CBS draws curtain on "Moonlight"

By James Hibberd

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS' vampire drama "Moonlight" will not rise again.

Sources confirmed that the fan favorite will not be renewed by the network for a second season.

CBS chose not to pick up the series because it was failing to hold its "Ghost Whisperer" lead-in and its ratings had declined in the weeks after the writers' strike. Last Friday's episode garnered a 2.0 rating among adults 18 to 49.

The news is sure to devastate "Moonlight" fans, who, by any standard, have been passionate about the show. Recently fans organized a nationwide blood drive to rally viewer support for a renewal.

Last year CBS picked up cult favorite "Jericho" despite mediocre ratings, only to see the series plummet when it returned this year. Given the serialized storyline of "Moonlight," the chances of the show rebounding next season seemed slim.

The cancellation means that "The Big Bang Theory" is the only member of CBS' freshman crop to return next year.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter