As all the other networks swung the axe on many TV shows this week, making their final decisions on renewals and many cancellations, CBS were staying quiet, despite picking up several new shows , including new CSI and NCIS spinoffs. However, word broke Saturday, per THR , that CBS have cancelled five series in one fell swoop: The Crazy Ones, Bad Teacher , Hostages, Intelligence and Friends With Better Lives. At the same time, the network gave a last minute renewal to The Mentalist.

In some ways, The Mentalist's renewal is one of the most notable decisions, as the show had dropped to its lowest ratings ever this season and word was Warner Bros. TV (who produce the series) had begun shopping it to other outlets, in anticipation of CBS canceling it. However, a deal was obviously made for the show to return to the network for a seventh season. The Mentalist's creator, Bruno Heller, is also the man behind Gotham, FOX's new Batman prequel series.Among the cancellations are many shows that were decidedly off-brand for CBS, who thrive on highly-rated multi-camera sitcoms and procedurals. Hostages and Intelligence were both more serialized than most CBS one-hours (some rare exceptions like Person of Interest aside), built around shorter seasons - something CBS had more success with during the summer with Under the Dome, which is coming back for Season 2 this year. Hostages was assumed to be done, especially after star Dylan McDermott signed onto a new CBS pilot, Kevin Williamson's Stalker, which was picked up to series yesterday. There was a tiny sliver of hope for Intelligence, but obviously that didn't come to fruition.Among the comedies, The Crazy Ones and Bad Teacher both were single camera comedies with a very different feel than the rest of the CBS sitcom slate. Despite the star power of Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Crazy Ones couldn't hold onto enough of the audience that CBS's hugely successful comedies like The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men (even if it's not the powerhouse it once was) do. Friends With Better Lives had decent sampling on Mondays, but still was clearly on a downward trajectory, a few weeks after its debut.THR notes that it's not clear whether CBS will still pick up more series, which most notably calls into question the fate of How I Met Your Dad, the How I Met Your Mother spinoff. On Thursday, reports surfaced that the series was picked up , only for CBS and 20th Century Fox to say no decision had been made. There were conflicting reports on Friday saying CBS may not proceed with HIMYD, while THR said they heard it was moving forward. The decision will need to be made in the next day or two, as CBS announce their schedule on Wednesday at their Upfront.