It seems CBS is somehow still cleaning house, this time taking aim at one of its hit reality shows, which has joined the growing list of CBS shows canceled this season.
With the 2024-2025 TV season drawing to a close, CBS has been making tough decisions about the future of its shows. This has led to many surprising cancellations from the network and, unfortunately, The Summit is the latest CBS show confirmed to be coming to an abrupt end this season. CBS has confirmed it will not be bringing The Summit back for a second season, cancelling the show after just one season.
Hosted by actor Manu Bennett, The Summit felt like another reality hit in the making for CBS. The show found 16 strangers from various walks of life coming together to embark on a journey through the New Zealand Alps looking to reach the peak within a two-week span. Along the way, the players reached various checkpoint camps, where the group voted members out one by one until only three remained and reached the summit. In the finale, the eliminated contestants voted for the winner, with one player walking away with the $1 million prize.
The show debuted on Sept. 29 with its ten-episode season unfolding through the fall leading up to its Dec. 4 finale. The lack of a renewal from CBS following the show’s finale in December had fans worried a second season might not happen, and it seems their concerns were justified.
The Summit joins the likes of Poppa’s House, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, and SWAT, which have all been canceled this season by CBS. It’s been a tough year for fans with the network once again making difficult decisions, especially with many new shows already ordered for the next season, and only so many places in the schedule on CBS. Now more than ever, shows aren’t afforded the luxury of getting more than a season to build their viewership which makes it hard for new shows like The Summit to break through the crowded TV landscape and make their mark.
Honestly, the fact that The Summit wasn’t able to secure a sizable audience with Survivor as its lead-in is likely what led CBS to make the decision not to bring the show back for a second season. Still, it’s never easy watching a new show end after just one season, and it’s one of the growing reasons fans seem more hesitant to give new shows a chance out of the gate.
If you missed The Summit when it was on CBS, you can stream the season on Paramount+ but you might want to act fast as there's no telling how long the show will be available to stream now that it's been canceled.