When CBS canceled Magnum P.I. last week, it was reported that it was a business decision – and not a creative decision – by CBS.
This coming, according to Deadline, after CBS and the studio that produces the show could not come to an agreement on the license fee as lower overall linear ratings have been pushing down on what networks are willing to spend on shows. The problem is most pronounced when a series comes from an outside studio as is the case with Magnum P.I.
Deadline asked CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl if negotiations over the license fee were contentious.
“Whoever’s got leverage tries to use it and if you have good partners you work together to find a win win for everybody,” Kahl said. “You have some tough decisions to make and you have lots of factors — and I’m not going to rule [the licensing fee] out as one of them. It was a great team to work with, and one of the tougher decisions we had to make.”
Up until the show was canceled, USA Today had been running a national “Save Our Shows” poll, allowing readers to vote for the television shows they’d like to see renewed for another season – Magnum P.I. was the top vote getter this year. But it was not enough to save the show.
Kahl literally had a tough call to make when he phoned CBS’ top comedy producer, Chuck Lorre, to inform him that two of his four series on the network, B Positive and United States Of Al, are being canceled.
“I’m not going to pretend and tell you he was happy. He was disappointed with the news but he’s the single most talented comedy producer I’ve certainly ever worked with,” Kahl told Deadline.
Kahl added that the network already is in talks with Lorre about potential new projects.
CBS Execs Are Trying To Explain Away ‘Magnum P.I.’ Cancelation
