TNT cancels 'Raising the Bar'

TNT has chosen to cancel the Steven Bochco legal drama, "Raising the Bar."

According to an article on HollywoodReporter.com, "The move had been expected." It seems "Bar's" second season ratings decline was a crucial factor in TNT's decision not to renew the show for a third season.

The HollywoodReporter.com article also discloses a statement from the network that said, "Everyone at TNT had a great experience working on ‘Raising the Bar' with Steven Bochco and the rest of the show's terrific cast and crew. We're proud of the series and appreciate the efforts of all of the creative people who were involved. Unfortunately, ratings for ‘Raising the Bar's' second season did not reach the levels required for TNT to renew the series."

"Raising the Bar" premiered on TNT on Sept. 1, 2008. The series was created by Bochco, who also created NBC's hit police drama, "Hill Street Blues," and co-created the long-running ABC police drama, "NYPD Blue."

"Bar" centered on a group of law school classmates who find themselves on opposite sides of the criminal law.

"Bar's" cast consisted of Mark-Paul Gosselaar, best known for his roles as Zack Morris on NBC's "Saved by the Bell" and as Detective John Clark on ABC's "NYPD Blue," Natalia Cigliuti, who portrayed Lindsay Warner on NBC's "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" and played Anita Santos for two years on the ABC daytime soap opera, "All My Children," NBC's "ER" alum Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek, who starred as Lois on the Fox comedy, "Malcolm in the Middle," and J. August Richards, best known for his portrayal of Charles Gunn on the WB cult vampire series, "Angel."