The Equalizer Season 5 Ordered at CBS, But Fan-Favorite NCIS Series on the Bubble

As CBS renews The Equalizer for Season 5, the fate of a popular NCIS series remains in limbo. Starring and executive produced by Queen Latifah, The Equalizer has a long history in film and television, with Denzel Washington headlining the feature film adaptations. CBS has been busy in April renewing shows such as S.W.A.T. and its slate of FBI shows, leaving fans to wonder about the fate of The Equalizer. The good news is Queen Latifah and The Equalizer are returning for a fifth season, though there is still no news on renewal or cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i.

“The Equalizer, led by the incomparable Queen Latifah, has all the best elements of a powerful drama,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “The series is stacked with suspense, heroism, high stakes and formidable characters our audience roots for. We look forward to another dynamic season.”

According to Deadline, the holdup in The Equalizer being renewed had to do with contract negotiations between Queen Latifah and Universal Television. Each of the previous seasons had 18 episodes, and the site reports negotiations were to get the episode count up to 20 or more. However, The Equalizer Season 5 will reportedly stick with 18 episodes.

What is The Equalizer about?

The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah (Chicago, Bessie) as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn.

Lorraine Toussaint, Tory Kittles, Adam Goldberg, Liza Lapira and Laya DeLeon Hayes also star. Andrew Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller, Dana Owens (Queen Latifah), John Davis, John Fox, Debra Martin Chase, Richard Lindheim (co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series that ran on CBS for four seasons), Shakim Compere, Joseph C. Wilson and Loretha Jones are executive producers for Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with CBS Studios. Executive producers Joseph C. Wilson and Adam Glass are the co-showrunners.

What is NCIS: Hawai’i about?

The world’s most successful television series continues on the seductive shores of the Aloha State with the #1 new drama NCIS: Hawai’i, where the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, Jane Tennant, has thrived and risen through the ranks by equal parts confidence and strategy in a system that has pushed back on her every step of the way. Together with her unwavering team of specialists, they balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the sun-drenched island paradise itself.

The series stars Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, Tori Anderson, Kian Talan, and special guest star LL Cool J.