Lifetime has decided to cancel their Sunday night drama, The Protector, after one season on the air. The decision doesn’t come as a surprise since the writing has been on the wall for awhile. While the Ally Walker series has some devoted fans, the ratings just weren’t high enough for a second season.
The Protector follows Gloria Sheppard (Walker), a single mother and detective in the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division. A recent divorcee and single mother, Gloria has to perform her duties as a homicide detective while taking care of her young sons, Nick (Sage Ryan) and Leo (Thomas Robinson). They all move in with her brother, Davey Sheppard (Chris Payne Gilbert), and he helps her raise the boys. At work, Gloria works on some of Los Angeles’ most high profile crimes with her partner, Detective Michelle Dulcett (Tisha Campbell-Martin). They work alongside officer Ramon “Romeo” Rush (Terrell Tilford), Detective Buerge (Larry Joe Campbell) and Detective Van Stone (James Hanlon), while being overseen by commanding officer Lieutenant Felix Valdez (Miguel Ferrer).
The drama debuted on Sunday June 12th to 1.89 million viewers and a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Viewership for the following episodes declined and the first six episodes averaged 1.37 million viewers and a 0.4 rating.
In August, Lifetime shifted The Protector to Monday nights at 10pm to make way for another new drama called Against the Wall. The first episode in that new Monday timeslot dropped to just 849,000 viewers with a 0.3 rating. The following week, Lifetime shifted Protector out of primetime to 11pm where the numbers (not surprisingly) dropped again to 600,000 viewers and a 0.2 rating in the demo.
Though there won’t be a second season for The Protector, Lifetime has indicated that they will air the two remaining installments, on September 12th and September 19th.
While The Protector has been cancelled, no decision has been made about the fate of Against the Wall. That freshman series has significantly improved on Protector’s ratings, despite a decline in Drop Dead Diva’s numbers.
What do you think? Will you miss The Protector? Was it worth watching? Should it have been cancelled or renewed for season two?
Image courtesy Lifetime.
I can’t believe that you would cancel a show with Ally Walker in it, you should he glad she agreed to be on your network. If you would put it on at a decent time I believe it would be a big hit. Most people have to get up a five o’clock or earlier and can’t watch a show a good show that starts at 11:00pm.
I watched the first couple of episodes of The Protector and then lost track of it. I do watch, and like, Against the Wall.
Grrr….
I love this show. These two detectives make a great pair. I will miss this show.
What a pity The Protector has been canceled. It should have been given more time to prove itself. I hope Against the Wall doesn’t go the same way.
I watched the first episode, and that was enough for me. Didn’t capture my interest at all. One problem is the Lifetime cop shows are too tame. Some people might like that, I don’t. If you want tame detective shows, watch Diagnosis Murder. I want something with some action, and suspense, and yes, it should be somewhat graphic, because that’s how real life is.
I will go against the grain and say I am glad this show is going. I got through the first two episodes, and then I had to stop. The plots were just not interesting.
Too bad they made the announcement so soon since this show will air in Canada on broadcast TV this fall on CTV Two. (http://www.channelcanada.com/Article6059.html) Knowing the series is over before it even begins will likely have a negative impact on viewership. I was at first neutral about the series but it was growing on me week after week and now I find I’m sad it’s not returning for season two.
I like both these shows. I think they’d do well if they were on a REAL network that everybody watches.
I agree STOP CANCELLING!! Lifetime did give this show a chance. It show had a story line, good actors/actress. Please bring this show BACK!!!
How stupid. Finally find some decent programing and they cancel it. Shows how ignorant these network excutives are. I can cross one more network off my list.
I just discovered this network and this show. I love it and thought maybe this network had some intelligent excutives who would recognize great programming and give it a chance but apparently they are no smarter than NBC, FOX and ABC cancelling great shows without caring about thier viewers. Thought I had found a new network to watch guess I was wrong will not watch anymore of thier new shows. One moer network off my list.
That’s a shame. I liked Ally Walker quite a bit in The Profiler. To be honest, I’d never heard of this series nor saw it advertised. Perhaps that’s one reason it garnered so few viewers?
This sucks!
STOP CANCELING the descent shows ! i am sick to death of reality and stupid shows