Eyes are on the CBS shows that are on the bubble. The Equalizer is one of them, and that’s surprising for a lot of fans of the series.
The Equalizer is one of the more popular shows on the network, which makes the decision not to renew it just yet surprising. There are so many other shows already renewed, including Fire Country and NCIS: Sydney. Even SWAT just landed a surprise eighth season.
It’s not that CBS isn’t happy with the performance of the series. In fact, there is some positive news that suggests a renewal is on its way.
Why isn’t The Equalizer renewed yet?
The Equalizer isn’t a CBS-produced series. It comes from NBC Universal’s Universal Television, which is also where the Dick Wolf FBI dramas come from. Since Uni TV produces the show, CBS licenses them, and that leads to some extra negotiations that are needed. It all comes down to the cost of the licensing fees.
For CBS, it could work in the network’s favor. Licensing the shows is usually cheaper than creating its own content, so it means a renewal is somewhat more likely in tougher financial times. That’s especially the case when the series is performing as well as The Equalizer is. It just means a few extra negotiating steps.
Queen Latifah’s contract is up for renewal
On top of that are the contracts coming up for renewal. Queen Latifah’s contract is up for renewal, and the negotiation talks are reportedly in their final stages, according to Deadline. It looks like things are positive on those talks, which suggests that the series is going to be renewed.
As long as the series remains popular with the fans, CBS isn’t likely to cancel this show. We just have to look at the three-year deal with FBI and both International and Most Wanted being renewed for a season each. The latter two rank lower than The Equalizer in terms of average demo and total audience, so CBS will want to keep this strong performer too.
Could The Equalizer land more episodes?
While this season has been capped at 10 episodes due to the summer 2023 strike action, other seasons have been capped at 18 seasons. It is possible that CBS will request a full 20- or 22-episode season for The Equalizer Season 5. This makes sense if there is a flat rate for licensing the content as it will mean a lower cost per episode and a longer time frame—fans don’t like a lot of breaks in the schedule.
This is likely holding up negotiations. It was the reason why the SWAT negotiations failed in 2023 but were started up again.
We will hopefully hear in the next few weeks. But it sounds like it should be good news.
The Equalizer airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.