Bones has been a quiet hit for FOX but the same can’t be said for its spin-off, The Finder. FOX has now cancelled the low-rated series after one season.
The Finder is a procedural series that revolves around a man (Geoff Stults) with the extraordinary ability to help people find the unfindable. Other castmembers include Maddie Hasson, Mercedes Masohn, and Michael Clarke Duncan.
The spin-off debuted on January 12th to a disappointing 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 5.50 million total viewers. It was fourth in its Thursday night timeslot right out of the gate and lost nearly 30% of the all-important demo from its compatible lead-in, Bones. This was not a good start.
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Things picked up a bit in the following weeks, thanks in large part to the show having FOX’s blockbuster American Idol as a lead-in. Still, the numbers weren’t as high as they should have been.
After seven weeks on the air, FOX put Finder on hiatus and then moved it to Friday nights, giving its Thursday timeslot to Touch. If The Finder could maintain a healthy percentage of its viewers after the switch, it would likely garner a renewal.
But that didn’t happen and Finder’s numbers dropped like a rock. In its first Friday airing, the freshman series attracted a 1.1 demo rating — an episode-to-episode loss of 53% — with just 4.03 million viewers. The numbers for future episodes fluctuated a bit but didn’t really get any more encouraging. The network could do just as well or better by running cheaper reality programming.
The season finale of The Finder is set to air this Friday night and there won’t be any episodes after that. Hopefully the producers saw the writing on the wall early enough and won’t leave viewers hanging with any major unresolved storylines.
What do you think? What went wrong with this show? Why do you think The Finder failed to attract a bigger audience? Was cancelling the series the right decision? How would you have fixed it?
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My family loved The Finder! It was our time that we say down together and watched Bones and The Finder. It was funny an the Season Finale left us wanting more and looking forward to a new season. R.I.P Michael! You were an outstanding actor and will be missed by so many. Please bring it back. I think the reality tv is b.s! I’m thankful they cancelled the Jersey Show crap and hopefully quit putting all the partying in the spotlight and making people famous for being rediculous! No talent at all! Total insult to real actors like Michael!
what the hell is wrong with the american television industry?
this was an amazing show that i fell in love with instantly..
that being said i also think it wouldt been the same without duncan, but still the same they could have’d showed some more episodes befor they canselled the whole thing……
and by the way i freaking live in norway and i still watch the finder on norwegian televison
so to cancelle this show was a BIG mistake …….
I can’t believe you are canceling “The Finder”!!!!
My husband and I LOVE this show!
Fox’s biggest MISTAKE was putting it up against “Person of Interest”!
Put this show up against one of these STUPID reality shows!
We love BOTH Person of Interest and The Finder the SAME!
Don’t screw up, like YOU DID… with FireFly!
YOU have an excellent show, and I know a very important character has died(may he rest in peace), but dropping this show is just like you did with Firefly….. NO CLOSURE!
You need at least one more season to write Michael’s death into the show. We get to love the characters, and leaving us hanging on what happens to them…. really sucks!
Thank goodness, the guy who wrote the tv show “Firefly”… made us AN ENDING…. with “Senrenity”!….. LOVE IT!
I really loved the show, it was amazing. I don’t know what they were talking about, the ratings and all. But it was sad about Micheal Duncan’s death. It would’ve been hard and disappointing if the show was brought back. But I will miss it.
I loved this show. I liked the way things processed, the humor, the characters… still, it wouldn’t have been the same without Michael Clark Duncan as Leo. It was all part of the chemistry between the characters, for me. That being said, the cliffhangers in regards to the various fates of everyone are going to drive me nuts for a while.
Not in the target demographic either. I streamed it via Internet. I loved this show. The characters were quirky and I liked the plot lines. Fun dialog from the writers. Seems to have been mismanaged. Too bad.
I agree with everyone, we really liked The Finder and also Human Target. Some other shows should be taken off and bring these back!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not in the target demographic either. Maybe they should think about the rest of us! I really liked this show as well as Lie to Me. I had them on auto record so never missed a show. Moving shows around doesn’t help increase rating numbers. Terrible schedule management.
You start show…take it off air…bring it back (with no warning)…change nights ( with out warning) while still running ads to watch on the old night !!!…and YOU wonder why the ratings are low…… THER IS NO HELPING SOME PEOPLE.
A GREAT SHOW !!!! MISMANAGED BY THE NETWORK…ALWAYS SEEMED TO MOVE OR BE PREEMPTED (AT LEAST LOCALY) & MISS LABLED ON GUIDE MENUE ON CABLE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RECORD.( I WORK NIGHTS)…
MY FAMILY WANTS IT BACK…..!
great show i watched it every wed night in the uk was very popular should be bought back for a second season .
I am not in your 29-49 polling age limit, but I do enjoy different programming. that is why I switched to Fox! You cancelled several good shows, Human Target, Lie to Me, and the Finder. These should come back! Not all of us are interested in “reality” TV. I personally hate it and prefer not to watch any TV than to watch that crap. You had some good programs going, they just needed some time to develop and grow…..you must have writers who could meet the challenge!!! A lot of us who are not in the “polling” age are very disappointed in Fox for canceling good programming and following the crowd.
Not in the target demographic either. Maybe they should think about the rest of us! I really liked this show as well as Lie to Me. I had them on auto record so never missed a show. Moving shows around doesn’t help increase rating numbers. Terrible schedule management.
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING? This show was really great. Me and my husband both agreed and we make time to watch it together. BRING IT BACK
Re-air The Finder! My families all time favorite series! This really sucks its been cancelled!
make another series i have every one at work watching finder now
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