CBS has cancelled Queen Latifah-fronted drama ‘The Equalizer‘ after 5 Seasons, the US network has announced.
Latifah starred as Robyn McCall, who comes across to most as an average single mom, quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she was an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption, who used her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn.
Unfortunately, the news of ‘The Equalizer’ coming to an end is not a huge shock. The series comes from an outside studio (Universal Television) and five seasons in, making it more expensive. Plus, it had middling ratings, which is not a place you can afford to be on a highly competitive network like CBS. It only landed a renewal last year after Universal agreed to reduce costs.
There had been some discussions this year about it getting a final 6th Season, with further reductions to cost. The producers and Latifah (who is also an EP on the drama) had managed to reduce the finances, but ultimately, given its middling ratings, CBS opted not to move forward and end it with season five. They had also been talking about a potential spin-off series starring Titus Welliver (Bosch), but it was announced last week that CBS were not moving forward with that either, so the writing was on the wall…
Whilst ending the show with season five was obviously not the plan, according to reports, the producers had hedged their bets and crafted the season five finale so it could serve as a series finale if needed. So it might not be the neatest end to the show, but it should at least have some sort of conclusion and not end on a cliffhanger.
‘The Equalizer’ was pretty much the last of CBS’s crop to learn its fate this season. It joins ‘FBI: International‘, ‘FBI: Most Wanted‘, ‘The Neighborhood’, ‘Poppa’s House’, and ‘S.W.A.T.‘ on this year’s cancellation pile.
Andrew Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller, Dana Owens (Queen Latifah), John Davis, John Fox, Debra Martin Chase, Richard Lindheim (co-creator of the original “Equalizer” TV series that ran on CBS for four seasons), Shakim Compere, Joseph C. Wilson and Loretha Jones were executive producers for Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with CBS Studios. Executive producers Joseph C. Wilson and Adam Glass were the co-showrunners.
‘The Equalizer‘ Season 5 is currently airing in the UK on Wednesdays at 9pm on Sky Witness & streaming service NOW.
