CBS has pulled the plug on "Doubt," a new drama series which stars Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) and Laverne Cox (Orange Is The New Black). The one hour drama has aired only two episodes from its 13-episode first season.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network's decision to pull the show from their schedule is due to its lackluster ratings. Doubt's series premiere, which aired on Feb. 15th, debuted to a 0.8 rating among adults 18-49 and slipped again on its second week to a 0.6 rating.
Also starring Dulé Hill, Steven Pasquale, "Doubt" centers on a brilliant attorney (Heigl) at a boutique firm who starts to fall for her charismatic client, an altruistic pediatric surgeon recently accused of murdering his girlfriend 24 years ago. Although the show was heavily promoted, it was clear that its premise did not appeal to viewers.
A review written by Ryan Schwartz from TV Line, however, seemed to suggest that CBS has given the show an unfair treatment because the premiere is not the worst pilot they've seen. In fact, Schwartz even praised Heigl's performance in the show's first hour.
"Heigl might have finally found the right post-Grey's vehicle," Schwartz wrote.
"Her presence, combined with a strong ensemble and compelling backstory, should hook viewers and allow the series the time it needs to work out the kinks."
To fill for the void left by "Doubt," CBS will air an encore episode of "Bull' on the show's Wednesday 10PM time slot on March 1st. Beginning on March 8th, the network will begin airing new episodes of "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders."
"Doubt" was the first freshman series that was pulled from the 2016-2017 TV season. As of now, CBS has already given full-season orders to "Bull," "The Great Indoors," "Kevin Can Wait," "MacGyver" and "Man With a Plan."
The fate of fellow freshman drama, "Pure Genius" is yet to be determined.
