It looks like Agent Starling will be turning in her badge. Last month, it looked like the Clarice TV show, was poised to move from the CBS network to the Paramount+ streaming service (along with SEAL Team and Evil) for its second season. Now, Deadline reports it’s looking more likely that the show will be cancelled instead.
Based on The Silence of the Lambs, the Clarice TV series stars Rebecca Breeds, Michael Cudlitz, Lucca de Oliveira, Kal Penn, Nick Sandow, Devyn Tyler, and Marnee Carpenter. The series is a deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Breeds) as she returns to the field in 1993, one year after the hunt for serial killer Buffalo Bill (Simon Northwood). Brilliant and vulnerable, Clarice’s bravery gives her an inner light that draws monsters and madmen to her. However, her complex psychological makeup — which comes from a challenging childhood — empowers her to begin to find her voice while working in a man’s world. It also helps her begin to escape the family secrets that have haunted her throughout her life.
Airing on Thursday nights, the first season of Clarice is averaging a 0.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 2.88 million viewers.
It’s CBS’ lowest-rated scripted series of the season so cancellation by the network wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The series has been a solid performer on Paramount+ however.
MGM Television, who produces the series with CBS Television Studios, and Paramount+ (owned by CBSViacom) had been in negotiations for Clarice to be renewed for a second season on the streaming service. Now, negotiations have reportedly broken down with each side supposedly blaming the other. MGM being acquired by Amazon is supposedly not a factor in the deal going south.
Due to the show’s low ratings and the fact that CBS already has a full slate of series 2021-22, there appears to be no viable path for Clarice’s survival.
What do you think? Have you watched the Clarice TV show on CBS? Would you watch season two on Paramount+ or some other platform?
Superb show
Excellent cast
One of the few programs aimed at intelligent adults
Thought-provoking
I love Clarice. Scheduling is bad. Hope it stays on.
I love this show! PLEASE, don’t cancel it. I don’t watch it live because I don’t have the channel it comes on. I paid for the season pass through my AppleTV. Don’t they count those numbers when calculating people that view the show? TV isn’t like it use to be… more people stream, DVR, and buy season passes to be able to watch them. I would think the industry would take that into count! Especially, when people are paying outright just for the season…seems like they would actually make more money that way?
I really enjoy this show! Please don’t cancel it! WHY do television networks cancel EVERYTHING but reality/game shows before the first season even gets a chance to get going? Don’t give us a deep, complex drama show, then cancel it because it’s not rated high enough after 5-6 episodes?? Drama series need more time for the storyline to develop & the characters backgrounds to be revealed enough for it to gain traction!! I’m SICK of all these primetime networks cancelling EVERYTHING that is interesting, and leaving 4 nights of GAME SHOWS, or pack the week with new REALITY SHOWS. I’m… Read more »
You tell ’em, sister! I agree wholeheartedly with EVERYTHING you said!
Unfortunately that’s what people watch on TV these days: reality and medical shows.
Obviously, it’s an impending bomb. Fans can say what they want, most people don’t care about this show.
Rebecca Breeds is brilliant as Clarice. In fact from the begining it was apparent that the casting of the show is impeccable. I cant believe they are cancelling a really thoughtful and i might add amazing continuation of Clarices story. Thank you for a great escape from covid. Devastated that the show wont get a second airing. ☹ idiots……
This show would have been much better with someone older to play Clarice. After all Clarice in Silence of the Lambs would have been much older now. Why cast someone that looks like they are still in high school? The show just wasn’t realistic enough to tie it to the movie which lacked interest.
This is set in 1993, one year after Silence of the Lambs was finished. That’s why she’d looks young, bc it’s still supposed to be the beginning of her career. I remember when I figured out it was set in 1993… I was like: oh,yeah this makes MUCH MORE SENSE NOW… the cars, the offices, outfits… yep definitely the early 90’s!
Move the show to a better time slot! It’s well written but should be given a chance. Maybe the only thing is change is allow the site to clear a case instead of stringing out one story for an entire season.
Of course another good show.
I love Clarice!
The show is dark but interesting. Unlike Evil, which is getting moved, this darkness doesn’t come from any supernatural forces at play. Just plain old twisted mankind. I was hoping it would get to a streaming service I already pay for but it appears that won’t be an issue.
This just sucks. Clarice is far superior to so much of the scripted episodic dreck on network TV and streaming outlets. The dumbing-down of America is confirmed once more.
I’ve been enjoying the show. Frustrated by the eratic schedule though.
Clarice is a very lame, distant cousin of Silence of the Lambs. Not ready for prime time TV. Poorly written, it moves at a snail’s pace and is difficult to follow the multi-pronged plot. I’ve watched every episode thus far, only because of my fascination with the original film, which was phenomenal. I can’t wait for the series finale, so that I won’t have to invest any more time into watching another season of this series.
I have not seen this show due to a lack of interest but maybe since Amazon purchased MGM, they might be interested in picking it up. I don’t know how all this acquisition stuff works but it would seem to make some sort of sense.
What did they expect? They start airing the show and then it’s off for several weeks, bring it back and one or two episodes air, then it’s off for a couple weeks. No consistency, no audience. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.
Absolutely agree with Susie’s comment regarding scheduling. I never knew when Clarice would be on. At least 2 three to four week breaks occurred.
After Evil (and Seal Team) was taken from us, I didn’t want Paramount+ to steal Clarice too; but cancellation isn’t a suitable viewer-friendly solution either.