'Bull' Canceled: Why the Show is Ending After 6 Seasons

Bull will end after its current Season 6, with the finale set to air in May 2021.

Lead actor Michael Weatherly announced that the show had been canceled, with the former NCIS star writing: "It has been an honor to work with this talented cast, crew, and writing/producing team who helped reinvent the legal drama. Stay tuned for a big series finish."

The news that Bull was ending has come after a troubled few years for the CBS show, with Weatherly the subject of accusations from a co-star, and a showrunner and cast member having to leave the show.

Here's why Bull is coming to an end after six seasons.

Why is Bull ending?

Per Weatherly's account of things, the show is ending because he is ready to move on to new projects – and it would be difficult for Bull to continue without its title character, Dr Jason Bull.

The actor tweeted: "Hello all! It's been my privilege to play Dr. Jason Bull but after 6 Seasons of incredible storylines, I've decided it's time to pursue new creative challenges and bring his story to a close."

In a statement, CBS said: "For six seasons, Bull has established itself as a ratings winner with its fresh take on the judicial process never before seen on television. We extend our thanks to the talented cast [...] the incredible creative team[...] and our hardworking crew, for bringing to life these innovative stories.

"We also thank our loyal viewers and look forward to providing them with a final run of compelling episodes filled with the humor, intelligence and twists that have made the drama a fan favorite."

Though the network calls the show a "ratings winner," viewership has been down in recent years. Per TVSeriesFinale, the show is 17th in the ratings out of the 20 CBS scripted shows, and 19th if you only look at viewers in the 18 to 49 demographic key to advertisers.

The first season managed an impressive average viewing audience of over 11 million viewers, but this has dwindled to 4.2 million average viewers by Season 6. Though these ratings are certainly low for CBS, it should be noted that the show has higher average viewer figures than its rivals in the time slot, NBC's Law and Order: Organized Crime and ABC's Big Sky.

In Deadline's piece about the show ending, they also highlighted the show's multiple controversies. In 2018, Eliza Dushku received what Buzzfeed called a $9.5 million settlement after she alleged that Weatherly had sexually harassed her on set.

Showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron and cast member Freddy Rodriguez also left the show last season after what the press called an "internal workplace investigation," the details of which have not been made public.

Dushku's recent testimony in front of a House Judiciary Committee also gave us a hint of why Bull is ending. Before she was fired from the show, she alleges she was told "the role would be a six-year commitment." Six-year contracts are a standard length for network dramas, suggesting that either Weatherly has decided not to renew his contract – or CBS has not decided to renew it.

Bull Season 6 airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.