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Why was Carol’s Second Act canceled after one season?

Carol’s Second Act was one of CBS’s casualties during the 2019-2020 season. Why was it canceled after just one season? Here’s a look at the likely reasons.

While CBS renewed the majority of its shows, there were some that wouldn’t make it through another year. Carol’s Second Act was one of the casualties, ending after just one season. The question for many is why CBS made this decision.

This one likely comes down to the live ratings. When looking at the figures carefully, it may not even be that surprising that the medical comedy didn’t make it through.

According to TVLine, the live ratings were down from Murphy Brown, which held the same timeslot in fall 2018. The reboot failed to get a full-season order or a renewal, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that a show that pulled in lower ratings would also end up being canceled. The difference is Carol’s Second Act bot the full-season order because it had a good start. It just couldn’t hold onto the audience. It was only the season (and now series) finale that pulled in similar figures to the pilot episode.

There was no way that CBS could renew everything. Even without pilots filming, there would be some CBS would be willing to take a risk on. That meant making space in the schedule for new shows to air. The lowest-rated shows would be ones the Eye network would look at.

Without the pilots filming, CBS would have had to consider the chances of an audience sticking around for the new season of a show. Freshman shows were always going to be in more danger than established shows because they didn’t already have a loyal audience. Carol’s Second Act being the lowest-rated new comedy out of all new comedies naturally made it the one to be canceled.

MORE: Why was Broke canceled after just one season?

It is a shame, but it is the nature of TV. This is why it’s important to watch your favorite TV shows live or within seven days through legal methods if you want them to be renewed. If you download illegally or you wait until a full season is available on a streaming service, the views don’t count for renewals and cancellations.

Carol’s Second Act is available to stream on CBS All Access if you want to check out what you missed.