One of CBS’ longest-running crime franchises has come to an end again as CSI: Vegas has been cancelled along with So Help Me Todd. The former show served as a revival of the iconic police procedural, featuring the return of most original stars, including William Petersen, Jorja Fox and Marg Helgenberger. The latter legal dramedy revolved around a rule-bending private investigator who is roped into working for his mother’s law firm as their in-house investigator.
Deadline has brought word that CBS is trimming down its roster of titles as it has cancelled both CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd. In regard to the crime show, the news comes as somewhat of a surprise given it’s part of one of the network’s longest-running franchises and was seeing improvements in its season 3 ratings. The legal dramedy was similarly seen as a solid performer for CBS, though with the network having a number of new shows in the works, both being on the bubble led to their axing.
CSI: Vegas’ Fate Is Due To Another CBS Crime Franchise
The end of CSI: Vegas isn’t the first time the police procedural franchise has found itself without a definitive future. Prior to the most recent show’s three-season run, there was a seven-year hiatus between installments after the poorly received CSI: Cyber was cancelled after just two seasons. The longer wait for Vegas’ season 3 return stemming from the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike didn’t help matters any further in keeping interest engaged, as other shows proceeded relatively smoothly.
Ultimately, even if ratings were improving for the show, CSI: Vegas’ cancellation could actually be chalked up to that of fellow CBS crime franchise, NCIS. The past few months have seen the network order two different spinoffs for the franchise, one focused on a Young Gibbs entitled Origins and another centered on Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. With CBS also moving forward with new seasons of the ongoing original show and spinoffs, Hawaii and Sydney, it certainly made it easier for the network to reconsider which franchise to keep going.
So Help Me Todd’s cancellation can also be chalked up to genre competition within the network as CBS gears up for the Kathy Bates-led Matlock reboot to premiere sometime in the 2024-25 schedule. Given such shows as NBC’s Night Court have proven that nostalgia-driven updates of classic shows can perform just as well as original projects, it seems likely that the network is feeling more confident about those prospects. While CSI: Vegas’ cancellation may be a disappointment for longtime fans of the franchise, its initial development as a limited series epilogue may indicate that ending now is the best decision.
