Sometimes the truth hurts — especially when it comes to television ratings. After three seasons, FOX has cancelled Lie to Me.
Starring Tim Roth, Lie to Me revolves around Cal Lightman and members of The Lightman Group. They’re a team of specialists who help law enforcement agencies uncover the truth by using applied psychology. Others in the cast include Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund, Hayley McFarland, and Mekhi Phifer.
Last season, Lie to Me averaged a 2.9 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic and 8.03 million total viewers. That was down from season one and the series found itself on the bubble for renewal. FOX ended up giving the TV series another chance and renewed it for 13 episodes.
Unfortunately, season three didn’t perform nearly as well as season two. It premiered last October to a 2.1 rating in the demo and 5.86 million. Viewership eroded in subsequent weeks and FOX declined to give the show a full season order. Lie to Me then hit a new series low in January, registering a meager 1.5 rating and 5.43 million viewers.
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In its final weeks on the air, viewers seemed to rally behind it and Lie to Me had its best ratings of the season — a 2.5 in the demo and 7.67 million.
Though the ratings had come way down, FOX execs claimed that they still valued the TV series and saw it as a solid utility player. Showrunner Alex Cary said, “Fox has been very clear with us — they know what the show is, they know what it can do. [The ratings bump] shows that people will come watch the show.”
Now, after three seasons on the air, the series is over. FOX has officially cancelled Lie to Me after 48 episodes. All of the installments have aired. Though there are too few episodes for a traditional syndication package, the first two seasons have already been released on DVD.
What do you think? Should Lie to Me have been renewed for season four?
Image courtesy FOX.
Sadly we more than likely wont see this show again. I loved this show and got my whole family to watch and love it too. Maybe they will bring it back, several shows have been canceled and brought back after people bought the dvd’s and watched reruns. All we can do is hope fox will wake up and let us have our season 4 for Lie to Me
Lie to me was a great show . . . but we all found it almost a year after it was cancelled so there can be no hope of a new season. Maybe they could be encouraged to do a tv movie or mini series, just to wrap up some of the personal story lines. But, I would hate to see them wreck it, like they did with Sex and the City. I never even bothered to watch the second movie because I heard it was so bad!
Have you at Fox just given up? Lie to Me was a great show. I admit the last season was bit of let down. Just because of the ratings bubble, you just dump it? I know it is so much easier to let Seth McFarlane do all the original thing for new shows or do spin offs of that insufferable American Idol. I would rather watch a show about Billy Idol. Everytime I thinnk you are on to something, you throw in the towel because the ratings slip a little. Why not get better writters? Tim Roth played an amazing… Read more »
One of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Still hoping for season 4 :-(….
I bought season 1 on DVD and watched the whole thing in 2 days. When season 2 was released I made it about 29 hours before I couldn’t resist spending the 45 bucks. I was “pleasantly” surprised to see that at least half of the shows from season 2 were new to me. So I never got to see these shows on Fox. So what. I knew from the first time Tim Roth made me laugh from the gut with his characters charm, wit, and intelligence that I was a life long fan. But 3 seasons@!? Come on Fox. Give… Read more »
I wanna cry! I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!! I also found it on netflix, and now that I have cable I wanted to see if it was still on- I REALLY hope it comes back!
I found Lie to Me on Netflix and it is one of my favorite shows. I am sooo upset that they wont continue the series. I hope that maybe in the future they will make another season.. hahaha :]
Lie to me was and is a great show, period and I wish they would bring it back.
This is one of the most entertaining series I have watched in a long time. I agree with the previous comment about netflix-I refuse to pay the exorbitant prices cable companies want per month – over 125.00 a month here in Canada if we want to get any decent TV. What I don’t understand is why networks run so many lame, totally stupid, so called ‘reality’ tv shows and then cancel shows like this. No wonder the global economy is in the dumpster-you’re creating a population of brain dead individuals who watch nothing but absolute garbage on TV-and by the… Read more »
I wish and hope that they push for another season. This show realy rocks! Keep up the great work…
No never, its so brilliant i love it!!
I definitely think that Lie To Me should have been renewed by Fox for a 4th season. It was by far one of my favorite series of all time. You have a beautiful cast that works great together; then you add in drama, suspense, mystery, love, and a ton of other emotions to create a great masterpiece. What upsets me most I think is the fact that we never actually see what happens between Cal and Gillian, it is like a story will never end for me since the show was cancelled and all. What Fox should have taken into… Read more »
I found it on netflix and I think it´s a great series ! BRING IT BACK!!! great charaters and actors! Tim is
super funny!
They really should put lie to me back on!! The show is amazing and really funny to watch. It’s also very addicting and never knew when it was on tv…so I never knew when to watch it and depressed they canceled the show!! Watching it on netflix is the best and really hope they bring it back on.
Lie to me has to be my favorite show ever. It is the only one that truly made me feel connected with the characters. The acting is superb and every episode is exciting and compelling. I did not discover it until I found it on Netflix. Which goes to show that it was most likely Fox’s fault as to why the show did not do well. They should have advertised it more or something. But anyways, I just finished the final episode. I feel very sad to think that none of these characters stories will go on. There is so… Read more »