/a | Final Season |
| 5/10/16 | 3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 7.3 | n/a | Final Season |
| 5/16/16 | 4 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 5.3 | n/a | Final Season |
| 5/17/16 | 5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 7.0 | n/a | Final Season |
| 5/23/16 | 6 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 5.5 | 1.4 | Final Season |
| 5/24/16 | 7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 5.1 | 1.3 | Final Season |
| 5/30/16 | 8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 5.5 | 1.4 | Final Season |
| 5/31/16 | 9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 6.7 | 1.5 | Final Season |
| 6/7/16 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 6.4 | 1.5 | Final Season |
| 6/14/16 | 11 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 6.3 | 1.5 | Final Season |
| 6/21/16 | 12 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 1.5 | Final Season |
Prior Season Ratings:
| Week | Airings | Live+SD Rtg | StD Avg | Tot Vwrs (MM) | Live+7 Rtg | Cancel Alert |
| 9/23/14 | 1 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 10.6 | 1.8 | Low |
| 9/30/14 | 2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 10.7 | 2.8 | Low |
| 10/7/14 | 3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 9.6 | 2.7 | Low |
| 10/14/14 | 4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 9.7 | 2.5 | Low |
| 10/21/14 | 5 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 9.4 | 2.4 | Low |
| 10/28/14 | 6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 9.7 | n/a | Low |
| 11/4/14 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 11/11/14 | 7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 9.1 | 2.3 | Low |
| 11/18/14 | 8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 9.9 | 2.5 | Low |
| 11/25/14 | 9 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 9.0 | 2.6 | Low |
| 12/2/14 | Repeat | 1.0 | 1.6 | 7.1 | n/a | Low |
| 12/9/14 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 12/16/14 | 10 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 8.9 | n/a | Low |
| 12/23/14 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 12/30/14 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 1/6/15 | 11 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 10.0 | 2.6 | Low |
| 1/13/15 | 12 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 10.0 | 2.6 | Low |
| 1/20/15 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 1/27/15 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 2/3/15 | 13 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 9.3 | 2.3 | Low |
| 2/10/15 | 14 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 9.5 | n/a | Low |
| 2/17/15 | 15 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 9.2 | n/a | Low |
| 2/24/15 | 16 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 9.6 | 2.6 | Low |
| 3/3/15 | Repeat | 0.8 | 1.6 | 5.6 | n/a | Low |
| 3/10/15 | 17 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 8.7 | 2.4 | Low |
| 3/17/15 | Repeat | 0.5 | 1.6 | 5.8 | n/a | Low |
| 3/24/15 | 18 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 9.2 | 2.3 | Low |
| 3/31/15 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 4/7/15 | 19 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 8.7 | 2.1 | Low |
| 4/14/15 | 20 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 9.2 | n/a | Low |
| 4/21/15 | n/a | Preempted | 1.6 | n/a | n/a | Low |
| 4/28/15 | 21 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 8.5 | n/a | Low |
| 5/5/15 | 22 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 8.2 | n/a | Low |
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