Why Michael Weatherly Thought It Was Good That His Show ‘Bull’ Was So Underrated
NCIS eventually had to let Michael Weatherly go after years on the show. But Weather’s departure allowed him to be number one on his own show Bull. Bull was successful enough to enjoy a long six-season run when it aired on CBS. However, it didn’t reach the same kind of heights that shows like NCIS did. However, Weatherly would’ve argued this was a good thing.
Michael Weatherly felt the success of ‘Bull’ was just right
Weatherly doubted he’d do another network show after NCIS. But he changed his mind for Bull thanks to its captivating premise. The series came charging onto the scene strong when it first hit television in 2016. TV Line once reported that Bull was the second highest-rated show on CBS deep into its first season, with only NCIS ahead. At the time, Weatherly noted that he was very pleased with the program. Still, his past experiences in the television industry taught him that a show’s success could be very subjective.
“People are always asking me [about its future], and I’m like, ‘Well, look, I know it’s not a disaster.’ [Laughs] Some people think, ‘It’s still on?’ while others are like, ‘It’s doing so great!’ There’s a lot of very subjective stuff around television these days. The key is, ‘Is the show any good?’ Is it holding water and making sense? And when you think of it as a viewer, do you understand what the promise of the show is? And are we delivering? We’re still building the recipe,” he said.
However, Bull didn’t seem to measure up to the same critical success during its run on network television. But Weatherly wasn’t only okay with Bull potentially being critically overlooked, he embraced the notion.
“I found it interesting and I think [showrunner] Glenn Caron is an extraordinary writer and I think Bull is a vastly under-appreciated show in terms of the critical appraisal of it, which is great because there’s nothing better than an underdog,” Weatherly once said in an interview with HeyUGuys.
What might’ve also helped Bull was its timeslot. Initially, it aired on 9:00, right after Weatherly’s former show NCIS. The advantages of this weren’t lost or taken for granted by Weatherly.
“We all know this is a blessing we take very seriously. We all jumped up and down, but then we took it seriously,” Weatherly told ET about the show’s scheduling.
Why Michael Weatherly left ‘Bull’
Bull’s six-season run was an accomplishment on its own, as many other shows aren’t fortunate enough to enjoy the same lifespan. Weatherly already had plenty of experience starring in shows that didn’t go the long haul like Dark Angel. But Bull could’ve lasted even longer than that if it was up to Weatherly. The NCIS alum announced to his fans that he’d be leaving Bull after the series’ sixth season, explaining he was simply interested in pursuing other projects.
“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,” he once posted on social media according to Cinemablend. “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…Thanks to all the fans from the bottom of my heart. You will always be a part of our Bull family!”
With Weatherly playing the show’s titular character Jason Bull, the show couldn’t continue without his involvement and was subsequently canceled.
