FOX has thrown away the key on Alcatraz. The J.J. Abrams thriller has been cancelled after one season and 13 episodes.
Alcatraz follows the investigations of police detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Doctor Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia). They work to uncover how 340 inmates and guards disappeared from the infamous prison in 1963 and why they’re now reappearing looking just the same. The show also features the talents of Jonny Coyne, Parminder Nagra, Jason Butler Harner, and Sam Neill.
Fueled by a lot of promotion, the TV series was launched in January and drew good reviews and strong numbers. The two-hour premiere attracted a 3.3 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic with 10.05 million total viewers. Opposite some tough competition from CBS, Alcatraz was in second place in its timeslots.
In week two, the demo slipped 9% to a still respectable 3.0 rating with 9.03 million. Week three dropped another 7%. That wasn’t positive but not horrible either but the ratings just kept falling.
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In February, NBC launched season two of The Voice and Alcaraz’s ratings took a big dive. They ropped 18% on February 6th and then another 17% on the 13th. The numbers just kept falling after that.
The two-hour season (now series) finale was in fourth place in the timeslots and averaged a disappointing 1.6 demo rating with 4.76 million total viewers.
The first season of Alcatraz ended up averaging a 2.2 demo rating with 6.74 million viewers — and those numbers would have dropped lower had there been more episodes.
On our FOX report card — which ranks the network’s shows based on demo averages — Alcatraz has a “C” and that just wasn’t good enough to get a renewal.
FOX chose to keep Touch instead but the network stays in business with producer J.J. Abrams via the network’s Fringe renewal.
What happened? It would seem that Alcatraz just wasn’t compelling enough to keep viewers returning week after week. Plus, for the first time in quite awhile, all three of the major networks had really strong programming on Monday nights. Two of the competing shows — The Voice and Dancing with the Stars — are reality competitions and many viewers feel compelled to watch them “live” rather than catch them online or via DVR recordings.
All 13 episodes of Alcatraz have aired and the last episode left viewers wondering what would happen next. Unless the producers decide to share what they had in mind for season two, we’ll never know the answers to the show’s mysteries.
What do you think? Why do you think Alcatraz failed to hold onto a bigger audience? Did FOX make a mistake by cancelling the series? What will you miss about it?
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The characters and their actor personnae were just terrific. I so looked forward to the Warden and Rebecca and the fabulous story lines. Maybe if I cross my fingers, as I used to do many, many years ago and think about my visit to Alcatraz when in San Francisco, something good will happen.
I am really disappointed I loved this show I have been waiting and looking forward to season two.so why couldn’t y’all make it on DVDs for people that did watch it or try to make a movie out of it. Instead of waisting a really good show and everybody’s time that did watch every episode of the first season and was looking forward too season 2 and more too come. So please just think about it
I agree with Steven…..I was looking forward to the next season. Bring it back or like he said, put it on DVD for those of us who want to know more…
This was an excellent show. Something that my husband, son, and I would all sit and watch together. With all the crap on TV, this was a breath of fresh air. I agree with others. Air it on a different night and see how it works would have been the way to go!!
what a bunch of bs! Corporate idiots or should I say viewer idiots! How come people would rather watch reality crap on t.v. than a good program(series). You want reality? go out and walk around outside and talk to your neighbor!
You guys don’ t get it this was a good show.
We all want Alcatraz to return! The unanswered questions baffles us:(
What a disappointment. I really enjoyed watching it. It was one show that me and my boyfriend would watch together. I wish they would bring it back
You have got to be kidding! This series was absolutely worth the second season and there should have been some kind of compromise to either show it on another Network or on Fox at a different night and time. This is disappointing to the ones who really followed this and now have to forget about what happened next. I would rather watch a series like Alcatraz any day over DWTS, Survivor, The Voice…etc. I have watched Touch and yes it is very good, but nothing compared to the suspense of Alcatraz.
I am sure hoping that there will be a continuation of this series at some point in time.
I know I will be glued to the TV and many others will too.
What the hell!!! Just watch it on dvd and thought it was a completes series…
Was it the ratings or was it the goverment?
Solid show. What a disappointment!!
It was an excellent program with a good basis for the intriguing plot. If Monday nights were not good, then switch the night ~ what is wrong with Wenesday or even Saturday? Nothing is on Saturdays. If nothing else, Fox should allow say a six hour final run for three nights at two hours each and allow those of us who did like it an ending. I live in hope, it is still on my DVR list :0
That’s not good news! I was deperatly waiting for season two. I thought it was a great series. I am sad to see it go.
Money talks, integrity walks. Shameful display of American viewing appetite.
I’m sorry to see this series go. I think it has been strong in every aspect of visuals, story, characters and of course, San Francisco has had a starring role. There is so much cheap crap reality on the air. Alcatraz is in its on class and perhaps could be picked up by a more progressive network than Fox. It should be on SyFy any way. Imagine what HBO would do with it.
What a loss.
I totally agree! Did not they cancel Stra Trek and then brought it back, … and look what happened with it!
this was a great show and it is so wrong but run of the mill for the networks to drop it. they dont really pay attention to what the viewers want.
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