A Gifted Man: Will It Be Cancelled or Renewed?

Will A Gifted Man be cancelled or renewed for a second season? As the show winds down for 2011-12, that’s the big question for fans of the CBS TV series. In a recent interview, executive producer Neal Baer shared his thoughts but first, let’s look at the show’s ratings.

For those who came in late, A Gifted Man revolves around a self-absorbed and talented surgeon who starts questioning the purpose of his life when he’s visited by the spirit of his deceased ex-wife. The cast includes Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Ehle, Margo Martindale, Liam Aiken, Julie Benz, Pablo Schreiber, Rachelle Lefevre, Afton Williamson, Eriq La Salle, and Mike Doyle.

The series debuted back in September to a disappointing 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 9.45 million total viewers. The premiere matched now-cancelled Medium’s 2010 opener in the demo but did improve in total viewership. Week two saw Gifted Man drop to a 1.2 in the demo and 8.18 million. The numbers stayed at those levels for several weeks but then perked up to a 1.3 in the demo.

The season to date has a 1.3 average and 8.34 million total viewers. It’s easily the network’s weakest drama — in both the demo and total viewership — even when the Friday night timelot is taken into account. Medium was cancelled with a 1.4 demo average. With an abundance of stronger programming, A Gifted Man is certain to be cancelled after all 16 episodes have aired.

In speaking with TV Guide, Baer however remains optimistic and shared, “[CBS] really likes the show, and we haven’t talked about the future at all except trying to just do great episodes… They’re very supportive of the show and I know they really like it, so we’re very hopeful about coming back in the fall.”

Because Baer and company are betting that the show won’t be cancelled, some storylines will be left unresolved in the season finale. Baer noted, “There’s plenty to hope for and wonder about… There are definitely questions about what will happen in relationships in the future.”

What do you think? Do you think that A Gifted Man should be cancelled or renewed for season two? Should the storylines have been wrapped up in the season (likely series) finale?