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 have been watching this show in the UK and have absolutely loved it. I cannot understand why they wouldn’t want to make another season.
Hello its me again from the UK. Just watched the last episode, and I now more than ever want Fox to commission a second season(I did like the “Bullitt” homage in this episode, they even included the green VW Beetle!) Joking aside, I’m sick and tired that they leave us hanging and then………PHHF! No second season, no explanation. Yet they give a weak show like “Touch” a new contract (and I normally rate Keifer!)What the hell!!!?? “Alcatraz” had a good following over here and now I’m very disappointed. Shame on you FOX! I don’t think I’ll ever trust anything come… Read more »
WILL NEVER WATCH ANOTHER FOX SERIES AGAIN…A WASTE OF 13 WEEKS
what a wasteof thirteen weeks ! yes it was becoming a little bland- but I HAD TO STICK AROUND TO FIND OUT WASHAT THE SECRET WAS…….AND NOW WE SHALL NEVER KNOW.
WHAT A KICK IN HTE TEETH AND A PATHETIC WAY TO TREAT AN AUDIENCE WHO STUCK WITH IT. WILL HAVE TO THINK TWICE ABOUT WATCHING ANY FUTURE FOX SERIES
It’s a tendancy that is rearing it’s ugly head more often these days. Networks do not really care about viewer input when they decide to cancel a good show. When they decide to cancel, it’s normally without warning and more often than not they just leave it with a unsatisfying ending. The viewer, after investing a lot of time in watching the show, gets left unsatisfied and frustrated. This will eventually lead to viewers becoming cinical and disinterested in new, good shows thus forcing viewer numbers down even more. Personally I decided to wait for a show to finish it’s… Read more »
Flipping heck. I agree with all the above comments and am now mad at Watch, for trailering this series so hard when they already must’ve know the cliffhanger end and that we would be left extremely frustrated if we bought into the idea. And no I didn’t watch the show live last night as we were having a once in a lifetime Transit of Venus last night and so I wanted to watch the BBC2 prog on that – not stomping or screeching ‘reality(?)’ shows. Fox please credit some of your viewers with more than a single braincell, and Watch… Read more »
Been watching Alcatraz in the UK, best thing on for ages really am gutted that there is not going to be any more , its been very popular with people I work with too, shall miss it greatly!!!
good show, already missed dancing w/ the stars sucks. mindless crap
What a bummer just watch all 13 episodes in the uk to find out there’s no second series fantastic show gutted
Just watched final episode of Alcatraz on uk tv disappointed that will never know what! Why!
The show was for people who have more than a 5th grade mentality, so of course America did not appreciate it. It is a shame that this intelligent show did not make it while so many stupid shows did.
The “problem” is that people don’t actually watch the show live, period. Many like the show, but according to network’s numbers, most people spend that hour period watching people dancing (or at least I think Dancing with stars is about?) instead of tuning into their show. It happens to every show, everybody prefers to watch realities (that’s why tv is full with them, of all kind) instead of a good show, somehow when said show gets cancelled, you read rage over the internet and seems that numbers are much bigger than the numbers of the network. I don’t know how… Read more »
i cant believe this was cancelled……why do we have all of these reality shows about pregnant teens/jersey house rentals/and other stuff…? it was a show that kept u guessing and wanting more…switch to saturday nights on fox when there is nothing really on or sell the rights to another broadcaster. in a world with DVRs and other recording devices…it could work!!!!!! have some faith!!!!!!!! gosh just because a teen would rather watch a show about vampires/sl***y girls in ugg boots/pregnant teens doesnt mean their parents don’t want to watch a REAL show! my opinion
I can point to several reasons why the show was cancelled. Sarah Jones was miscast as a detective. She just wasn’t convincing. Sam Neill was unmotivated to say the least. He seemed to be mailing it in. The violence was shocking by today’s standards. And, of course, the big hole in the show was why not just issue tourists a hospital band to get on and off the island? Anyone without one is a returning inmante trying to take the exit ferry and could be picked up. End of chases. I liked the show overall. Jorge Garcia is like that… Read more »
I definitely think that was a BIG mistake. The show should have been moved to a better time slot. It was a very good show. How about SyFy picking the show up?