On Sunday, NBC unveiled their first big show of 2012 — The Firm. It’s based on the novel by John Grisham which had previously been adapted into a 1993 movie. The network has had mixed results basing shows on previous material. Prime Suspect and Bionic Woman were cancelled. Friday Night Lights and Parenthood have been moderate successes. Where will this one land?
The Firm revolves around attorney Mitch McDeere (Josh Lucas) who, along with his wife Abby (Molly Parker) and their daughter Claire (Natasha Calis), had been in the witness protection program for 10 years. They relocate to Washington, DC to restart their lives but problems from the past start to surface once more. The show’s cast also includes Callum Keith Rennie, Juliette Lewis, Tricia Helfer, and Shaun Majumder.
The series got off to a poor start on Sunday night. The two-hour premiere attracted a meager 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with just 6.32 million viewers. The Firm was fourth (last) in its timeslot at 9pm and in second place at 10pm, just barely topping ABC’s troubled Pan Am. Looking at the half-hour ratings, it’s easy to see that some viewers tuned out before the two episodes had finished airing. A sign that they probably won’t be back to watch the next episode.
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Compared with last year’s two-hour premiere of The Cape, NBC was down by a staggering 46% in the demo and 25% in total viewers. You may recall that The Cape was cancelled after just 10 episodes and NBC burned off the last episode online.
NBC is airing the third hour of The Firm this evening — on the most competitive night of the week. That may have seemed like a good idea initially but, in light of the show’s debut numbers, it’s expected to be a disaster.
The Firm debuted with a C- grade on our ratings report card and in ninth place. That’s essentially the same ranking as The Playboy Club, the first cancelled series of the fall season.
Unless there’s some sort of unexpected ratings miracle, it looks like The Firm is sure to be cancelled. The big question is “when?” On the positive side, NBC has already committed to 22 episodes. If the ratings fall as expected though, I suspect that they may slash that order to cut their losses.
But, what do you think? Are the ratings an accurate reflection of this show’s quality. Do you think The Firm should be quickly cancelled or kept on the air long enough to perhaps grow and secure a second season?
Image courtesy NBC.
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Love this show please do not take if off the air. It always has the suspense and a great story line . I cannot always watch time it is on but always record.
Great show!! Love the suspense!! Every week can’t wait till it’s on!! Please don’t cancel a great show
This is a great drama and very reminiscent of Grisham’s books. The show hasn’t had a consistent time slot. It’s so frustrating when I can’t find it! In 15 episodes, the show has aired on at least 3 different nights and times. The show is well written, smart, comprised of solid actors, and well paced. There are so few shows that have any real acting and story line…honestly…the show will do gang busters on the USA Network. This show is too smart for the 3 “Dummy” networks!!
Please, please, please do NOT cancel The Firm! I would PAY to watch this show! It is my favorite and the best thing on TV in 10 years. Please give it another chance….I just don’t think enough people knew about it!!
My whole family digs it. Complex plot makes you crave the next episode.
There are too many garbage shows on TV these days that seem to survive. For example, how could idiotic Hawaii Five-O keep running and Chicago Code get bumped? I think it’s more about the looks of the characters and not so much about the quality of the show.
Makes you wonder about the masses and their simple minds.
We love this show and it keeps us hanging on the edge of our seats. We can’t wait until the next show. We watch online if we miss it. Please don’t cancel. The plot is a little complicated, but it makes you think. The characters are a variety of personalities which are amusing and serious. That’s part of the enjoyment. We still need to know what happens with the mob. Don’t cancel.
I have watched from the very beginning. It is a very good show. I switched from the Thursday to Saturday time slots. I agree that if it was on CBS instead of NBC it would have a shot. I have watched several shows that were cancelled on NBC. It is very fast-paced and I like the flashbacks. It gives it an edge.
We have become addicted to bad shows, like kids addicted to Chicken McNuggets. If the show has no message and is easy to swallow it seems to make it. A show like the firm is more like a good steak dinner with all the trimmings. But, it is a mature dish not suited for everyone, esp. if your stuck on junk food. I don’t see how a show like “The Firm” can be expected to catch on in two episodes. It is first necessary to realise it is better than most and is thought provoking. This is a show that you can ask ” hey did you see the firm last night”?
I really like this show, and it’s characters and story line. I really hope it stays!
The Firm is difficult to sort out at first, but I stuck with it because I really like John Grisham; it paid off and I hope it is not cancelled,.
I don’t have the training to point out exactly why this show is bad, but I know it is. It seems just half a degree away from parody. Poor dialogue, stilted direction, cheap sets and mediocre camera work make for a tough slog.
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