Major CBS Drama Could Be Headed for Cancellation, Report Says

Is True Lies on the chopping block? More than a month has passed since the most recent CBS scripted renewals were announced, but there is still no word on the fate of the new midseason drama that debuted on March 1. According to Deadline, the series reboot of the hit movie has failed to find an audience, “ranking as CBS’ lowest-rated scripted series of the season four weeks in. At this point, the series is not likely to return but remains on the bubble.” However, the show’s future may not be all doom and gloom, as ratings appear to be moving in the right direction since this report was released. For its April 12 episode, True Lies attracted its largest audience since its premiere (2.7 million) and maintained its demo rating (0.2), according to TVLine. Last week the 18-49 demo actually rose from .2 to .3, but there was a slight decrease in viewers overall to 2.6 million. So far, The season average is .3 in the demo, with an audience of 2.7 million and two more episodes left to air, per TV Series Finale.

True Lies is based on the fan-favorite 1994 James Cameron spy film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. In the action series, stars Ginger Gonzaga and Steve Howey step into the lead roles as Harry Tasker (Howey); an unassuming computer consultant who is secretly a first-class international spy for the US’ Omega Sector; and his wife, Helen (Gonzaga), a language professor tired of her everyday routine. In one shocking revelation, she discovers that her seemingly ordinary husband is living a double life. When her secret is out, his agency recruits her, and despite the challenges she faces, she amazes everyone with her impressive capabilities. The couple’s emotionally distant marriage is brought back to life with Harry’s help, and together, they disrupt Omega Sector’s top-secret operations.

In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Howey, and Gonzaga spoke highly of working with one another on the show’s intense action setpieces. “I was really excited to work with Ginger because when I met her in the [script] reading when I had to read Helen, she came in and improv’d all this stuff, and it was so easy and fluid, and she’s funny, and she’s good, and she’s sweet,” Howey said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be amazing.’” He continued, “And then as I got to know her on the pilot, I was like, ‘Oh, you’re rad. Not only are you really good, but you’re super funny and you’re kind and you’re sweet.’ So she didn’t bring all the baggage that a lot of actors can bring because being on camera, you’ve got to have a little bit of an ego. You’ve got to have a little bit of self-awareness and to put that off. Well, some of those eccentricities that come with that are sometimes a lot to deal with. Ginger had none of that. Her worst moments are some of the best moments of others. So I was really excited with that. And we supported each other and we went through it and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But we did it.”

Gonzaga, who came to True Lies after working opposite Tatiana Maslany on the Marvel/Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, said of Howey, “Well, first of all, I’m lucky that I went from Tatiana to Steve because they’re both, I’ve been so lucky. They’re both so rad, and they’re both so fun to work with. So I was just lucky and then lucky again. ” Feature film adaptations on TV have had mixed results. In some cases, the runs have lasted for many years, while in others, they only last one season. Despite its success in the 1990s, there is uncertainty about how well True Lies will work on television nearly 30 years later. Whether True Lies the series will be canceled or renewed for season two remains to be seen.