The FOX network had great success with their Prison Break series for four years. They’ve now introduced a new TV show that revolves around Alcatraz, the most famous penitentiary in the United States. Will Alcatraz run for years or will it be quickly cancelled instead?
The Alcatraz series begins with the following statement: “On March 21st, 1963, Alcatraz officially closed. All the prisoners were transferred off the island. Only that’s not what happened. Not at all.” It turns out that every prisoner in the facility mysteriously vanished and they start reappearing nearly 50 years later, looking just the same.
FBI Agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill), Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones), and Alcatraz expert “Doc” Soto (Jorge Garcia) work together to capture the felons and try to uncover where they’ve been. Others in the cast include Jonny Coyne, Parminder Nagra, Santiago Cabrera, Jason Butler Harner, and Robert Forster.
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The FOX series debuted last Monday with a pair of episodes that averaged a 3.3 in the all-important 18-49 demographic and 10.05 million total viewers. It was the best series premiere that FOX has had this season. What’s more, there seemed to be very little erosion as the two hours progressed, a good indication that those viewers would return the next week.
And they did. It’s not uncommon to see the numbers slip by 15-20% in the second week but Alcatraz only dropped 9% in the demo and about the same in total viewers. Last night’s episode drew a 3.0 in the demographic with 9.03 million.
The show is currently averaging a 3.2 rating in the demo and 9.71 million total viewers. It’s the sixth highest rated scripted series on the network this season (out of 16) and registers a “B” on our FOX report card. It’s outperforming venerable shows like House and Bones and freshman shows like Terra Nova and The Finder.
Unless the ratings continue to fall, it looks like Alcatraz will be around for awhile — hopefully long enough for the mystery to be solved in a satisfying way.
But, what do you think? Do you like Alcatraz? Is it worth watching week after week? Do you think it should be renewed for a second season or cancelled?
Image courtesy FOX.
I don’t know what you guys are talking about. This show is boring. The dialog is laughable. The acting is mediocre at best. If you think this show is good Walking Dead or Boardwalk Empire must blow your freaking minds. I only watch to see if it will get better, and I’m getting impatient.
It is fading fast for me after a stellar first two episodes. The writers need to inject something mysterious each week to make you wonder and think. Episode 3 and 4 have just been , gee what bad guy is going to come back this week and wreak havoc on Frisco. Throw us a curve ball every week relating to the whole time travel/cryogenic freezing or whatever it ends up being written as. The back story on the prisoners in 1963 is not enough to wow the audience. Hell, a couple years down the road it could turn out the… Read more »
Great show
I love it, it’s not predicatable. I like the variety of characters, esp Doc. Keep it!
Absolutely LOVE THIS SHOW! Best thing since JJ did Lost! I also like Terra Nova. But Alcatraz is our favorite new show, and favorite period! Never miss an episode of this show. If you do, go online, or catch up on your local Fox channel….they are playing previous episodes on Saturday nights @ about 11 pm. Please Fox, dont make a mistake with this hit series and move it around to lose some of your audience!! A keeper for sure!
This one is a keeper. Absolutely love this show. Touch is another great show. Saw the first episode last night. Just really disappointed that it won’t return until March 19th. This is what lost the “Lost” viewers. Too much time elapse between shows. Fox should not make the mistake of cancelling this one. Ratings will pick up after football season and the numerous (way to many IMHO) award shows.
Please Keep It!!! I love it!
I could get into the show more if they would just “bring us on board” and tell us what is going on. It’s getting a bit tiresome to watch the show and not be able to enjoy the basis for all these serial killers coming back to life…if they were ever dead.
I’m a trekie for heaven’s sake! I can HANDLE the truth!
Love it — something different finally —- keep it!
It’s sort of interesting. still trying to wrap my head around it though. These guys were gone for fifty yrs and just come back & pick up where they left off? no culture shock, no adjustments….let’s just go out & kill like it’s 1960?
also wondering about the guards….what’s going be up with them?
a strange show…that’s about to be moved. Touch is taking over its timeslot.
Move a show around and it’s usually a death sentence.
It’s better than Terra Nova, not as captivating as Lost, not as good as Touch.
Touch over Alcatraz over Terra Nova.
GREAT show. Must keep!
Are u kidding me. I think it is a great show.
I have not watched it yet as my cable kept rebooting when it originally aired. I plan to watch it tonight OnDemand. (Even with the no fast forward option, I will give it a shot. Usually I don’t bother, but it is not Fox’s fault the cable was wonky when it aired.)
Keep it!