NBC has cancelled the Thursday airings of their low-rated legal series, The Firm, and sent it packing to Saturday nights at 9pm beginning February 11th.
The Firm follows attorney Mitch McDeere (Josh Lucas), his wife Abby (Molly Parker), and their daughter Claire (Natasha Calis), as they emerge from the witness protection program after 10 years. They relocate to Washington, DC to restart their lives but problems from the past quickly resurface. The show’s cast also includes Callum Keith Rennie, Juliette Lewis, Tricia Helfer, and Shaun Majumder.
NBC had high hopes for the legal drama but it stumbled in the ratings right from the start. The two-hour premiere of The Firm registered just a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 6.32 million viewers. The numbers got even worse once the show moved to Thursday nights and, for the past two weeks, has only mustered a 0.8 rating with fewer than three million total viewers.
It’s no surprise that NBC is banishing The Firm to Saturday nights with ratings like these. Grimm repeats will fill the Thursdays at 10pm timeslot for the immediate future. Starting March 1st, the peacock network’s new drama Awake will take over.
While it looks highly unlikely that NBC will purchase a second season of The Firm, it seems certain that viewers will get to see all 22 episodes of season one.
If The Firm had been a typical network show, the episode order probably would have been cut down to 13 installments because of the low ratings. However, NBC’s deal for The Firm is unique and a bit more like the one the network had for Merlin, the supernatural drama produced by the BBC.
Sony and Entertainment One partnered to produce The Firm, primarily for the overseas market. Thanks to pre-sales and Canadian production tax credits, the cost of producing the series was already paid for and NBC was able to pick up the show for a greatly reduced licensing fee, just like any other secondary buyer.
If The Firm had been a big success, NBC would have made quite a profit on the series. As things worked out, the network may still be making some money on the deal or at least hasn’t lost much.
Will there be a second season? That depends on Sony and Entertainment One, not NBC.
What do you think? Do you like The Firm? Do you think it should continue?
Image courtesy NBC.
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That’s too bad. I love “The Firm” I love that kind of suspense.
Best new Drama Show. It gets better every week!
Love-love-love! I will be so disappointed if it is cancelled.
The Firm is one of the best shows I’ve watched in years. I agree with some of the other viewers. This show has incredible story and plot. Not just run of the mill suspense. I would be very disappointed if it got cancelled. So many shows that have had some substance to them have been cancelled. I suppose that says a lot about what people really think is “good” tv. Fluff and reality shows, which are a waste of time. Please keep The Firm!
Love the show. Please do not cancel.
Please do not remove The Firm from TV. Enjoy the plot verymich. Great acting. If you have to remove something from TV remove those very unisterestng reality shows. They are stupid and unisteresting.
yes yes yes
Please dont cancel The Firm..it is excellent—great acting, storyline and characters–great all-round!!!
I Love The Firm, when I saw that they moved it to saturday nights, I though that this was the end. Please do not cancelled, it keeps getting better and better.
I love series that deal with intricate storyline and people. The firm is griping drama and holds my attention throughout the show. People are believable and love the way the real story intertwines with cases Mitch deals with while dealing with serious threats against his family. Hope the show continues because I for one will keep watching.
This is a truly thinking persons series. While a lot of people are content to watch fluff or trash. Because the American Public doesn’t, want to think they are not interested in this type of entertainment. I saw the original movie and it was great. PLEASE do not cancel.
Good series. Takes a few viewings to get hooked. Hope it returns
Please, please keep The Firm. We are so involved with the characters who have grown on us and the story line keeps getting better and better. This is one show that actually has us thinking rather than just watching some mindless sitcom. So many shows we appreciate get axed. That is one reason we watch so little on the major networks anymore—-the shows are just a waste of time. The Firm has some meat to it. Good writing and good acting!! KEEP IT, PLEASE!
Why are you messing with the firm we love it and are irritated how it moves aroung! So little TV shows to watch – this one is good!!!!
Love it. Watched first 12 episodes on Hulu for free and am hooked!
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