CBS boss on why Code Black season 4 didn’t happen

It’s been a while since Code Black was canceled at CBS, and even when there was talk about bringing the show back for another run. This was a series that, in our mind, was canceled too soon; with the right promotion, we certainly thought that it could’ve had a good run for many more years.

So why didn’t CBS consider bringing the show back longer than some initial conversations? Speaking on this subject to The Hollywood Reporter in conjunction with CBS’ TCA Winter Press Tour appearance, programming head Kelly Kahl had the following to say:

We couldn’t get to the financial place we needed to in order to bring it back. It was a bummer. The financial model for co-productions can be complex, and we just weren’t able to get to the place where it made sense for us and for their studio and made sense for the general schedule.

So, basically, it was CBS’ lack of full ownership in the ABC Studios series that led to it not coming back on the air. This is why it was held to a higher standard than some other shows in the first place. We do think that it is harder and harder for co-productions to succeed in this current climate, one where there are so many different options for what viewers can choose to check out on a regular basis.

What we do still continue to wonder, perhaps more than anything else, is why ABC did not consider bringing the series over to their network given that there, more than likely, would have been some enthusiasm among fans for that. Given that ABC would have more of a stake in a show from their own studio, it’s an interesting proposition. Our feeling there, though, was that the network didn’t want to overload their schedule with medical shows given that they already have Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor on the air.

Is it always possible that the show gets revived down the line somewhere? In theory, yes, but we’re not banking on that — the longer that the show stays off the air, the harder it becomes to get everyone back together. For the time being, we’re just assuming that Code Black is going to be one of those great shows that was canceled a little bit before its time.

Unfortunately, we know that CBS never got too close to reviving the show, even though they supposedly they thought about it. It never really made it to the point of there being a conversation with the cast.

Are you still bummed-out that Code Black season 4 didn’t happen? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments. (Photo: CBS.)