‘BrainDead’ canceled by CBS; ‘American Gothic’ season 2 not happening

CBS has officially made decisions on two of their summer shows, but we cannot say that either one of them is particularly surprising.

According to a report from TVLine, the network is not ordering another season of “BrainDead.” This ambitious / crazy series from “The Good Wife” creators Robert and Michelle King entered the summer with a great cast and plenty of hype, but it couldn’t deliver on much of the premise. Viewers either loved or loathed the show, and that was made all the more apparent with a dramatic drop-off that occurred in the ratings after the first episode aired. The show was eventually pushed to the weekends, and if this was not evidence enough that the show was going to be canceled, the Kings joining the “Good Wife” spin-off series for CBS All Access as showrunners was further proof that there was no future here.

As for the other bit of news, “American Gothic” is also not going to return for a second season. We cannot say per se that the show is canceled, given that this was always pitched as a one-season limited series. Do we think that CBS would have pushed for a second season in the event that the ratings were stronger? Absolutely so, but that’s just not what we ended up getting this time around. The show at least can leave the air with the satisfaction of knowing that it got to tell the entirety of its story as designed.

While this is certainly bad news, we hope that these cancellations do not stop CBS from continuing to try to make big, bold moves with some of their summer shows. Sooner or later, one of these will end up paying off.

What’s your reaction to the cancellations? Share now in the attached comments! (Photo: CBS.)