Sadly, Lie to Me’s fate is still undecided. The FOX drama was given a full season renewal in November but the network has delayed its return until after the May sweeps period. That’s exactly a show of faith. And now, showrunner Shawn Ryan has jumped ship.
Lie to Me follows Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), a human lie detector, and his team of experts who help law officials solve their most difficult cases. The cast also includes Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Mekhi Phifer, and Monica Raymund.
Last season, Lie to Me had a very healthy series premiere with a 4.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 12.37 million viewers. Those numbers slowly melted away though and, by the end of the season, dipped to a low of a 2.3 in the demo and 7.75 million. Despite the decline, FOX renewed Lie to Me for a second season of 13 episodes. Shawn Ryan (The Shield) was brought in as a new showrunner.
Year two kicked off in September to a 2.9 rating and 7.73 million viewers. Though Lie to Me was losing a significant percentage of the House lead-in, FOX gave the series a full season renewal and added nine episodes. Soonafter, Lie to Me hit a new low with a 2.2 rating and 6.64 million viewers.
FOX put the series on hiatus in December and it already looked destined to be on the bubble for a third season renewal.
It was expected that Lie to Me would return before the end of the 2009-10 season but FOX chose instead to hold original episodes until June 7th. That means they won’t air until after the May sweeps period and until after FOX has announced their 2010-11 schedule.
FOX execs could make their decision based on Lie to Me’s existing ratings data. Or, they could wait until after some more original episodes have aired in the lesser-watched summer months. Neither option is likely to put Lie to Me in a very positive light.
Now, it’s been announced that Ryan, the program’s well-respected showrunner, has decided to leave the show. He’s already committed to a new drama he created for FX called Terriers. It also looks likely that FOX will pick up his other new show, Ride Along.
While none of this means that Lie to Me will necessarily be cancelled, it’s certainly not positive news — especially if FOX execs like what they see in Ride Along. Why stick with a show that’s lost Ryan as a showrunner and has been losing viewers when you can pick up Ryan’s new show that’ll get some attention and might do a lot better. FOX may make a decision about season three at the upfronts next Monday or not for a couple months.
Whether Lie to Me is renewed or cancelled, it seems very likely that viewers will still get to see all 12 of the remaining episodes for this season.
What do you think? Does Lie to Me have a good chance of returning for season three? What would you do — keep it or cancel it and go with something new?
Image courtesy FOX.
Com’on! LIE TO ME is brilliant, smart, well-crafted, and always unpredictable. If anyone tries to tell you any different…they’re lying.
Among the ridiculous tween shows, reality shows populated by vulgar, stupid people craving the attention that should actually embarrass them, and tiresome melodramas that take place in a hospital…can’t you find it in your hearts and savvy to let us have a show that makes us happy for Mondays (impossible and improbable as that may be). Give it time.Try some creative marketing – the subject matter is ripe for it. There’s more of us smart folk out there.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show!!! Please don’t cancel it!!!! I will buy the DVD’s if cancelled. There is too much crap on TV and this show is clever, witty and I have fun trying to read people’s face now!!! I am getting pretty good at it. Tim Roth’s character is based on a Dr. Phil Ekman. Check him out!!!
please PLEASE pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease bring back lie to me. i cant stop lying since the show went off air. i need it in my life! please
Leave Lie To Me on! All the good shows are being cancelled! Keep this one!
As a teenager, I love this show. It’s well acted, Dr. Lightman (Tim Roth) is basically who I want to grow up to be. My only complaint with the show is that they make the lie detection team seem foolproof whereas in reality, I highly doubt a court of law would accept a ‘human lie detector’.
But other than that, I love the show – it should definitely stay, even if it’s not in a primetime spot or the best part of the season.
Please leave it on. This was a show with a whole new perspective. As Patricia put it, why does it have to be #1 to stay? Many people are downloading these episodes just to see it, do people even think about this as a possible interest to the show. Just because they didn’t park it in front of the TV that day and time certainly does not mean it’s not wanted or watched.
FGS Leave it on! Why does every show have to appeal to mindless teenage tokers? Let us have a few programs for those of us who can still think and, yes, buy products advertisers sell.
It should be kept on for a long time. There are really so few well written, well casted shows on FOX; actually any really good shows on FOX. It is starting to seem just when FOX gets a good thing going they drop it. What is up with that?! I am getting near to not even turing on the TV anymore except for a couple nights a week, which I suppose isn’t a bad thing, less couch potato time.
Regardless, Lie to Me should stay, it is a really great show!!!
I think it should stay. We like it.
lovit leave it on
leave it on damit
It’s creative, well written & acted, entertaining and one of the few show on TV today that is based in real science. Keep it on the air, they will find it.
I LOVE Lie To Me!!!!
For God’s sake, leave it on!! Why does a show have to be #1 ???? There are alot of idiots out there that don’t appreciate a well-written, well-acted program and so many good shows have fallen by the wayside because of it. Maybe intelleigent, loyal viewers arent the majority of viewers, but shouldn’t their prererences be taken into account?? We all don’t feed on sex, violence, and raunchy cartoons.
LEAVE IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂