Sci Fi TV Network Scorecard 2022: CBS

Network Scorecard: Scoring the networks based on their history of airing and supporting sci fi and fantasy television shows.

Network Overview

CBS is arguably the oldest broadcast network having first aired programming (though not a regular schedule) in the early 1930’s during the experimental phase of this new television thing.  It is best known among sci fi fans as the home of the original Twilight Zone (as well as the 80s revival) and has aired other notable genre entries such as The Wild Wild West, Beauty and the Beast (the 80s version), Ghost Whisperer, Jericho, and Person of Interest.  But this network is also notorious for being averse to genre programming, and for pulling the plug quickly on shows that do not perform up to its lofty standards (CBS cancelled the quasi-sci fi series Eleventh Hour in the 2008-09 season despite ending the year in the Top 25).  Over the past ten years, it has typically been the most-watched network based on total viewers, and its audience skews towards the older demographic (people in their 40s, 50s, and above).  Those viewers tend to respond well to shows that fit the Prime Time-friendly formula and not so much to those that take chances.

What Type of Sci Fi Shows Does the Network Air?

More so than any other network, CBS sticks close to formulaic scripted shows that usually fit within the procedural or sitcom genres.  Cop shows and/or crime dramas have dominated the network’s schedule for years, especially those with lots of letters in the name (CSI, NCIS, FBI, SWAT, etc.).  Next to that, sitcoms fill out most of the rest of the scripted lineup.  There is definitely not much room for sci fi and fantasy entries, and the few that make it to the schedule of late usually have to adhere to the formulas above.  Shows like MacGyver (which barely counts as a genre entry), Evil, Person of Interest, and Ghost Whisperer all heavily incorporated procedural elements.  CBS did make a stab at the superhero genre with Supergirl a few years back but quickly shuffled that off to The CW (which it partially owned) when the viewership numbers came in below expectations.  The network has given sci fi entries more of a chance in the Summer months over the past decade with shows like Under the Dome, Extant, and Zoo, and those have typically lasted longer than a single season.  But none count as strong sci fi entries and almost all of its Summer sci fi shows have been cancelled after a couple of seasons or more without the chance to wrap up their storylines.  The network’s only current genre entry is Ghosts which falls into the Prime Time-friendly sitcom category.

How Quick is the Network to Cancel Sci Fi Shows?

If you include the CBS Summer shows, then the cancellation rate of genre entries by the network does not look too bad.  54% were cancelled after the first season with an additional 15% cancelled after the second.  For all scripted shows on the network, the cancellation rate is 46% after one season and 18% after two.  But the Summer shows had streaming deals that kept them going (often despite low ratings) and if you take them out of the equation the numbers are much worse.  Of the seven genre entries that have debuted on the network during non-Summer months since the 2012-13 season, five (71%) did not make it past their first season on the network (which includes dinging the CBS for shuffling Supergirl, Evil, and Blood & Treasure to affiliated networks).

CBS New Scripted Programming 2012-13 Season thru 2021-22 Season

Network Score

For last year’s scorecard, I gave CBS a score of 1 on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), and I am keeping that the same this year.  The network did greenlight one genre entry this past year which made it to a second season, but it holds closely to the sitcom formula.  And the only genre show it considered for the upcoming 2022-23 season was a reboot of the ’90s series Early Edition–which barely counts as sci fi–and CBS passed on the series.  It is true that the network has tried to get some sci fi entries on its schedule in the Summer months, but the quality of those was specious at best and all were eventually cancelled or moved to other networks (the long-delayed second season of Blood & Treasure was moved to Paramount+).  During the regular season, the network requires most genre entries to stick close to Prime Time-friendly formulas (as Ghosts did), and even then rarely keeps them around long.  Network decision-making still adheres closely to old-school thinking that focuses heavily on the same-day ratings, and genre entries usually end up on the wrong side of that.  Even when a show like fan-favorite Limitless followed the procedural formula and produced decent numbers for its timeslot (along with strong delayed viewing gains), the network was unwilling to support it.  CBS does not greenlight many sci fi/fantasy shows (with fewer and fewer in the Summer of late), and those that do hit the schedule have a low chance of surviving if they veer too far from the network’s formula.

Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows that Debuted in the 2010-11 Season and After

This is a list of the sci fi and fantasy shows that have debuted on CBS since the 2010-11 season sorted by how many seasons they lasted. For the upcoming 2022-23 season, the network is only carrying over Ghosts since Blood & Treasure was shifted over to Paramount+.

CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site  for breaking news and updates.

SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.