It's the end of CSI again as CBS cancels CSI: Vegas after 3 seasons

It’s the end of the road for CSI…again. CBS has just canceled CSI: Vegas after three seasons, and the reasons for this may not surprise you. 

We’re coming into that tricky time of the year when networks begin deciding the fate of shows for the fall season. This year is different as thanks to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, CBS didn’t start airing shows until February 2024, most with only 10-episode seasons. It’s also affected the usual pilot season, with fewer shows in the works. 

CBS has been giving renewals to several shows, such as the FBI franchise, NCIS, Fire Country, and The Neighborhood. On the freshman slate, the mystery series Elsbeth has been renewed, and, in a major surprise, SWAT, which had been canceled, is suddenly getting an eighth season. 

However, all these renewals are going to come at the cost of shows “on the bubble,” which includes CSI: Vegas. It’s ironic given that the original CSI was one of CBS’s biggest hits. Premiering in 2000, it began the procedural drama craze that CBS would become known for and was a huge hit, running for 15 seasons and inspiring three spinoffs. 

In 2021, CBS revived the show, now titled CSI: Vegas. The original plot was William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprising their roles as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle helping the Vegas lab. It looked to be a ten-episode limited series but proved successful enough to earn a renewal. Petersen and Fox left with Marg Helgenberger returning as Catherine Willows, working with a new cast. 

Season 3 was delayed due to the strikes, finally premiering in a new Sunday night timeslot. It seems to have done well, but sadly, its end has come. 

Why is CSI: Vegas being canceled?

CBS confirmed that CSI: Vegas has been canceled, along with So Help Me Todd. This means the season 3 finale on May 19 will be the series finale. The timing of the announcement was surprising as most expected CBS to wait until the May upfronts to make a final decision rather than mid-April.

The reason for the show's cancellation is pretty obvious in that the ratings were rough. Per TV Line, CSI: Vegas is averaging 6.2 million total viewers with a 0.5 demo rating, meaning it's seen an 8% increase in the audience from its season 2 numbers and it's been steady in the demo. That’s been helped by having the new hit Tracker as a lead-in. However, out of the 14 CBS dramas this season, CSI: Vegas is tied for last in total audience and only beats NCIS: Sydney in the demo. 

This would be a tricky case for renewal in a normal season, let alone one shaken up by the strikes and CBS trying to make up for lost ad revenue. Besides those renewals, the network also has Matlock (held back from this season) and plans for a revival of Cold Case and a potential spinoff of Fire Country. With those shows in the works, there are fewer slots for the CBS schedule, so a show with low ratings like CSI: Vegas is a likely candidate for cancellation.

Marg Helgenberger shared her feelings in an Instagram post.

""I'm gonna miss my partners in crime solving. CSI:VEGAS, unfortunately, has been cancelled. Each & every person involved with the making of this series brought their A game each & every day. It was truly a pleasure & honor to work/play alongside such a fun & talented company of story tellers. Immeasurable thanks & gratitude to all for making this experience such a memorable ride. And to all the fans; we did it all for you."

It’s sad news for fans of the revival as, once more, CSI comes to an end and is unlikely to make another return in the future. 

CSI: Vegas airs Sundays at 10/9c on CBS.