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.
 Loading ... |
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.
Lovce the show. Please keep it on the air. Try a different time slot if you have to.
It is understandable why NBC has fallen in the ratings, when good quality shows such as Outlaw are cancelled. Here, it was scheduled for Friday night and that is a bad night for any show. We are never home on Friday but I always recorded it, gave us something to watch on rerun Saturday. This show was the only show, besides Parenthood, NBC had to offer this season that was worth watching. I guess Parenthood will be next. If you don’t bring Outlaw back, NBC will truly be appropriately called “The Biggest Loser” network.
I like the show and enjoy Jimmy Smits. I think he is great, please bring it back
I can’t believe you canceled this show you kept bouncing it around I couldn’t even follow it and then it was off the air Jimmy Smit is a great actor in all aspects…Give it a shot and put it on regular viewing time and see what happens Thank you Sharon
Outlaw was an excellent show and I missed seeing it on Friday nights. I am also awaiting its return to the network, if that is possible how can you expect a show be successful if it is never debued.
We love this show! Why would you cancel it so soon, give it a chance. NBC should put it on during the week and leave it there.
Love this show. I looked forward to Friday nights when Outlaw was on. So upset that the show was cancelled. NBC needs to give this show a chance. Please bring Outlaw back!!!!
Who makes your decision on what stays on TV. They couldn’t be over 20 years old or they would see that this program is GREAT. It is has the things that you look for in a show. The characters are diverse and they all work together well. It doesn’t have a lot of sex and violance and that is why you probably want to cancel it. Maybe you should rethink your decision. We need a few more shows like Outlaws to reminds people how to relax and enjoy a show that takes their mind off of the everyday and yet… Read more »
I completely agree, I am 18 and in love with this drama. Not all of us young people are dumb, a few of understand it’s quality tv!
I left a comment for the first time in my life and it wouldn’t go through because they said I had already left a comment. This is a mistake. I am for Outlaw being brought back and have never written anything before. How could you think I was writing more than once.
I enjoyed OUTLAW with Jimmy Smits. He is a very good actor, just as he played in LA LAW. I do not believe that raqce should play into the equation as to whether or not to keep the show. There have been many successful shows that show different races as to be Mexican, african-american or not. But what I can say is the shpw OUTSOURCE is totally a show that should betaken off the air. Just like having to soeak to another person across the water, India where you can barely understand what they say. I say keep OUTLAW and… Read more »
I love this show. I watch a lot of TV and Outlaw has great writers. Smits delivers the crisp dialogue with great conviction. Excellent acting. I’m now a real fan of his. Please take the show out of the dreaded “Saturday” slot. Try it in prime time for six months. For me it addresses serious issues (the last–schools and racism) with heroism and at least some resolve. I think it’s inspirational. Gives me a spark of hope that this country CAN pull itself up out of the mud.
I provided my first comment early this am. and, have been so very upset AND even more disappointed with their irrational programming antics! I hope all of the fans of this innovative, hopeful and intriguing Show watched it – tonight – all of the episodes have been amazing HOWEVER TONIGHT’ SHOW was, in my opinion, the most dynamic and compelling one thus far – absolutely ALL of the planets were aligned tonight with this show – it contained the drama, intrigue, controversial subject matter (an issue that still unfortunately exists – public school system segration in the USA),, legal perfection… Read more »
This has the makings of a good show. it is fast moving and has a lot of twists and turns. I like it and hope that it will be renewed under better circumstances. It looks that they set it up for failure.
HEY! NBC did not give Outlaw a chance! I’ve been looking for it! BRING IT BACK!!!!! I REALLY LIKE THE SHOW!!!!! SO DID MY HUSBAND! C’MON NBC, IF YOU HAD LEFT THE SHOW AT A REGULAR TIME INSTEAD OF BOUNCING IT AROUND THE NETWORK SCHEDULE. YOU WOULD HAVE HAD MORE VIEWERS!!!!
BRING IT BACK!!!!!!
Anxiously looking for its return in KCKS.
We saw two episodes of this show and went on vacation and had the show taping while we were gone. Have been looking for it and finally came online to see what happened. We loved the show and have always liked Smits. Please bring it back. You didn’t give him a fair chance. I thought at last there were two good new shows with Jimmy Smits and Tom Sellect.
I agree with Patti. I was so disappointed when you cancelled CANE and now you’ve cancelled OUTLAW without giving it a real chance. I’ve been a Jimmy Smits fan for a long time. Just don’t put it back on Monday night. That’s NBC’s best TV night