'The Client List' renewal in jeopardy over baby drama

Credit: Lifetime

So it looks like the renewal prospects for Lifetime's The Client List have hit a bit of a snag.

TVLine reports that the trouble with the series, which just wrapped up its second season on Sunday, stems from star Jennifer Love Hewitt's real-life pregnancy by co-star and fiancé Brian Hallisay. The actress reportedly wants the real-life father of her child to be the father of her fictional baby on the show.

The problem, however, is that neither the network nor the show's creative staff have decided on how to handle the character's pregnancy in season three just yet. But one thing is for certain, neither party is all that keen on Hewitt’s proposal.

The showrunner is reportedly pushing for co-star Colin Egglesfield, who plays Hewitt’s brother-in-law Evan, to be the father of the child, while Lifetime higher-ups remain ambivalent about which direction to take the storyline. This has had the result of delaying all negotiations for a season three renewal, as Hewitt's real-life pregnancy means that her fictional pregnancy would likely have to be integral to the show's third season.

“There are many story lines we are exploring,” Hewitt’s rep told Deadline. “So any suggestion that we are not doing our best to develop a great season is simply not accurate.”

Though the series still draws solid ratings for Lifetime, the second season finale took a significant hit. The episode averaged 2 million viewers, down from last year's 2.7 million haul. Of course, one must factor in the competition, which included the season premiere of True Blood, as well as, to a lesser extent, the NBA Finals. It would be a surprise if the show ultimately failed to get renewed over all this baby drama, but stranger things have certainly happened.

Via: TVLine