In a truly strange twist, NBC has ordered three additional episodes of their Monday night medical series, Trauma. The show was confirmed as essentially cancelled late last month when the network opted not to order any additional installments. What happened?
Trauma revolves around a group of first responder paramedics in San Francisco. The high-action series is populated by an ensemble cast that includes Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Kevin Rankin, Aimee Garcia, Billy Lush, Jamey Sheridan, and Taylor Kinney.
Earlier today, Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke reported that NBC was considering ordering three additional installments and that news has now been confirmed.
What isn’t clear is the reason why. Finke and several other sources are claiming that the expensive show’s ratings have improved. One only needs to look at the numbers to see that’s not true.
Trauma debuted to lackluster ratings of a 2.2 in the 18-49 demo and 6.68 million total viewers. The second week, they dropped significantly to a 1.7 and 5.36 million. Trauma’s numbers have fluctuated a bit since then but haven’t broken past a 1.9 in the demo or 5.82 million viewers.
As far as a “recent ratings rise,” there hasn’t been one. This week’s episode attracted a 1.8 in the demo (just like last week) and the total viewers were down, from 5.35 million to 5.18 million. What’s more, Heroes beat Trauma in the demo by almost 20% and neither’s figures are impressive.
This decision to order a trio of additional episodes is likely more of an indication of NBC’s other ratings problems than new-found faith in Trauma. The execs may not feel like they have enough original programming to last them until the Winter Olympics or they might not be feeling very confident about their mid-season shows.
Whatever the reason, the Trauma’s ratings are still not good and need help. While three additional episodes are a nice little gift for fans, unless the show’s ratings start rising, it’s just delaying the inevitable.
What do you think? Why did NBC order three more episodes of Trauma? Do you think they’ve changed their minds about cancelling it or just delaying the inevitable?
Image courtesy NBC.
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They wouldn’t know a good thing if it sat at the end of the bed and begged them all night long.Mercy really sucks.It’s like watching Star Trek Voyager with a drunk Captian.I wish they would follow there hearts and give Trauma a chance.I know the show is on life support , give it a chance. Don’t pull the plug.
I am very disappointed to say the least. One time NBC gets a hit like Trauma and they cancel it??? What kind of sense does that make? I’ll admit after watching the first show I didn’t think it would make it but I decided to give it a second chance and boy am I glad I did. It was one of THE best new shows on TV. Why do you guys cancel the good shows. Another one gone was Three Rivers. I just don’t understand what goes on in TVland, I thought it was about the viewers.
After googling Trauma, I’m just finding out it was cancelled and I’m disappointed. It was my new favorite show, a decent replacement for ER, which I miss horribly. I wasn’t a huge fan at first, but the last few episodes have kept me wanting to see more. I also watch Mercy, but I think Trauma is a better show. I hope these three episodes get good ratings and the show makes a comeback! True, it may not be an accurate depiction of the EMS world, but who cares? I’m not watching a documentary, I’m watching it for entertainment, excitement and drama. Does anyone know when these episodes will air?
I am SOO disappointed in what I am reading about Trauma! I haven’t allowed myself to watch “regular” television broadcasts for this main reason in years! Finally, I find a show that I love & have become “hooked” on & it vanishes. I think it’s really sad to just leave people hanging & have to resort to searching for their answer on the internet! If it was going to be canceled it would have been nice to let the viewing audience know about it. I have stuck to satelite movie watching for several years & this is why. How can you know if a show is going to make it by only allowing a few episodes to air since September? Really aggrivates me & I’m sad to see the show go. I will go back to my satelite watching now to avoid the disappointment of future shows I fall in love with being canceled. Stinks!
We are a family of 8 and we were faithful watchers of Trauma. And I kept wondering what happened to the series. My husband kept looking for it every Monday and nothing until I imagined that it had been cancelled. It is really sad, becuase we really liked this show. I hope we get viewers to watch it and bring the ratings up.
“JUST READ THE POSTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET IT IS ALL GOOD ABOUT THE SHOW.” NO ONE WANTS IT CANCELED.TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHOW,AND WHAT YOU THINK, MAYBE IF NBC HEARS IT ENOUGH THEY WILL BRING IT BACK.
i agree dont cancel it its was so good!
To respond to the Nov. 19th article’s closing question, “Why did NBC order three additional episodes of ‘Trauma’?” — it may be simple math. Seven episodes have already aired, six are in the can awaiting air dates and NBC has ordered three more. That’s 16. Thirteen seems to be an about average season for cable and premium channel shows like “Burn Notice,” “Dexter,” and many other shows including the creatively scheduled “Friday Night Lights” (separate “seasons” on DirecTV and NBC).
NBC may be considering that, if they have 16 episodes of “Trauma,” they can produce a DVD of the show, whether that’s all there is or another season is planned. If NBC feels the show hasn’t been worthwhile, they may hope to recoup some of the costs in DVD sales. A 16-episode season is edging close to the old standard 22-episode season. I’ll bite, if only for the seriously great San Francisco location shooting. Initially, I thought “Trauma” just another action drama but one with superb location shooting. However, with the seven episodes aired before the holidays, “Trauma” has shown stronger writing, above-average character development. It became a better show.
“Trauma” and the still running “Friday Night Lights” have the stamp of Peter Berg on both shows. I’ve watched my DVDs of both “Friday Night Lights” and another series from earlier in the decade with a small town story line, “Everwood.” “Everwood” remains very special but, for me, lacks the absolute brilliance of “FNL’s” writing. Both of those shows had/have their cult-like and critical admirers and each had time to grow the characters. “Trauma” needs time to grow its characters so we feel as though we’re coming home when we settle in to participate in each episode.
DO NOT CANCEL TRAUMA!!!!!! This is one of the best new shows I have seen since ER. With that show gone there needs to be a good, compelling medical show on TV. NBC has a goldmine there if they would just put it on on Thursdays and 10:oo pm instead of Jay Leno!!
Trauma is one of the best shows nbc had to offer! My daughter and I watch it faithfully. Every week we check the tv guide to see when it will be aired. Today we decided to google it and found out that its under fire to be cancelled. If anyone at nbc reads these things…PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL IT!!!!!YOU ARE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE!
NBC does not give anything a chance, the most successful tv shows are always threating to be cancelled. heroes,lost ect are perfect examples as they were planned on being cancelled after the first dozen episodes. NBC also cancelled Journeyman which was another great show cancelled…cant see them listening to us with Trauma either.
I read an online article yesterday that Trauma was filming in SF and will be aired on USA.
How about trying a new timeslot……anything would be better than Monday at 9!!!
This show is the BEST and need a re-boot!
Wryter,
We have the same taste in television. I love Peter Berg. And in case you didn’t know you can watch Season four of Friday Night Lights at http://www.casttv.com/shows/friday-night-lights. I have just caught up with Season 4. I used to have Directv but had to drop it.
I agree on the 13 episode season and I KNEW I couldn’t be the only one who is just tired of this reality tv kick. I would rather turn off my television to watch most reality shows, with the exception of the Amazing Race (which my husband got me into).
I wish NBC would invest in good dramas. Trauma is a jewel. They already screwed up and let go of Southland which I’m glad is getting a second life on FX. Now Trauma too? I never missed that show.
The best news so far is that NBC is in negotiation with the Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien talk shows and The Leno Experiment is apparently dead. The current Leno rehash of his old late night show is killing local news affiliates who count on a strong lead-in to their programming. The proposal is he will go back to a one-half hour late night show following local news at 11:35 pm EST. O’Brien’s show will start at 12:05 pm and run an hour. This should happen after the Winter Olympics in late February or early March. The significance of all this? NBC’s 10 to 11 slot is once again open to legitimate programming and it may be worthwhile to give “Trauma” another shot at prime time.
A serious problem for any show’s ratings is having the show’s arc disrupted by substitute programming (“Where did my show go?”) or just changing the time slot in which viewers expect to see their show. The holidays have disrupted the arc of many shows with successful numbers and it will take time for audiences to reconnect as new episodes return. “Trauma” needs a consistent time slot without nights where the show is dropped for whatever substitution NBC deems appropriate. There are six unseen episodes in the can (by my count) and three new episodes will make nine. A nine-episode arc, aired consistently week after week, could restore the action drama’s momentum and its audience. As a former San Franciscan, I have long claimed (in plugs here and elsewhere) the city itself is a tremendous draw.
Good shows take creative energy and faith to become great. Peter Berg is behind “Trauma” and was a force behind “Friday Night Lights” whose first three seasons I’ve been re-watching on DVD. Through a clever programming ploy, “Friday Night Lights” runs an approximately 13-episode “season” in the fall on DirecTV and then is repeated on NBC. A 13-episode season must be a financially viable method of keeping a good show on the air because it seems almost the rule for many successful cable dramas. If an old TV nerd like me can see these possibilities, maybe NBC has seen the light as well.
If NBC wants to retain any of its viewers at all, they will read these comments and see that Trauma was one of the best-liked shows ever. At least NBC could have the decency to air the 3 additional episodes they made. It almost seems like they are deliberately trying to run the network into the ground. PLEASE BRING BACK TRAUMA.
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