As reported on The Wrap
earlier this week, Fox’s Lie to Me didn’t receive a back nine order, casting a shadow of doubt on its renewal chances for next season. The psychological drama, starring Tim Roth, is currently in its third season where it’s been hovering around a 2.0 (+/- .2) in the 18-49 demographic all season. That may not sound that bad (especially since it took over for Lonestar), but it airs behind aging but still powerful House, which pulls in about a point and a half higher most weeks.
Should fans be worrying about Lie to Me not getting a back order? Honestly, yes. There’s not a great track record for shows that have an initial 13 episodes that don’t get a back 9 in terms of getting renewed for next season and Fox isn’t in a situation to start bucking that trend. With Simon Cowell’s The X Factor coming next fall along with hyped pilots from JJ Abrams and Stephen Spielberg, there’s simply not going to be enough room for Tim Roth and company.
Fox programs 15 hours; 3 of which are animated (with some football post-game as applicable), 2 of which are Saturday, and 3.5 are taken up by House, Glee, Raising Hope, and Bones (all surefire renewals for next season). That’s 8.5 hours still left in play, right? Well, X Factor is 3 hours, Hell’s Kitchen is 1 hour, and Spielberg’s Terra Nova is 1 hour, three more guaranteed pick-ups for next season that leave us with 3.5 hours. There’ll more than likely be a live action comedy picked up to pair with Raising Hope, so 3 hours remain. For arguments sake, let’s say they put a live action scripted show on Fridays, so they can pick up Abrams’s Alcatraz, Exit Strategy (a put pilot, i.e. if they don’t pick this up, they pay a penalty), and Locke & Key (already ordered to series). In addition, The Chicago Code could surprise, there’s a Bones spinoff in the works, and you never know what big name vanity project could be scooped up between now and May. Basically, it’s not unfathomable for them to cancel their three bubble shows (Fringe, Human Target, and Lie to Me) without hesitation.
Granted, Fox will have to do a little timesharing in order to make everything fit (their midseason 2011-12 should be pretty interesting, to say the least), but after a very soft fall season that saw them slip (mostly thanks to a little watched World Series and a lack of conference championship series baseball), I could see them really try to come out aggressively with big concept new programming. Of course, a lot can change between now and May, but if I were a Lie to Me fan, I would enjoy every second of the final handful of episodes and hope for the best. However, if it doesn’t get picked up for any additional episodes, be thankful that you had a show that you enjoyed for 3 solid seasons. It’s more than a lot of others can say.
Do you watch Lie to Me? How would you rate its chances of returning next season?
Disappointing, but not surprising. I watch LIE TO ME every week, but it's not the most compelling show on TV. FRINGE, on the other hand, is my favorite Fox show, and I'd be devastated if it were to be canceled.
As much as I have enjoyed Lie to Me, which is quite a bit, I have always felt that after the first season it just wasn't the same anymore. What got me hooked to the show was the aspect of seeing the tells in people that proved they were lying, something they stopped focusing on and made it into a Lightman only ordeal in the following seasons. I'll be sad to see it go, but not really surprised.
I used to watch Bones , but really It hadn't held my focus for awhile and I love Lie to me. Tim Roth plays a very interesting character which makes me happy and excited for the show every time it's on. I've rewatched season one and 2 and the interviews about why they changed things. I think it has a good story and should be continued…Though maybe TnT could pick it up or something.
I really enjoyed Lie to Me. It was a good series. It was a good fit for the series House. Also, I enjoy Bones.