CBS has made some big cuts to its programming lineup going into the latter half of the 2024 TV schedule, with cancellations for NCIS: Hawai'i, CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd. The quirky latter series had a devoted fanbase, with CinemaBlend's own Adrienne Jones' calling it better than Ted Lasso. When a show like So Help Me Todd gets canceled, ratings are easy to blame, but it seems like this case wasn't quite so simple. Several factors went into So Help Me Todd getting the axe outside of the numbers, which actually gives hope to the fan campaign to save the Marcia Gay Harden-led series.
At first it seemed like the ratings led to the series' cancellation, but it turns out they were only a small part of the story. While So Help Me Todd's nightly numbers were on the lower end for the network itself, they were actually consistent and/or higher than plenty of other shows airing in broadcast. While low for CBS, reports indicate the numbers aren't actually what led the network to make the big decision about the show.
With the cancellation of So Help Me Todd came the renewal of Elsbeth for Season 2, which followed renewals of just about everything else set for the network's fall lineup. (That includes the Matlock reboot starring Kathy Bates, whose arrival was delayed by the strikes.) According to Variety, the introduction of new series combined with myriad other renewals meant there simply wasn’t enough room in the primetime schedule for all involved to invest in another season of So Help Me Todd. The ratings weren't totally to blame.
Still, the numbers weren't so massive that network execs chose to hold off on any of their new and upcoming projects, so while they weren't the inciting factor, I'd argue they didn't entirely help either.
Hopefully, all of this should give some context for So Help Me Todd fans who may feel like the cancelation came out of nowhere. There is currently a fan campaign to try to save the show from leaving television for good, and if these reports are to be believed, this isn’t out of the realm of possibility. If ratings are actually consistent with general network ratings, and there is room for the show to continue on another network’s 2024 TV premiere schedule, it is possible for another studio to purchase the rights to continue the show o streaming or elsewhere.
A network canceling a show due to a lack of scheduling space seems wild in 2024, with COVID and strikes having wreaked havoc on primetime in past years, but it was actually quite common before the age of streaming made appointment television more of a rarity than a nightly occurrence.
There are devoted So Help Me Todd fans disappointed about CBS axing the show, so it’s possible that the show could have a second life on streaming, even if CBS' streaming sister site Paramount+ likely won't be the savior. Lucifer and Arrested Development were just two network shows that had later seasons produced by streaming services, and both went on to become even more popular post-cancellation, so it's possible!
Even if So Help Me Todd isn’t currently being renewed at CBS, you can still revisit the two existing seasons of the comedy now with a Paramount+ subscription. For more information on other series available on the platform, make sure to check out our guide to the best shows on Paramount+ now.
