CBS Axes NOT ONE, But TWO New Shows After Just One Season – Is This the New Normal?

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With each passing week and month, our list of TV shows concluding in 2025 is growing, and things are set to get busier come May when finales begin airing. This period might not be as newsworthy for CBS, though, as they’ve already made significant decisions by canceling the spinoffs of FBI’s International and Most Wanted, and announcing S.W.A.T.’s third termination. Interestingly, this is an unusual step for the network, as two first-season shows have been abruptly ended.

Over the past few years, Netflix has earned a reputation as the de facto ruler in the realm of single-season series due to its original shows being abruptly ended prematurely. (For instance: Dead Boy Detectives, Territory, The Brothers Sun, Kaos, Good Times, and Girls5Eva, among others, just in U.S. scripted content.) However, it seems CBS deserves a brief stint as the king after this week’s announcement.

Poppa’s House Canceled After One Season

In their own right, both Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. are well-established TV personalities, having worked on shows such as “In Living Color”, “My Wife and Kids”, “New Girl” and more. So when the senior Damon Wayans teamed up to co-create a new sitcom where he later joined forces with his junior counterpart, it felt like an obvious match for a successful TV show.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I must say that the math behind the success of “Poppa’s House” seemed spot-on. Both critics and audiences expressed overwhelmingly positive sentiments about this captivating sitcom. The elder Wayans played a charming divorced radio host, sharing his life with his ambitious son and extended family. After some production delays, it premiered in October 2024, and despite being a broadcast sitcom, managed to attract 4.2 million viewers initially. Interestingly enough, that number swelled to over 5 million within just a few days of delayed viewing.

Despite the figures not surpassing 4 million once more, CBS still felt encouraged enough initially to commission further episodes. Interestingly, none of the 17 episodes aired thus far has fallen below 3.1 million viewers, which is quite stable considering today’s TV ratings trends.

Sadly, it seems the network didn’t take kindly to those figures. According to Variety, the comedy was abruptly terminated a few days before its scheduled Season 1 conclusion, which is now referred to as such: (the Season 1 finale)

In the final episode of the first season of the CBS Original series “Poppa’s House,” Poppa is about to unveil a major secret to Ivy, while at the same time, Nina assumes control over Junior’s movie project.

Fans can catch the show’s swan song airing on CBS on Monday, April 28, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Summit Canceled After One Season

Beyond unscripted programming, CBS is renowned for several characteristics typical of reality TV, including Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race. Furthermore, it has significantly invested in the “surviving under extreme conditions” sub-genre, introducing The Summit in 2024. This competition series, overseen by Arrowverse veteran Manu Bennett, challenges participants to scale a mountain within just two weeks – a goal that is straightforward to state but difficult to achieve.

Reorganizing the competition’s financial reward for victors, plus the addition of hurdles, puzzles, and enigmatic backpacks throughout the ascent, transformed what appeared to be a straightforward physical test into one that also involved mental and interpersonal struggles. This innovative approach to the format, initially developed in Australia, has seen multiple winners emerge triumphant over the years.

Although there was plenty of tension and conflict among the contestants as they climbed the mountain, it seems that viewers weren’t as eager to tune in on a daily basis. The initial audience of 3.03 million who watched the premiere dropped significantly to a record low of 1.82 million just two episodes later. While viewership fluctuated somewhat over the following seven episodes, none of them managed to attract a substantial increase in viewers.

The first season of “The Summit” concluded by early December 2024, ensuring that viewers won’t be left hanging with any unexpected or symbolic plot twists.

Explore an array of shows spanning from one-season marvels to classic favorites on Paramount+. The Essential plan is available for $7.99 per month, or upgrade to the Premium plan at $12.99 per month and enjoy ad-free streaming with twice as much content thanks to Showtime. Additionally, consider an annual subscription at a reduced price of 10 months free. Check it out!

Both Poppa’s House and The Summit can currently be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

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2025-04-22 23:38