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.
PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL THIS SHOW, IT IS EXCELLENT AND NEEDS ANOTHER CHANCE. I CAN’T BELIEVE WITH ALL THE GARBAGE ON T.V. THAT THIS SHOW WOULD BE TAKEN OFF.
THANKS,
PAM
I absolutly love this show! Give it more advertising! Please do not cancel it. It is wonderful!!!!!
I really like the show. Please don’t cancel it. Maybe a different time slot but it’s too good to cancel. I like both stars. Give it another chance.
I agree with Kiki. It lacked audiences due to several different time slots, then when you would tune in, something else would be on. How does this help keep viewers? This would drive veiwers away expecting one show and receiving something else. I would also DVR the show and try to watch it the next day and instead, some other show was recorded in that time slot, and it was always a show that I would never watch. This and Blue Bloods are the best and only shows on Fridays. Choas is bad.
We loved the defenders compared to other CBS shows it was great. Some other shows sink!!!!! Please put it back on for another season.thanks sherry in va.
My husband and I really enjoy the Defenders. The cast is absolutely wonderful. We miss the show. Please KEEP the Show.
DONT CANCEL ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS ON YOUR NETWORK ,PUT IT ON THURSDAY OR SOME OTHER DAY OF THE WEEK THAN FRIDAY ,HELLO PEOPLE GO OUT ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY,SO GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT
BIG FAN MIKE
Don’t cancel! I love this show.
It has lack of following because it changed time slots so much. Best new show this year! Can’t cancel!! Keep it on any regular day and you will see the audience pick back up!
I really enjoy the Defenders. Do not think it should be cancelled
KEEP THE SHOW!!! I really like the show and ask you to stop stop switching the showing day. Jim and Jerry are great together. Give the show a chance. Also, Harry’s Law is a goooood show. Try NOT renewing some of the reality shows that are absolutely junk.
Great show!!!!!!!
We really love this show. Can’t imagine why it didn’t attact a bigger audience. It has everything going for it – great cast, good story lines, comedy and a bit of drama combined. For law and order, criminal junkies this show provides some relief (as also does Harry’s Law) to all the seriousness of those other shows.
We saw every episode some were DVO because they changed the time slot Fridays just is not a TV night for us thanks for the DVO we never miss anything but we don’t show up in the ratings I guess. KEEP THIS SHOW! Get rid of the dumb reality shows I know they have become popular to the networks because they are cheap to produce. I have watched about everyone at least once and seldom go back to watch the second episode because they are so mindless. KILL THE REALITY SHOWS! Keep the real entertainment and creativity like The Defenders.
Don’t Cancel It, it is a good show and would/will find a bigger audience if given a chance. Plus what else do they have to put on that would even be close to having a chance of success besides another stupid reality show??