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, oh please, keep The Defenders, a-n-d—return it to Wednesday night!
Why don’t people watch the defenders. It is a good show. And could only be replaced by something that would get cancelled. O’Connell and Belushi are well cast in this. It’s not groundbreaking or anything but it isn’t bad either and a good lead in for CSI NY.
Defenders is a great show!!!! It shows all the shady back door dealings done in the judicial system and I love it!!!! CBS KEEP THE DEFENDERS!!!!
I LOVE IT! Please KEEP IT!
Love the show! Give it a worthy timeslot and ratings will come. Good writing, great actors, good chemistry. 2nd season please!
Please, please do not cancel this show. We love it!!! The writers are very creative on solving the cases. It is one of the best shows on T V. DO NOT CANCEL!!!!!
Networks have to stop the old practice of deciding wether or not to renew a program from the nelso ratings. With prople DVR one or two programs at the same time it is difficult to tell which program they are watching. I DVR alot, that does not mean that I do not enjoy or want the programs to be cancled
I guess I don’t understand how the ratings truly work. All I know is that Medium was pulling in about 6.8 million viewers each week, whereas The Defenders were averaging about 9 million, on Friday evenings. A very tough night. The Defenders needs to be in a 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. timeslot. Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m. would be great. Or at very least, Fridays at 9:00. Get rid of CSI: New York. The Defenders is too promising to give up on, and CBS has squandered way too many great shows over the past few seasons.
They deserve a second season….I think it’s a good show, with two great actors who compliment each other.
I love the Defenders. I don’t think CBS marketed this show correctly. Heck I don’t think they really marketed it at all. Moving it the Friday night did not help at all. Come on guys, find the right night and time and give it the love and care it deserves. .
I LOVE the Defenders.Why is it when they finally have a very good show they don,t want to keep it.If the ratings are low on Friday switch it back.
Are you nuts! Possibly cancelling the ‘Defenders’! You know why it isn’t rated high. Friday night ‘kill the show’ night. Why would you idiots even consider putting a new show in its 1st season on one of the 2 nights that most people are out? The Medium held its own for years so you renewed it and put it on Friday night and ‘DUH” guess what happened? Why can’t you keep shows I like verses all the garbage reality shows that only idiots that need a ‘life’ watch. PLEASE CHANGE THE NIGHT AND KEEP THE DEFENDERS, AN AMAZING FUN SHOW… Read more »
Donna is right on the money!
We look forward to this show as it is FUN, FRESH and UPLIFTING with some laughs.
It is not GARBAGE like 2 1/2 men that used to run @ an inappropriate time slot for young teens/tweens. (I’m not against beautiful women with clevage).
Put the DEFENDERS on during an appropriate time-slot and you’ll see that it will do very well.
Chuck Stock
Love this show. One of the few shows that both my husband and I watch together. He doesn’t enjoy to many series on tv. The chemistry between all the cast is great. The story lines are great and funny . They are not all serious and that is what appeals to us about the show.Please keep it on.
I absolutely LOVE this show. What can they replace it with — oh, let me guess, Can we say another stupid reality show! I hope that the powers to be give it another chance. Some of the best shows have started slow. I’m sure that the time slot doesn’t help matters either.
KEEP IT!!
I love this show….PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL IT!!