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.

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.