After the show’s unsuccessful summer on NBC, fans of The Listener have been hoping that the drama would still return for a second season. Well, the show has been renewed but viewers here in the states may not be seeing the episodes.
The Listener follows a young paramedic named Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) who has the mysterious ability to hear people’s thoughts. The series also features the talents of Lisa Marcos, Ennis Esmer, Mylene Robic, Arnold Pinnock, Anthony Lemke, Lara Jean Chorostecki, John Fleming, and Colm Feore.
The series is produced by Canada’s Shaftesbury Films, in conjunction with CTV, Space, and Fox Intl. Channels. In February 2008, during the 2007-08 writers strike, NBC decided to license the first season of 13 episodes.
The show began its run in the US some 16 month later, in early June 2009, but they were not a ratings success. The first two episodes attracted an average rating of 3.7 in the coveted 18-49 demographic but the numbers dropped to a low of 2.2 by week five.
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NBC decided to pull The Listener after eight episodes and released the remaining five installments for online viewing at Hulu.com.
The first season was a bigger success in Canada and other countries so a second season of 13 episodes has been commissioned. CTV and Space will air them in Canada and Fox Intl. Channels will continue to distribute the show to worldwide markets.
Christina Jennings, chairman of Shaftesbury Films, said, “The Listener is proof positive that Space and CTV are committed to creating and supporting successful and popular television. Their renewed commitment ensures the international partnership led by Fox International Channels for the next 13 episodes.”
The series is expected to go back into production sometime in 2010, some two years after the first season was made.
Unfortunately, The Listener’s fate is still up in the air here in the states. NBC has cancelled the series so you won’t see it returning to the peacock network. However, there’s still hope for US fans.
Jennings says that the lack of support from a US network wasn’t a factor in the renewal. “We don’t need a U.S. outlet right now… But once the story department starts up in the new years and we get some scripts under our belt, we’ll canvas the US outlets to see. Certainly The Listener had fans in the states.”
What do you think? Would you like to see The Listener come back to the US or should it stay in Canada? Where would you watch it — on cable, DVD, or does it not make a difference?
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Image courtesy CTV.
=D Love the show and loving the fact that I get to see it in Canada.
I would love to have the Listener come back to the US, or at least have it on hulu or fancast… I am a college student, and I don’t have cable here, and not a lot of time during the week to watch it, but I would definitely watch it on the weekend when I have time online. I really hope that the U.S. does let the fans see the second season because I think it was a really great and awesome show, and if there is or was more adds promoting it maybe it would have been a bigger… Read more »
I would like to see The Listener come back to the U.S. Everytime I like a show yall take it off. I think it really has possibilities, so try it again.
This show has GOT to get sanother chance! I have been captivated by Toby and his search for his past, and his mother. The show ends with too many questions and a missing mother. I feel as if the show was just getting steam up for some more really good story telling. I have watched the whole first season in two days and I have looked everywhere for any more. I thought I found out that at least 4 of the second season were made but I can’t find them. Does anyone in Canada know if he ever found her?… Read more »
I love Toby,it is great,i am from Serbia!
the listener is an awesome series
i watched it on (( fox series )) channel
i loooove it ,, and i am waiting for season two
i am not from U.S ,, i am from UAE
so please bring it back
it’s really an great serise ,, it should not stop here
This is another great show with very good writers and an awesome cast. Again, this show had a little bit of everything that both me and my 2 daughters enjoyed; me 47, 1 daughter is 28 and my other daughter is 12; quite a range to capture attention of all ages, wouldn’t you say ?
i was so confused and upset when they stopped showing it!!! the fact that the second season actually exists makes me happy, but i want it HERE in the U.S. where i can actually see it!!!!!
Hey guys, i would really like to sit down, on weekday evenings with a cup of hot tee, and watch this. It has become important for me recently, and i really hope for the best. I kinda think it was a pretty bad move to cancel it, because there are thousands of fans all over the world, wondering (maybe not every day) when the show will return. Don’t make this a monumental dissapointment for me, i’m counting on you guys.
I love The Listener! I don’t understand why NBC canceled it. I hope that if they do cme back with a second season that they will air it in the states!
I would love to see this show come back to the state’s !! They did a good job of captivating their viewers, just to pull the rug out from under them? Come on we deserve a little more respect than that! Don’t we? or do you feel you need the space for trash reality TV nowadays? Either way you took a great TV show off the air regardless the reason it was a wrong one! Shame on you NBS…. you just made a new name in my book! National BS Station! change your values it might go a” loooong ”… Read more »
I NEED the next season to come back PLEASE!!!!
Yes! I would love for it to come back!
It was a great show and it was really clever. I think that it was just not a good time to air it becuase people were usually busy during those times.
But honestly, its a great show and I dont think you shoudl leave the 3.5 million or whatever people to not know the ending. Especially when the last episode was a cliffhanger.
I really really hope it comes back…. at LEAST online.
I basically feel like I NEED to see a next season. They’ve done such a good job connecting you to the character and I feel for Toby and want to see him find his mother. I think the problem here in the states was lack of advertisement. If they were to have hyped the show up and created a sence of anxiety to watch the show, more people obviously would have. It’s an amazing show and if the US doesn’t want the second season please make it available for us fans to watch over the Internet. Thanks
yes i would love for it to come back. there’s something about these types of shows i like. for someone to help another just by hearing their thoughts is awesome and creative. BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!!!