Tonight marks the final episode of The Defenders for the season. How likely is the CBS freshman series to be back next fall with season two?
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 TV show stars veterans Jerry O’Connell and Jim Belushi as well as Jurnee Smollett, Tanya Fischer, and Gillian Vigman.
For its premiere, the series 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 now-cancelled, The Whole Truth.
Unfortunately, The Defenders’ audience slowly eroded over the course of the season and by January had hit a new low of a 1.5 rating in the demo and 6.81 million viewers. CBS switched the series to Fridays in February and, not surprisingly, the ratings got worse. On Fridays, Defenders has averaged a 1.3 demo rating and that’s worse than what now-cancelled Medium was getting in the same timeslot.
If you look at the season averages, The Defenders is one of CBS’ worst performers. Though the network has not officially cancelled it yet, it is hard to imagine that CBS execs would consider renewing it for a second season.
What do you think? Should The Defenders be cancelled? Why do you think the series hasn’t attracted a bigger audience?
Image courtesy CBS.
The Defenders is one of my husband’s and my favorite shows.
The chemistry between the actors is wonderful. Maybe try in
a different time slot. Not Friday! Please don’t cancel it.
Please DO NOT cancel. I normally do not watch regular tv shows, just home improvement, cooking, etc. but The Defenders is great, I love the interaction between the characters and story lines.
Defenders is a terrific TV Series. Love Jim and always
have liked his acting ability.
I like the humor along with the seriousness of the
scripts.
Hope it goes a 2nd year.
My husband and I really enjoy The Defenders. It is an enjoyable comedy/drama and hope it will not be cancelled.
The Defenders is one of the best shows on television–the writing, the acting, and the characterizations are all stellar. Belushi and Jerry work incredibly well together. Belushi REALLY shines. He handles both humor and drama equally well. The show works because the writing is so good. My husband and I consider it the second-best show on TV, after Harry’s Law. We looked forward to watching it every week, but knew when the network changed its slot to Friday night–a time for kids to watch TV or families to be at football games, the movies, or pizza parlors ,that its ratings… Read more »
Love the show!!! Do not cancel, please!! Great combination of characters, exciting plot, great setting. Fun to watch. Really appreciate the absence of graphic violence that permeates so many shows today.
Is the American Public so shallow that even The Defenders can’t make it. I really really like this show. Belushi and O’Connell are great together. There was nothing intellectual about, so American viewers should have liked it. What now, CBS, more “reality” tv cr@p? Males 18 – 49 aren’t the only consumers who watch tv.
I like the show, but not totally loving it. Cause not so crazy for Belushi, but love O´Donnel.
This show is terrific! CBS ruined it by making late Friday its time slot. Bring it back on Wednesdays at 8:00pm. It deserves one more season!
Love the defenders
Please do not cancel it
No! Please leave The Defenders on!
The ratings went down because they moved it to Friday! Why the hell someone would move a show already in danger to Friday is beyond me, but I still record it every time!
The Defenders had good actors, interesting story lines and character interaction, and a measure of witty humour mixed well with some serious subjects. The time slots (late WEdnesday, Friday) must have play havoc with a viewer audience. It is one of the better series on now. Please bring it back.
It is the best entertainment the past two years. We looked forward to a program that was funny and clever. Get rid of Blue Bloods.
DO NOT CANCEL DEFENDERS PLEASE!!! We love, love, love it. This is one of my families favorite new shows…. but Fridays…really CBS? Who watches TV on a Friday night? Thank goodness for DVR. Another great show that was cancelled due to an unfitting name and some of the worst advertising ever (or lack there of) was Terrier’s on FX!!!! That was upsetting enough so please CBS, do not cancel this entertaining program!! We will be heartbroken 🙁
Please Do Not Cancel the Defenders! It is a terrfic show – interesting cases, humor and great chemistry between the characters. My husband and I watch it every week and tape every episode just in case we are out on Friday night