Ally Walker

Bad news for fans of dramas about female cops. It's been announced that Lifetime has pulled the plug on newbie series 'The Protector.'

According to Deadline, the network declined to order a second series after the drama failed to catch fire with audiences.

Originally airing on Sunday nights, 'The Protector' attracted only 1.9 million viewers for its June 12 premiere. It later moved to Mondays after failing to hang onto around 50 percent of its lead-in audience.

Ally Walker used to be the 'Profiler' and an FBI agent on 'Sons of Anarchy,' and she's currently 'The Protector' on Lifetime. Monday on 'The Talk' (weekdays, syndicated on CBS), she revealed another former occupation. Before Walker made it as an actress, she worked in the medical field, and to hear her tell it, the medical industry should be glad she took a different path.

One of her first jobs was at a genetic engineering firm in San Francisco. "I did the grunt work," she said. "I was doing like the lab tech work, I was like sequencing DNA and splicing and cloning and stuff, which no one understands here." She almost blew up the lab. "I thought, you know, maybe I should do a little career change here," she said.

It's hard being a working mom, especially when you're both a single mom and a police detective, as we discovered on the Series Premiere of 'The Protector' (Sun., 10PM ET on Life).

Gloria Sheppard (Ally Walker) is a divorced L.A. Homicide Detective who, with her two kids, has recently moved in with her brother. Gloria has a lot on her plate right now, and between juggling the demands of motherhood with solving serious crimes and catching the bad guys, she's a little busy.

However, Gloria's neighbors think she's got time to investigate a local crime spree, so they send over Katie Silvers to ask for help. As Gloria puts out the trash, a worried Katie reveals that "there have been several thefts in the neighborhood ... and some of us on the block thought you might be able to help."

What's been stolen? Gnomes. Garden gnomes. And that's just for starters. Katie tells an exasperated-looking Gloria that all kinds of lawn ornaments -- flamingos, geese -- have gone missing. Can Gloria help the worried homeowners?

As if there were any doubt.

In an interview with the Newark Star-Ledger's TV critic Alan Sepinwall, Sons of Anarchy creator and executive producer Kurt Sutter has unofficially confirmed that the show will indeed be back for a third season. It's just a matter of FX finalizing some contracts and getting all its "financial ducks in a row." Sutter said he had been assured the show would be back though.

Good thing, too, since last night's season two finale, "Na Trioblidi," had one helluva cliffhanger. Beyond that, Sutter's interview with Sepinwall also served as a nice post-mortem of the season and he offered plenty of info on where season three is likely headed. Spoilers after the jump, so read on at your own risk.

James Gandolfini joins the HBO family for one more bash -- poolside.

Call me cynical, but I'm not quite sure why HBO pulled out all the stops for a lavish gala at the W hotel in Westwood, Calif. when so many networks are cutting back. About 200 journalists plus assorted HBO personnel feasted on filet mignon, lobster tails and an open bar.

The hotel spa was on call in nearby cabanas to give free hand massages and (for the women) fingernail re-polishing.

Is a new HBO series going to show real sex on screen?

That's the buzz coming out of the summer Television Critics Association tour, which starts today. The new HBO series Tell Me You Love Me reportedly has male and female stars doing it for real, not just the usual "lovemaking" you see on television (even cable). Rob Owen over at post-gazette.com has seen the pilot and says it looks like it's real and not camera angles or special effects.