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.
**** nbc just **** them. i finally find another show to help keep me happy since antidepressants don’t do ****, and they cancel it. just ****
Go figure. A good show finally comes on. A nice breath of air from the stupid reality TV people call entertainment and it get canceled. Bring it back. Screw NBC
@smallrage I am one of those Nielsen families and I watched it and loved it. I do agree that a show’s success should not be rated on just what I watch. Clearly there are more people that DID watch that are not a Nielsen family and their votes should be counted! Hopefully the 20 pages of posts will sway someone, right?
Bring back my favorite new show, go figure none of the CSI’s get yanks but finally a show that is a breath of fresh air and it gets axed. It took brains to watch this show that’s why hardly none of the 18000 people who have Nielsen rating boxes in their homes had. Just think ratings are based on 18000 so if your show isn’t one of the popular shows in the USA it does have a chance of surviving. No wondering TV isn’t worth watching anymore, to the executives that rely on these 18000 boxes its high time you… Read more »
Are you kidding NBC? Finally something different besides a so-called “reality” show and it gets pulled?! I believe primetime shows have taken a dive for the worst and finally a show that restores my faith and it gets dropped just like that. I will be looking for The Listener on another network…
I thought it was a really good show. My husband and I very rarely like the same shows and the only ones we watch together are NCIS and The Listener. I would love to see the remaining episodes from the first season and frankly I could care less if it is on NBC or not!
Darn just when I had finally found a series that both my husband and I like they start messing around with the idea of cancelling it.
Leave it alone , it can take a while to get a following.
Besides I have a major star crush on Toby and need my weekly fix.
My whole family really enjoyed this show. It’s probably the only thing on NBC we ever watch(ed). Would be great if TBS or someone would pick up this very entertaining series. Bad call, NBC!
NO NO NO NO!!!!! I just found out about the series too & I am sooo into it. I have been wanting to know when Season 2 starts so I can find out if he finds his Mom. It was such a good show. We need to riot. Come on people they can’t cancel it, it just barley started.
I hope just because I record and watch this at a different time had no effect on ratings. Don’t understand the ways of that world! With so much crap on now it is a sad thing to see a really well written and acted TV series taken off the air.
Let’s take off all the “acted” reality shows made for peeping toms who have boring lives of their own.
I love this show and am sad they quit airing it! It’s the summer, everyone DVRs everything and how do you cancel a show based on summer ratings anyway? Bad call NBC. If you didn’t have so many new shows to keep up with and were more selective then you would have better ratings for your shows. CBS is booming with hit dramas because they don’t have all these stupid 30min crap show premieres. Maybe we’ll be lucky and TRAMA and MERCY will be all it’s cracked up to be unlike SOUTHLAND. I love cop shows but never liked this… Read more »
I’ve only just discovered this show and just finished watching the finale, can’t believe NBC!! Actually yes I can as they always cancel the good shows and leave the mediocre shows to run!! Think this show is brilliant love the characters, I hope the Canadians carry on filming and if they do plese make it available in the UK.
I loved this show! I was on the edge of my seat for all of episode 13. NBC really is making a mistake if they don’t bring it back. CTV would do well to keep it going even if it doesn’t have NBC’s backing. They really need to learn not to repeat the mistakes other stations have made; like when Fox dropped “Firefly” and then it became this huge cult classic!
I thought it was better than shows like “The Mentalist” and “The Cleaner”. I am disappointed than it has not been renewed.
I thought the series was new and refreshing. Why pull this one when Ghost Whispers is mind boggling. Jim is Sam who is Jim again? The Listener was not given a true chance and I truly hope “someone” will read and reconsider.