14 DAY TRIAL // Lifetime network bosses have decided to cancel “The Client List” because of supposed creative differences with executive producer and actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, while preparing for a third season.
The well-known actress reportedly wanted to write her real-life story into the series storyline. Her engagement to co-star Brian Hallisay and pregnancy did not seem very appealing to the producers and yet another series get canceled.
Officially, there will be no happy ending for “The Client List” and we will never know what happened to Riley Parks, devoted mom and massage parlor working girl. The series was in standoff for almost five months due to creative differences over the third season and now the final decision has been made.
The show's ratings slipped in season 2 from 2.7 million for the premiere to 2 million for the finale. The producers of the show, Lifetime and Sony TV, were locked in a creative standoff with Jennifer because of her request to make her real-life fiancé and father of her unborn baby, Brian Hallisay, play the character of Riley's baby daddy on the show.
The producers were already dealing with writing Jennifer's pregnancy into the story, so after many discussions, they agreed on a formal cancellation. Network bosses and producers agreed that this was the best course of action TVline.
The decision was helped by the fact that Lifetime successfully launched two new series “Devious Maids” and “Witches of East End,” and also picked up another season of “Drop Dead Diva,” according to Deadline.
Compared to the Lifetime original movie with the same name, “The Client List” scored lower ratings. The movie received 3.9 million views during its premiere in 2010, which also boosted ratings for the initial pilot in 2012.
The show earned the title of “the most watched series launch” on the network, but started slipping in the ratings afterwards due to talent related issues.