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.
Simply put, this show should not have worked. Putting Belushi and O’Connell together was going to be a disaster. One of the new shows that I simply was not going to watch. But for some reason I did. Then it got better. Way better as the season went on. I just really hope it doesn’t get cancelled. But wasn’t it CBS that cancelled Jericho? Remember what happened with the nuts? Who knows what the minds of CBS are thinking.
Please do not cancel “The Defender’s”!! Love it one of the best shows on at any time. I dvr it also
I went looking for this TV show on the Internet to see what happened to it. That must tell you something CBS. !! Don’t cancel a good show!!!!!
Come on everyone, speak up and Defend , The Defenders!!
I love the show! Don’t care when it airs because I DVR it anyway and watch it at my convenience. Jim Belushi MAKES the show. Don’t cancel it!!!!
this show brings such fun to a friday night. i also dvr it, so it doesn’t matter what night it is on, but really enjoy all the characters-it’s fun and very entertaining. please don’t cancel. thank you
this is a fantastic show. I even got my mother addicted to it and she does not watch t v. why did channel 2 put it on Fridays a bummer! The rapport between the characters is smart and youthful. I love jim belushi. Go Bears! Keep it on or HBO,TNT or A and E pick it up, please!!!!!!!!
This show is excellent!! I know there have been shows that were almost cancelled the first season because they weren’t doing well but were given a 2nd chance and became hits. I think one was the original Dick Van Dyke Show. Please give the Defenders another shot in a better time slot!!
My husband and I LOVE this show & haven’t missed a single episode. I like the chemistry between Jim Belushi & Jerry O’Connell; it’s funny and entertaining. It’s so irritating when networks start juggling shows around in mid-season…how do they expect people to watch it if they keep changing the day/time slot? PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL this terrific show!!!!!
I think CBS should renew The Defenders for a second season. It is a very good show. With the few episodes that aired in the first season, and switching the day and time, it wasn’t given enough of a chance.
I admit I don’t watch any shows when they are actually on, instead I watch all my favorite
show’s on, “On Demand”. The Defenders is one of my favorites and the reason I am even leaving this comment is because I wanted to watch the show and couldn’t find it in the “On Demand” lineup. This is a great show and Jim Belushi is extremely entertaining .
I really love this show…please cbs…don’t cancel it!!
A keeper. So few shows to watch…this is very entertaining.
Please do not cancel the Defenders! It is interesting, funny and doesn’t have all the sex and violence that other shows have. Let’s have some good, clean TV show for a change. It is funny and entertaining. Do Not CANCEL!!!!
My gf and I love that show. I really hope cbs doesn’t go and screw this up like it did with ghost whisperer and medium. Sometimes I hate cbs!
I love this show. Please don’t cancel it. Never miss it….regardless what night it’s on.
I AGREE. Don’t cancel it. I loved watching it and miss Belushi.
The Defenders then Hawaii 50. Great line up there.
Don’t give us another mindless comedy show in it’s place. Who are you writing for??? You take off the good shows. Keep The Defenders. I went looking fir it on the Internet to see what happened to it, the must tell you so
Something !!!!
The Defenders is one of our favorite programs on CBS. The move from Wed to Fri did not affect us because we record our favorite shows for later viewing. We did not miss the Medium as it was getting boring, however, the Defenders was very entertaining. We like Jim Belushi. Our overall favorite shows are #1 NCIS with Mark Harmon, #2 Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck, #3 CSI NY, #4 Big Bang Theory, #5 The Mentalist, #6 Hawaii 50, #7 NCIS LA, #8 The Defenders.#9 Mike & Molly, #10 CSI used to be our #1 but since William Peterson left… Read more »