Today, CBS set up its loyal viewers with exactly what we can all expect to see when the 2017-2018 season rolls around, and there were a lot of exciting projects that popped up, such as Sheldon's Big Bang Theory prequel and Shemar Moore's next big TV gig. Keen-eyed folks probably noticed that the schedule was missing some shows that were somehow still on the renewal bubble, and for better or worse, that has been cleared up now. The network has officially cancelled the struggling dramas Training Day and Ransom.
Neither one of these cancellations is particularly surprising, but that doesn't mean their combined exits are particularly cheer-worthy. Training Day, in particular, is going off the air on something of a sour note, considering it was the final big project for actor Bill Paxton prior to his death earlier this year. (Paxton was posthumously honored on the show, as well.)
Not that Bill Paxton's death was the final straw when it came to Training Day getting shunned for Season 2 chances. Based off the 2001 film of the same name -- and co-starring Justin Cornwell, Julie Benz and Katrina Law -- Training Day premiered to mild numbers back in February, failing to attain even a 1.0 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. That's a mark it, to date, still hasn't reached in Season 1, and things were pretty obviously headed in the cancellation direction whenever CBS chose to move the drama over to Saturday nights, where it was paired with the other show that got cancelled.
With Luke Roberts as the central hostage negotiator whose talents were sought after all over the world, CBS' Ransom started off as something of a risky move by the network. Rather than slotting it into the already busy weekly primetime schedule, CBS aired Ransom on the oft-ignored Saturday nights, and because it's CBS, the drama did manage to net an audience. While it might not have been the biggest or most consistent viewership, the stats were still bigger than some other still surviving network series. But then, according to TV By the Numbers, Ransom was tied with the also-cancelled American Crime with the lowest demo rating among the Big 4 networks. That's a bigger death knell than anything.
Though Training Day and Ransom are joining the recently cancelled Pure Genius in being absent when the fall or midseason shows come around, there are still a ton of great things to watch in the meantime. Head to our summer TV schedule to see what will hold your attention span ransom in the coming months.
