The Equalizer TV reboot is coming to Netflix on December 16th. This is the latest in a streak of CBS series streaming on Netflix shortly after their broadcast premieres, and the others have done well as far as we know. If the pattern holds, this could be a good thing for The Equalizer, as its ratings have been dropping steadily since its premiere in 2021.
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The Equalizer is a reboot of the television series by the same name that ran from 1985 to 1989 on CBS. It was also adapted into a trilogy of movies starring Denzel Washington, the latest of which premiered last year. The reboot series stars Queen Latifah as “The Equalizer” Robyn McCall – a former CIA operative now fighting for justice as a street vigilante. Her past and her skills are left mysterious for the audience, but it’s clear that she’s on a quest for some kind of redemption by defending the innocent.
The first three seasons of this crime drama are coming to Netflix while Season 5 is just ramping up on CBS. Season 1 consisted of only 10 episodes, but Seasons 2 and 3 have 18 episodes each, giving binge-watchers enough to sink their teeth into.
If it draws an audience, it will fall into a pattern emerging between CBS and Netflix. The streamer has recently hosted similar CBS dramas including SWAT and Fire Country which have done well well there, and CBS shows from other genres such as Young Sheldon and Evil. Netflix has had successful streaks like this with CBS and other networks before, often to the mutual benefit of both companies. It’s a ray of hope to the makers of broadcast TV that the structure of their stories can still compete with heavily-serialized streaming exclusives.
Ratings
The Equalizer started strong with an average of 7.13 million viewers in its first season, and an average Nielsen rating of 1.7 Those numbers dipped drastically in Season 2 to a rating of 0.9, and have continued to fall since. However, an influx of fresh interest via streaming could be a saving grace for this series the next time CBS is forced to make cuts. This could give the show a chance to connect to the movies – something fans have been clamoring for since it was first announced.
You’ll be able to stream The Equalizer on Netflix starting on Monday, December 16th. The whole show is streaming now on Paramount+, with new episodes added after they air on TV. New episodes premiere on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.