10 CBS Cancellations That Left Fans Scratching Their Heads

Over the past several years, CBS has made several cancelation decisions that don’t make much sense. Although the problem has been more pronounced recently, the network has a history of making strange cancelation choices from time to time, usually in an effort to rebrand itself and attract a different audience. For example, it is well-known that in the 1970s, CBS canceled Gunsmoke without giving the series enough advance notice to create a series finale — even though it was a winner for the network for two decades.

CBS similarly purged itself of hit rural comedies such as Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies in 1970 to remake itself as a home for urban-based humor such as All in the Family. (Ironically, in 1985, it axed The Jeffersons, a spinoff of All In The Family, ahead of its 11th season finale, without notifying the cast). More recently, CBS has canceled several shows in 2025, many of which are among its most popular offerings. These decisions often seem illogical. However, in many cases, CBS’ cancelations are based on financial constraints rather than ratings.

Blue Bloods‘ cancelation is one of CBS’ most disappointing decisions for several reasons. Significantly, the procedural remained one of the network’s most popular shows 14 years after its premiere, regularly pulling in over 6 million viewers per episode. These numbers were doubly impressive considering that Blue Bloods aired on Friday nights at 10 p.m. — a timeslot that is notorious for low viewing numbers, as many people are not home to watch television at that time.

The decision to end Blue Bloods was doubly illogical because of its passionate fan base. Blue Bloods had a large, diverse, and committed audience, many of whom were drawn to the show’s family values and the Reagan family dinner scenes that were part of every episode. Canceling the hugely popular series triggered massive backlash, and the offer of a Blue Bloods spinoff for the fall of 2025 may not be enough to offset the loss. Enraged people might be reluctant to tune in after Blue Bloods’ fate, so it may not have been a smart business move to end this popular offering.

NCIS: Los Angeles suffered from many of the same problems as Blue Bloods. Both procedurals were canceled after 14 seasons even though they still had large fan bases. In NCIS: Los Angeles’ case, its untimely ending also left a gaping hole in a popular franchise. While the original NCIS was still going strong and CBS ordered additional spinoffs, NCIS: Los Angeles offered a unique spin on the original concept. This series featured heart-pounding action and was far faster-paced than its parent series, appealing to audiences who loved a higher-energy approach.

This cancelation thus underscores the questionable way that CBS‘ renewal decisions are impacting its lineup. The network eliminated a unique and popular part of the NCIS franchise and counted on its sister shows to make up the difference. This is unfortunate, as no other NCIS show has quite the same feel. Thus, the network’s quest to save money risked losing audiences who loved the action-packed Los Angeles-based series.