Why a critically acclaimed show by Vince Gilligan vanished after only thirteen episodes
In short: In 2015, CBS launched Battle Creek, a police procedural from the creator of Breaking Bad. Despite earning high praise from critics for its biting humor and unique tone, the series was cancelled by the network before its first season even finished airing. It remains a curious case of television history.
The origins of Battle Creek date back to 2003, when Vince Gilligan first penned the script. It took a decade for the project to gain momentum, with Sony Pictures Television securing a deal with CBS in September 2013. The show focused on the mismatched partnership between an FBI agent, played by Josh Duhamel, and a local police detective, portrayed by Dean Winters. While the series was set in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the cast visited the city in the summer of 2014 to research the local police department, the actual production did not film on location.
The show premiered on March 1, 2015, airing weekly on Sundays. CBS had initially ordered thirteen episodes and guaranteed they would all be broadcast. However, the network's commitment to the series was short-lived. On May 8, 2015, with only nine episodes having aired, CBS announced that the show would not be renewed for a second season. The final episode aired on May 24, 2015, concluding the series as planned within its initial thirteen-episode order.
Despite its swift cancellation, the show was well-regarded by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 96% approval rating based on 47 reviews, with an average score of 6.8 out of 10. Metacritic similarly reported generally favorable reviews, assigning it a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 29 critical assessments. Critics noted that while the show did not reinvent the procedural genre, it stood out for its dark tone and sharp wit. The series featured a rotating cast of guest stars, including Patton Oswalt and Candice Bergen, who appeared in specific episodes.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Battle Creek (TV series)
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