The Belt

***The Belt*** is an American drama television series that premiered on ABC on September 27, 2015. The series is set in Van Buren, Arkansas and focuses on a small, close-knit society of Southerners. The series derives its title from the Bible Belt, the religious region of the United States that Arkansas is a part of. The series has attracted strong media attention, and has been credited as reviving interest in religious television.

## Premise

Set in the small town of Van Buren, Arkansas, a town where everyone knows everyone and the church is the center of society, *The Belt* focuses on the everyday lives of several members of the community.

## Cast and characters

* Rob Lowe as Johnny Rock; the local pastor.
* Cary Elwes as Keith Conner; a farmer and father of four.
* Monica Potter as Anna-Beth Rock; Johnny's wife, a stay-at-home mom.
* Teri Hatcher as Marie Conner; Keith's stubborn wife.
* Madison Iseman as Angelica Rock; Keith and Anna-Beth's eldest daughter.
* Luke Benward as Ryan Madge; Angelica's boyfriend.
* Britt Robertson as Suzy Conner; Keith and Marie's second child.
* Josh Bowman as James Sander; the young math teacher.
* Colin Ford as Jacob Conner; Keith and Marie's older son.
* Joivan Wade as Andy Keller; Jacob's best friend.
* Jack Dylan Grazer as Mickey Conner; Keith and Marie's youngest.
* Noah Schnapp as Seth Rock; Johnny and Anna-Beth's youngest, Holly's twin.
* Millie Bobby Brown as Holly Rock; Johnny and Anna-Beth's youngest, Seth's twin.
* Laurie Metcalf as Diane Flockhart; the late sheriff's widow.
* James Brolin as Billy Dance; the mayor of Van Buren.

## Reception

The series premiere was watched by 13.39 million viewers and achieved a 3.0 18-49 rating, making it the most-watched and the third highest-rated series premiere of the television season. The first season continued to rate consistently high, marking a new series high in January, scoring a 3.2, before finishing off its first season on a string of new highs; a 3.3, followed by a 3.5, and then ending off the season with a 3.9. The second season premiere then surged to a 4.9 rating and 21.15 million viewers. The second season avoided any new series lows, though it did go as low as 3.0 near the end, before finishing off on a strong 3.8. For its third season, the series moved up an hour to the 8:00 pm slot on Sundays. This allowed the season to begin stronger, on a 4.6 rating and 19.85 million viewers. This season did decline slightly from last, hovering over 3.0 for most of fall, before falling to mid-to-highs 2.0s in spring, though it still avoided a new series low, ending the season on a less strong 2.5 rating. For the fourth season, the series stayed in the 8:00 pm timeslot for fall, where it premiered to a 2.8 and 13.94 million viewers, though the series steadily declined and hit new series lows, before its midseason finale hit a 1.9, going below 2.0 for the first time. For the spring, the series was moved to the Thursday at 9pm slot, after *Grey's Anatomy*. This allowed the series to rebound some, returning to a 2.2. However, it still went below 2.0 several times, before wrapping the season on a 2.0. Returning for its fifth season, the premiere went up to a 2.1 and 10.66 million viewers. Prior to March, the series stayed in the mid-1.0s, falling to a 1.4 in February. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic increasing viewing levels, the final two episodes of the season went up to a 1.8, before rising to a 2.1 for its finale. The sixth season premiered on November 12, 2020, and achieved a 1.6 rating and 9.42 million viewers.