Back in the 1960’s, CBS had a successful courtroom series starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed. Now, CBS has premiered a very different legal TV show with the same name, The Defenders. The first one ran for four seasons. Will the new version outlast it or be quickly cancelled?
The Defenders follows a pair of lawyers operating out of Las Vegas. They’ll do just about anything for their Sin City clients, often taking on cases no one else will touch, and try to keep their sanity while doing it. The new TV show stars Jerry O’Connell, Jim Belushi, Jurnee Smollett, Tanya Fischer, and Gillian Vigman.
In its first week on the air, The Defenders dominated its timeslot with a 2.9 in the coveted 18-49 demographic and 12.2 million total viewers. That put the new show in first place in both categories and essentially doubled the performance of ABC’s new law show, The Whole Truth.
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On the downside, Defenders did lose 27% of the demo audience from lead-in Criminal Minds. It also lost viewers during the hour but that wasn’t huge. In the same timeslot, last year’s CSI: NY scored a much better 4.0 and 15.06 million.
Ultimately though, The Defenders had a solid premiere (especially if you compare it to Whole Truth). If they can retain or grow the audience, CBS should be quite happy with this new drama. They certainly can use it since some of their returning dramas have been around for quite some time and have been showing audience declines.
But, what do you think? Did you tune in? Is The Defenders a show that you’d watch week after week or would you rather see it cancelled?
Image courtesy CBS.
The Defenders is an excellent show; it doesn’t matter what day it is on, just let me know, and I’ll be there; communicates some real truths in witty fashion – irony…very good
PLEASE – do NOT cancel The Defenders! It’s funny, sympathetic, keeps our attention, good story lines – and not smutty! We have missed it these last few weeks so are delighted to see it will air again this week. Like everyone else, we prefer Wednesday night viewing. But, we’ll take it whenever we can see it. So many really good shows have been canceled. We loved Boston Legal but sometimes it was a little toooo graphic in content!
DO NOT CANCEL, the show is better than blue bloods.
The Defenders and Blue Bloods are the two best shows on TV at this time! Since it has aired I have set aside the late Wednesday nght and Friday night time slots to view them. It is inconsequential to me which airs when, because I wouldn’t miss either of them. My fervent hope is that they BOTH remain on air for my enjoyment.
Please don’t cancel this show. I absolutely love it. I watch it on demand and on it’s regular night. The cast is hilarious together. Definitely one that should NOT be cancelled.
THIS IS THE BEST SHOW EVER. HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK OF CANCELING THIS SHOW.
THIS IS THE BEST SHOW, IT IS ONE SHOW i COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK OF CANCELLING THIS SHOW…………….
HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK OF CANCELLING THIS SHOW ITS WONDERFUL TERRIFIC AND i THINK JIM AND JERRY ARE A GREAT MATCH AND THEY ADD TO EACH OTHER. nOT ONLY THAT ITS SUCH A PLEASURE TO WATCH A SHOW WITHOUT ALL THE SEX AND SHOWS THAT GOODNESS AND BEING FAIR AND HONEST CAN WIN YOU CASES. FOR ONE THING IT PUTS LAWYERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THEY COULD USE THE HELP. i CANNOT IMAGINE ANYONE CANCELLING THIS SHOW UNLESS THEY ARE IDIOTS.
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL. This is one show me and my husband love to watch together. It’s the best new show on. I wish it would have stayed on Wednsday but we will watch it any night that it comes on.
PLEASE don’t cancel the Defenders or move them from their time slot on Wednesday nights. My husband and I look forward each week to this show and am not happy it is being moved to Friday night!!
Please, please leave things alone!!
This is a great series. From NY loved to watchand tape it if I a not home. I miss it.
All the good legal shows get cancelled. I forget te orginal series on ABC but Boston Legal
was the sequel to it. I loved both shows. The defenders were replacing those lost shows.
Please dont cancel it. Loved it.
Every week since I discovered it, I have looked forward to The Defenders on Wednesday night. I really hope CBS will keep it, and I wish it were still on Wednesday, so I would definitely have a program I enjoy mid-week. I don’t care for Blue Bloods–dreary.
We live & Las Vegas & love the show The Defenders! Hopefully it’s not going to get cancelled!!! It’s in a good time slot on Wed. night, but we’ll watch it on any night! The writing is fresh & funny & all of the characters really “gel” together! Watching Jim Belushi’s & Jerry O’Connell’s characters get into yet another sticky legal situation is always fun! Of course, it’s always a kick to see many of the familiar Vegas “hot spots” along the way… Keep this show on the air!
Please don’t cancel the defenders. I looked forward to wednesday night at 10, and now I see the blue bloods. Not a big fan of this show, so I’m looking for something else to watch now.
I love The Defenders. Please bring it back. Blue Bloods is good but I think it should
have stayed where it was! Wednesday is already loaded with good shows and I
always TVO’D everything so I could watch The Defenders.