After low ratings, the peacock network has pulled the plug on the series about a telepathic paramedic.
The Listener debuted on June 4th on NBC. Initially produced for Canadian networks, the drama revolves around a young paramedic (Craig Olejnik) who has the ability to hear other people’s thoughts. Through his job and abilities, he seeks to help those in need in any way he can.
Others in the cast include Lisa Marcos, Ennis Esmer, Mylene Robic, Arnold Pinnock, Anthony Lemke, Lara Jean Chorostecki, John Fleming, and Colm Feore.
On NBC, the show got off to a rocky start in the ratings. The two-hour premiere brought in 5.32 million viewers and just a 1.4/4 rating/share of the 18-49 demographic. Summer viewing expectations aren’t very high but it didn’t bode well that the program landed in third place in total viewers and the demo.
Things didn’t get any better for the later episodes. Last week, Listener’s numbers hit a series low with 3.3 million viewers and a tiny 0.7/2 rating in the demo. Even for Summer viewership, those numbers are quite poor for a major network.
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As a result, NBC has decided to end The Listener’s run prematurely. Next week’s episode will be the last to air on the peacock network and repeats of Law & Order will fill the timeslot after that.
The remaining five episodes of Listener are expected to be streamed online in August. The 13 episodes have already aired in many countries across the world and will continue to run in Canada.
Word is that the first season ends with plenty of unresolved mysteries. There’s been no news about the possibility of a second season for The Listener as yet but, if there is, you certainly won’t be seeing it on NBC.
What do you think? A good call by NBC or were you looking forward to seeing more?
Image courtesy NBC.
Another screw-up by NBC taking off another good show. I guess reality TV is all we will get now!
So sad to hear that this show was cancelled. I loved it! I wish more people did. I sure hope another network picks it up! I want to know if Toby finds his mom and brother!
yet again….if the show has something to do with anything “DIFFERENT” religious freaks have a hayday and try to boycott the networks. PLEASE, PLEASE let us normal, everyday people try to unwind with some good old tv at the end of the day. Just another reason to really ban tv from coming into my home. It’s already to the point where there is nothing really on worth watching anymore anyway. They take off good shows and show repeats of stupid shows or reality tv. Why pay for tv when everybody else gets to choose what I watch. NBC YOU ARE… Read more »
Come on NBC… What are you doing? The Listener is a great show!!! You didn’t even give it a chance. =(
Very sad to see this show cancelled. This is a great story line, perhaps a little bit of fine tuning on the supporting characters, acting lessons for the female cop and the side kick character, but Craig Olejnik is a fresh face and makes the character believeable. No one ever thinks there are any good shows on the main networks in the summertime, its a time when you see the shows you missed from regular season and catch new shows on other networks. Somebody give this show a chance and bring it back!
I really got hooked fast – but I agree, The Listener would attract the same audience as The Mentalist – put it on in a different time slot. There’s plenty of time to see L&O in reruns.
I’d watch it on any channel, and really hope someone picks it up.
Bad move NBC…………..Bring it back…………..PLEASE………..We LOVED it!!!!!
Bad move on NBC’s part, how are you going to cut a show after only a handfull of episodes…No wonder ratings are so bad. Give it a chance. Now Thursday night I am on CBS and ABC, who wants to watch Law and Order Reruns?
ugh, seriously, I loved that show, they should keep airing it! I’m so mad they aren’t airing it, If they do stream it online, I want to see it!
My husband and I loved the show and are very disappointed in NBC for pulling it off. We got hooked on it right away and looked forward to seeing it each week…..then it’s gone!!! Not fair!!! Give it a chance….it’s a neat slant and so cool to see how he solves the mysteries. We recorded both The Listener and The Mentalist so we could watch the next night. Please put it back on. I’m so tired of getting interested in a series and then having it taken off!!!
The problem was, the put ‘The Listener’ up against ‘The Mentalist’, a similar theme. People who were interested in the theme had to make a choice, and they chose ‘The Mentalist’. I was fortunate to have DVR so I could record both and watch them later. I hope to see more episodes of ‘The Listener’.
Bring back the listener, how is showing reruns of law and order going to bring up ratings!!!
Why can’t they give The Listener a chance to catch on before they pull it so soon? I was one who absolutely fell in love with it!! The cast was fantastic and the chemistry always made me smile… I told so many friends and family and after they watched one show, they too, were hooked!! I think NBC is making a HUGE mistake!! Give it time, and put it in a better time slot, and i believe everyone would love The Listener as much as i do….don’t give up on it so soon….
Every time I get into a good show, they cancel it. Why can’t they just run the full season?! Oh yea, because they’re stupid and don’t have the patience. The show was good. I wish that NBC could get some decent shows on.
Once again a major network company is not giving a show enough time to build it’s audience. it happened to Jericho, October Road, Traveler and now The Listener and those are only the ones I watched. Poor showing times don’t help either. The Networks need to show some patience.