‘The Equalizer’ Season 2? CBS Reveals If Queen Latifah’s Show Will Return

CBS has renewed Queen Latifah‘s The Equalizer for a second season, the network announced. “The Equalizer has proven more than equal to the task of engaging viewers and racking up wins on Sunday night,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment, in a statement. “We’re extremely proud to see this outstanding broadcast drama, led by Queen Latifah, punch through the competitive landscape and return for a second season.” Latifah echoed the announcement in a tweet, sharing her excitement.

CBS boasts the series as TV’s no. 1 scripted series in viewers, averaging a total of 14.6 million viewers. Using Super Bowl Sunday as its official premiere date, the show brought in 23.8 million viewers –– making it the most-watched debut of the 2020-21 season. The network also says the series premiere delivered the best viewer and demo numbers since the Academy Awards, which premiered last February.

In this reimagined version of the 1985 classic TV series, Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, “an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn,” according to the synopsis. “McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.” The show marks the second time the Equalizer series has been rebooted. Denzel Washington took on the role in the film of the same name in 2012 and again in the 2018 sequel. Edward Woodward starred in the original Equalizer, which ran for four seasons on CBS, ending in 1989.

Chris Noth, Lorraine Toussaint, Tory Kittles, Adam Goldberg, Liza Lapira, and Laya DeLeon Hayes join Latifah. The Grammy award winner and Academy Award nominee also serves as an executive producer on the show and Andrew Marlowe, Terri Miller, John Davis, John Fox, Debra Martin Chase, Richard Lindheim, and Shakim Compere. Lindheim is credited as the co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series.