When Alcatraz debuted, it looked like the show had a very good chance at being renewed for a second season. But how do things look now? Will the TV series be cancelled after all?
Alcatraz follows police detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Dr. Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia) as they try to solve the mystery of how 340 prison inmates and guards disappeared in 1963 and are now reappearing in modern day. The cast also includes Jonny Coyne, Parminder Nagra, Jason Butler Harner, and Sam Neill.
The TV show debuted with a solid 3.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 10.05 million total viewers. In week two, the demo slipped 9% to a still respectable 3.0 rating with 9.03 million. New shows typically fall 15-20% in their second week so this was a good sign. Week three dropped another 7%. That wasn’t positive but not horrible either.
Unfortunately, the ratings have just kept falling. In February, NBC kicked off the second season of The Voice and Alcaraz took a big hit, dropping 18% on February 6th and then another 17% on the 13th. And the numbers just keep going down. Last week’s episode was a series low with a 2.1 in the demo.
For the first time in many years, the big networks all have really strong programming on Monday nights and FOX has ended up on the bottom. House, which is in its final season, keeps dropping and so does Alcatraz.
Alcatraz’s season average is currently a 2.3 in the demo with 7.1 million. On our FOX report card — which ranks the network’s shows based on demo averages — Alcatraz has a “C.” Terra Nova, which has already been cancelled, had a better demo average and has a “C+”. When a show that was performing better than yours has been cancelled, that’s not a good sign.
Alcatraz is definitely on the bubble but, in light of the downward ratings trend, I expect it to be cancelled by May. There’s just no reason to expect that the series will do any better if given a second season.
But, what do you think? Do you think Alcatraz will beat the odds and be renewed for a second season? Should it be cancelled?
Image courtesy FOX.
if you cancel this…im not gona watch fox anymore..you would be idiots to cancel alcatraz
First off it had a much shorter season than the regular network shows, so I don’t think it is completely fair to compare to shows that have more time to get an audience.
Second, it was up agianst reality TV and think it might do better on a different night.
Let Fringe finish with a 13/15 episode season 5 and put Alcatraz S2 along with it.
I didn’t mean it against Terra Nova, but other shows, but speaking of that Alcatraz is probably cheaper to make.
I absolutely love this show and wish they’d just be patient and see what happens. But the problem is that it’s up against the CBS comedies and The Voice, which is why it’s suffering in the ratings, not because of the shows. I actually watch all 3 – I tape Alcatraz on the late night Saturday re-run. If they want to see it succeed, I think it needs to move to another night and give it a shot. They can always pull it mid-season if it’s really not working for them.
It need’s to keep going. Networks now days don’t give a show a chance…look at CHEERS…enough said!!!!!
I absolutely love Alcatraz and it deserves a second chance!!! My husband and I always watch it together its awesome!
please please PLEASE don’t cancel alcatraz, i love this show and i totally agree with alot of the other prople who commented. alcatraz needs another chance on a different night, not up against all these stupid reality shows. It would just not be fair to all us viewers, there are so many more of the 63 to turn up and so many questions left unanswered, and doors unopened. If it is an absolute impossibility to put it back on net work television, please at least complete the story with a mini-series on another channel, or straight to dvd, PLEASE!!!!! thank… Read more »
Alcatraz is the first series on Tv that my wife and I can agree on watching and for the same reasons it’s entertaining, it has a Interesting story line, and we like the flashbacks give the show a grittiness without being to over the top. People complain about the lack of charisma between Doc and Rebecca in the first episodes. Anybody who watches youtube would know that Rebecca was supposed to be engaged to a SFPD patrol officer. Whatever happened to that story line I don’t know but that was in the original design or playbook if you will personally… Read more »
please give it a second season and with last nights ending there really needs to be answers
I like Alcatraz a lot and hope it doesn’t get cancelled
One of the problems with the show is that the plot gets too confusing, what with the constant shifting back and forth between present and 1963. You need clearer lines of conflict. It would be better to let the cat out of the bag, and then let the cat proceed to take on the human race head to head each week. In other words, maybe the ’63’s are really space aliens. Stop with the flashbacks. They’re here among us, now, week after week, and spreading. How do we stop them? Each episode should be self-explanatory and self-contained, without the flashback… Read more »
I watched the pilot and reminded me of another lost show so as far as it getting cancel I think it will
This show for me, started off with a bang. I would have Alcatraz Chicken on Monday’s, it was an exciting time for our family to all watch. After the 3rd show, it began to be a sleeper and after last night it was horrible. It made no sense to all the shows aired. The girl cop was killed, the doctor was brought back to life? Yet there are still several Alcatraz In-Mates on the lose? That have been given some form of blood to keep them alive for 20-30 years? I am glad this shop got cancelled it was horrible… Read more »
How about Alcatraz followed by Fringe on Friday?
I love alcatraz and hope that the show does not get cancelled. I hope fox consideres moving it to another night. How about Friday? Nothing comes on friday nights or thursday. I hate all these damn reality shows. PLease Please keep Alcatraz
When we watched the final moments of the show and saw Rebecca Madsen die, my mom calmly said, “Well, they can bring her back.” — Clearly in denial or not understanding the show. They’ve never shown anyone being brought back from the dead on Alcatraz, though they’ve arguably done everything short of that. That’s how amazing Alcatraz is — the mystery just keeps you guessing, much like on (the far superior) Fringe. I want Alcatraz to keep going, not only because I didn’t like Rebecca and want to see that she stays dead, but because there’s SO MUCH unfulfilled potential… Read more »
I’m with you all the way. Fringe is such a completely superior sci fi show to almost everything else out there I’d be heartbroken if they aren’t allowed to end it properly. Heck, if NBC can allow Chuck and Quantum Leap to wrap with dignity, FRINGE deserves no less.