Many people first became aware of actor Jimmy Smits when he co-starred back on NBC’s LA Law in the 1990s. He’s worked on many TV shows since then — The West Wing, Cane, NYPD Blue — with varying levels of success. Now, he’s back in the courtroom again, playing a lawyer on NBC’s Outlaw. How will this new series work out for him? A big success or a quick cancellation?
Outlaw follows a Supreme Court Justice (Smits) who decides to step down and go back to being a lawyer to fight injustices. The NBC series also stars Carly Pope, David Ramsey, Jesse Bradford, and Ellen Woglom.
NBC gave Outlaw a special preview on Wednesday September 15th, in the plum spot of following the season finale of America’s Got Talent. The series premiere was reasonably sampled with a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 10.68 million viewers. Those are okay numbers on their own but it’s not a good sign that Outlaw lost a significant amount of America’s Got Talent’s lead-in audience — 42% in the demo and 35% of total viewers.
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A couple days later, in its regular Friday night timeslot on the 17th, NBC reran the pilot episode. Outlaw performed terribly but, after all, it was a repeat. The rerun attracted just a 0.9 in the demo and 3.93 million viewers. The NBC execs were surely hoping originals would perform better.
Not so much. This past Friday, episode two of Outlaw only mustered a 1.1 rating in the all-important demo ratings and 4.99 million viewers (per the overnights). It was in last place in both categories and lost a large percentage of its lead-in audience from Dateline. Last year, an episode of The Jay Leno Show even did better with a 1.6 and 5.79 million.
With ratings like these, it’s hard to imagine that NBC would bother ordering more episodes beyond the initial 13 installments. They may in fact decide to pull the show altogether and plug in repeats of another series. It looks like it’ll soon be back to the drawing board for Mr. Smits.
What do you think? Did you watch Outlaw? Do you like it? Is it worth saving or should it just be cancelled?
Image courtesy NBC.
I can never understand why a TV show will go out of its way to upset half its viewing audience. I don’t care about politics because I believe the entire institution is corrupt but I can understand why people on the right would never watch this show. The editor of the show has gone out of his way to insult those with a conservative view point and it has resulted in most conservatives tuning off the show.
Here’s some advice to Hollywood: Stay out of politics if you want your show to survive.
Episode 2 was much better. Keep Smits, get him some help cast-wise. The simpering blonde clerk looking for sexy underwear to attract her boss, the kiss-up (same part he played in West Wing) male legal clerk, and Lucinda – a classless knock-off of Calinda (Good Wife). They couldn’t even give her an original name – and she’s not sexy, she’s a ****. His partner is the only other redeeming character. Give him good help and keep improving the writing and this one could be a keeper.
I like it. I found it better than Blue Bloods, which has the same old NY cop family premise. Smits is terrific – even better than I remember him.
Keep it, I didn’t know the night O_o
Cancel it. Lousy story line. Demeans Supreme court. Totally not believable. Jimmy can’t carry a show alone
CANCEL IT!!!! The character is a prideful douche who defends racial profiling!!! CANCEL IT!!!!
Silly. Smits is impressive and all, but the basic premise is so ludicrous as to torpedo the whole show.
I liked it – but didn’t know which night it was on.
I loved jimmy in cane and you cancelled it. Now I love him in this show. Please dont cancel. Just quit moving it around.
Worst pilot I’ve seen in a long time and the second episode is not much better.
Kill the show; keep Smits. Just give the guy a good role somewhere.
I agree with sxrub on the first show. The second eppi was better, got to know more about Cyrus’ motives. He’s still pushy, but I liked him better in eppi two.
this last epi was great…looking forward to next week and many more.
I love Jimmie Smits, but the swhow is not good at all. His character is arrogant and treats his team like dirt, hi legal partner with zero respect , and he’s boring in the courtroom. Thw writer mailed in their efforts.
Keep it and don’t keep moving it around so it can’t be found
keapit