FOX has thrown away the key on Alcatraz. The J.J. Abrams thriller has been cancelled after one season and 13 episodes.
Alcatraz follows the investigations of police detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Doctor Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia). They work to uncover how 340 inmates and guards disappeared from the infamous prison in 1963 and why they’re now reappearing looking just the same. The show also features the talents of Jonny Coyne, Parminder Nagra, Jason Butler Harner, and Sam Neill.
Fueled by a lot of promotion, the TV series was launched in January and drew good reviews and strong numbers. The two-hour premiere attracted a 3.3 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic with 10.05 million total viewers. Opposite some tough competition from CBS, Alcatraz was in second place in its timeslots.
In week two, the demo slipped 9% to a still respectable 3.0 rating with 9.03 million. Week three dropped another 7%. That wasn’t positive but not horrible either but the ratings just kept falling.
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In February, NBC launched season two of The Voice and Alcaraz’s ratings took a big dive. They ropped 18% on February 6th and then another 17% on the 13th. The numbers just kept falling after that.
The two-hour season (now series) finale was in fourth place in the timeslots and averaged a disappointing 1.6 demo rating with 4.76 million total viewers.
The first season of Alcatraz ended up averaging a 2.2 demo rating with 6.74 million viewers — and those numbers would have dropped lower had there been more episodes.
On our FOX report card — which ranks the network’s shows based on demo averages — Alcatraz has a “C” and that just wasn’t good enough to get a renewal.
FOX chose to keep Touch instead but the network stays in business with producer J.J. Abrams via the network’s Fringe renewal.
What happened? It would seem that Alcatraz just wasn’t compelling enough to keep viewers returning week after week. Plus, for the first time in quite awhile, all three of the major networks had really strong programming on Monday nights. Two of the competing shows — The Voice and Dancing with the Stars — are reality competitions and many viewers feel compelled to watch them “live” rather than catch them online or via DVR recordings.
All 13 episodes of Alcatraz have aired and the last episode left viewers wondering what would happen next. Unless the producers decide to share what they had in mind for season two, we’ll never know the answers to the show’s mysteries.
What do you think? Why do you think Alcatraz failed to hold onto a bigger audience? Did FOX make a mistake by cancelling the series? What will you miss about it?
I can’t believe Alcatraz is not coming back!! I always looked forward to Monday nights, wondering what new adventure was going to happen. I wasn’t a big fan of Lost but just seeing the previews of Alcatraz I knew I wanted to watch it because it looked so exciting and thrilling. Now I am upset to know it is not coming back, and not knowing what happens to Rebecca and all the inmates.
I am soooo upset that this show has been cancelled. I record all my favorite shows, Fringe, Modern Family, ALCATRAZ, so you must include this numbers in your ratings. The show had a “Lost” feel to it, a wonderful concept, very different. Because of this, I will never watch a new show again until its in the 3rd season….
Touch is horrible, Alcatraz was interesting…. the stupid public defines all. Sad.
SOOOO disappointed that Alcatraz is not continuing. Hate Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and the other brainless shows that always bump out shows that are new and different and make you think a little. Fringe is constantly bumped out of it’s timeslot by these crappy shows so some “amazing singer” can get voted in for a big money contract and become a one-hit-wonder. There are other nights during the week. Why can’t one of them have a decent show on that the other 90% of sane viewers can be allowed to watch and enjoy? Why are they broadcast directly… Read more »
I cant believe there is no more Alcatraz series. This is very disappointing. They hooked me in and I always was intrigued by “The rock” and even went and visited. Im sure the touir business increased alot for the time of year it was on. They should have switched days in the week for the episodes to air and if after season 2 it was still not drawing enought, then pull the plug. Fringe tv show had horrible ratings too and they kept that. FOX will not be watched by me any more either.
Just change the night to be aired instead of canceling it I loved this show
I am so disgusted with FOX TV I will not be watching it anymore. No more American IdolI am so tired of them putting shows on the air, getting me and my family hooked on them, then they cancel and leave us hanging. I am DONE WITH FOX PERIOD!
I am disappointed at the cancellation of Alcatraz. My family and I get together and watch it. To tell you the truth, the reality shows are starting to get on my nerves,except for Amazing Race. We did not like to be left in the air not knowing what is happening to the rest of the inmates? What is going to happen to them once they are brought back? How it all came about? Questions, questions and know answers!!!!!!! Please bring it back!!!!
Thanks
MB, KB, TH, LB etc.
Boy am I upset to hear Fox canceled this show and left viewers hanging! My husband and I really enjoyed the show…and looked forward to it each Monday. Now I have nothing to look forward to on Monday’s with both Alcatraz and house gone!
I’m disappointed that they cancelled it. I really enjoyed the show and the “Fringiness” of it. (Love “Fringe” too…) Do you think they’re not taking DVR into account?
They kept AWAKE? That, my friends, is a stupid show. The little boy’s character isn’t even likable. Boooo, NBC. Boo.
I think normal ratings methods fail to take into account TiVo and Sky+ (and whatever record-now-watch-later tech you’re using in the USA)!!! If I have my 2 fav shows running at once that’s NOT MY FAULT! – why am I being punished?? I WILL watch the reality show as it happens while recording religiously the drama to watch later. Just go to the Facebook pages – look at the ‘like’s and the comments – We want this show!! We want the gore!! and the crimes!! and the intrigue!! and the explanation that’s edging ever closer to something Sci-Fi!! The Colloidal… Read more »
I’ve been hoping that the show was only on a postponement as new episodes were being produced. I loved this show and couldn’t wait for Monday nights to watch it. The shows were suspenseful and yet had a “outer limits” feel to them, on how could this happen? I am very frustrated to learn that FOX cancelled the show, and left us hanging. How sad that they didn’t somehow take a poll from the viewers instead of making the assumption that the show couldn’t last. There were certainly other time slots and dates they could have chosen to get the… Read more »
Half the people will do something called recording to it because the’re busy on the day that its on so that won’t be counted and if 5 people are watching it will only count as ONE view.
There is a place called Briton where people watch it in a different month bet u didn’t add that to your views *******
Disappointed. Husband and I loved this show, we were looking forward to another season, what a shame