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The upcoming season of “Elementary” will also be its last



The CBS series, which is the network’s lowest-rated drama, has been called a “bubble show,” with both its renewal and cancellation appearing to have equal odds. But, after seven seasons, the bubble has finally popped. The final season, which will air in 2019, will bring things to a ‘natural conclusion’ at the end of its 13 episodes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this was always the plan, as stars Lucy Liu and Johnny Lee Miller both have contracts which expire with the seventh season. Both actors are in-demand, making renewal an expensive order.

The series, which is a modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, has done well in the international market, with particularly strong foreign sales and a lucrative deal signed with Netflix. However, returns on the series had reportedly dwindled, which is likely part of the reason the seventh series will feature 13 episodes instead of a full 24.

Signs of CBS’s fading confidence in “Elementary” have been apparent for some time. Last year, the drama was used as a bridge between the traditional television season to draw viewers into the summer season. Because summertime ratings are not as important, this was a strong indicator that the show was no longer as profitable as it once was.

“Elementary” is not the first CBS staple to conclude this year, as “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS’s signature comedy series, will also be coming to an end after its twelfth season.

As of now, “Elementary” is not on the network’s midseason schedule, meaning that the airdate of the final season has yet to be announced.