True Lies came to CBS in 2023 as the TV take on the 1994 film that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in the lead roles. With Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga playing Harry and Helen Tasker for the series, the episodes so far (available streaming via Paramount+ subscription) have delivered some seriously cinematic action with a kind of spycraft not found anywhere else on the small screen. With network TV finale season approaching and no renewal for True Lies just yet, it’s worth looking ahead to the future… and back at what showrunner Matt Nix already had to say about the show’s approach to spycraft.
How True Lies Approaches Spycraft
A lot was bound to be different between the new show and the classic film, and not just because of the differences in format of a movie (with no sequel) and an ongoing broadcast network series. What the True Lies spies can do in 2023 is a big step up from what they could do in 1994 thanks to all the technological advances. When CinemaBlend spoke with showrunner Matt Nix at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta earlier this year, I asked if the advanced technology of 2023 elevated the spycraft and helped to set the show apart, and he shared:
There's an element of that, although I think the thing about True Lies is it's not really about the nitty gritty of how stuff works, right? If you watch the movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger – I think he famously shoots like 90 people. I don't know that anybody actually has aim that good. It's not really a documentary about spies. Definitely the technology is a piece of it, but everything on the show is filtered through the lens of what's the most fun. What would be fun to do? Not, like, how do satellites work? [laughs] No one is showing up to True Lies and being like, 'I really want them to get the satellite technology correct.' Nobody cares.
Was it any more realistic for Arnold Schwarzenegger to take out as many enemies as he did in the ‘94 film than it is for Harry and Helen to stretch the limits of what’s possible in 2023? As Matt Nix pointed out, viewers aren’t watching True Lies with the expectation of a documentary that happens to feature Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga. The fun comes from the hard work that goes into some pretty remarkable stunts, and what the stars describe as their “insane level of chemistry” as the Taskers!
This is a show to happily suspend your disbelief and tune in each week, and one cast member even opened up about being “completely in the dark” about the movie before auditioning. Avoiding the “nitty gritty” and having fun has been the case for Season 1, but the future is uncertain at the moment. CBS has handed down renewals for most of its current shows, with True Lies as one of those left out. So, what are its chances for a second season?
What The Ratings Say For Season 2
There are of course a lot of factors that go into whether a show is cancelled or renewed, and – as NBC proved with the Dick Wolf shows – the game can change drastically due to budget. While fans can only cross their fingers and hope on some fronts, there is some data available publicly: ratings and viewership for the size of the audience that watches live (Live+Same day), within three days (Live+3), and within seven days (Live+7) in the key 18-49 age demographic.
According to SpoilerTV, episodes of True Lies average ratings of 0.2 in Live+Same, 0.3 in Live+3, and 0.4 in Live+7. The average audience size starts at 2.65 million in Live+Same, 4 million in Live+3, and 4.7 million in Live+7. TVLine also reports that the episode that aired on Wednesday, April 12 reached its highest Live+Same audience since the series premiere with 2.7 million, and held steady with the average with its 0.2 rating.
While there are some variables to consider – including that Chicago P.D., usually the winner in the 10 p.m. ET time slot on Wednesdays, aired a rerun – hitting an audience high and remaining consistent in the ratings seem like positive signs. Still, True Lies is one of few CBS dramas not renewed or cancelled at the time of writing, along with S.W.A.T. and East New York, with NCIS: Los Angeles already slated to end with a two-part finale event in May. But it's quite possibly the most likely show to get cancelled of the bunch.
For now, fans should just keep tuning in to True Lies on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS until the two-part Season 1 finale on May 17 before summer TV picks up in the 2023 TV premiere schedule.
