Even God is vulnerable to low television ratings.

CBS's decision last month to cancel the drama "Joan of Arcadia" after two seasons has baffled and angered its fans. Many are peppering CBS and anyone who will listen with e-mails trying to find some way to keep the series alive.

It's a long shot, at best. The series where God appeared to Amber Tamblyn's title character in the guise of average people won critical praise and an Emmy nomination but couldn't reach beyond a dwindling cult of supporters.

Fans said they appreciated a drama that talked about spirituality without being preachy, that included God but didn't take religious sides. Several parents wrote that it was one of the few quality shows on television they felt comfortable watching with their children.

"I liked that it gave my daughter and I ethical things to talk about without having to bring them up, things like premarital sex and spirituality," said Dawn Richards, 44, who watched regularly with her 14-year-old daughter at home in Boca Raton, Fla. "It's a great springboard."

We feel your pain, say the folks at CBS.

"It was one of the toughest programming decisions we have had to make in the last couple of years because qualitatively, everyone here loved the show and was proud of the show," said Chris Ender, CBS entertainment spokesman.

But they couldn't ignore its ratings decline, he said. During its first season, "Joan of Arcadia" averaged 10.1 million viewers, respectable numbers for Friday, a quiet night for television. This year, viewership sank to 8 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That was lower than "Father of the Pride," "Dr. Vegas" and "Hawaii" -- all series that went to their graveyards long ago.

The most important number may be this one: 53.9.

That's the median age of the "Joan of Arcadia" viewer, nearly three years older than the typical CBS viewer.

There was a time CBS was more accepting of its older audience. Not now. CBS narrowly missed being the most popular network among 18-to-49-year-old viewers this year, an achievement once unthinkable, and its executives hunger for that victory. Four of its five programs with the oldest-skewing audience, including "Joan," were canceled.

"Up until the very last minute I just felt that there was no way that we'd be canceled," said Barbara Hall, the series' creator. "The response to our season finale had been really big. I really didn't understand how much demographics played into this, more so than ratings."

The ratings slump baffled both Hall and CBS, who struggled to turn it around. CBS wanted more scenes with God, so Hall complied. Partly at the network's request, she introduced the evil character Ryan. The third season was to see Joan and this devilish character face off.

"She was going to be engaged in all these metaphysical battles," Hall said. "She would get to know God on a whole new level."

There's a better chance of seeing Los Angeles paralyzed by a July snowstorm than CBS changing its mind. There's still a slim hope that producers Sony Pictures Entertainment can sell "Joan of Arcadia" to another network, and it is trying. With the actors' contracts expiring June 15, the window of opportunity is tiny. (David Bauder, Associated Press)

CHANNEL SURFING

Tucker Carlson's "The Situation" premieres at 9 p.m. June 13 on MSNBC. The talk show will feature Carlson and a panel of regulars chatting about the headlines and issues of the day. ... WQED will air Janis Ian: Live at Club Cafe tonight at 8. ... Kenny Chesney's July 30 concert at Heinz Field will be taped for broadcast this fall on ABC. ... Megan Mullally, who plays Karen on NBC's "Will & Grace," will host a nationally syndicated talk show to begin airing in fall 2006. ... The WB will replace its weekday afternoon cartoons with live-action reruns of general entertainment programs in 2006. (Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor)