By Michaela Gordoni
CBS just made sure THE EQUALIZER’s fifth season is its last.
The show, starring Queen Latifah, had its finale on Sunday night. The Hollywood Reporter’s Rick Porter wrote the show’s ratings fell as Season 5 got placed at a later time slot on Sunday nights.
The show had 74 episodes across five seasons. Season 5 averaged slightly under 6 million viewers. Last season had 7.89 million. While the drop in viewers is an obvious cause for the cancellation, other factors include budget cuts and over-programming by CBS, Taste of Country reported.
CBS also recently canceled FBI: INTERNATIONAL, FBI: MOST WANTED, POPPA’S HOUSE, BLUE BLOODS and S.W.A.T.
THE EQUALIZER also stars Tory Kittles, Adam Goldberg, Liza Lapira, Laya DeLeon Hayes and Lorraine Toussaint. A spinoff with Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz was in talks, but CBS eventually nixed the idea. Feliz and Welliver guest-starred in an episode last month that would have launched the spinoff series.
The show was a reboot of the 1985 series that starred Edward Woodward. The reboot was nominated for the NAACP Image Awards, People’s Choice, a Critics’ Choice and a BET award, the New York Post reported.
Queen Latifah shared a goodbye to her role as ex-CIA agent Robyn McCall on social media on May 2.
“…THE EQUALIZER blew past every dream we had for it, and having the opportunity to do this for five seasons honestly feels surreal,” she said. “Thank you to our amazing cast, crew, and producers and writers!”
“And I can’t say enough about the FANS! Y’all have been so loyal, so loud, and so ride-or-die — and that’s exactly why we keep doing this,” she continued. “We can’t thank you enough. It means the world to us.”
Related: JOYFUL NOISE – Queen Latifah & Dolly Parton interview
“And don’t worry — I’ll be back kicking a** in something new real soon. Can’t wait to share it with you.”
Layla De Leon Hayes, who plays Latifah’s daughter Delilah on the show, also gave a thank you to the show’s supporters, adding that the show has been an incredible opportunity for her.
“@theequalizercbs this show came into my life right before the pandemic and was a dream come true,” she said on Instagram on May 3. “i am honored to have grown up on this show.”
“Playing delilah has been an absolute gift,” she continued. “I am forever changed and eternally grateful🌠”
As THE EQUALIZER leaves, CBS is bringing in a new slate of shows. It will release its 2025-26 schedule this coming Wednesday.
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