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.
 Loading ... |
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 just watched the finale of Alcatraz and was very much looking forward the second series so i researched to see when it was going to be. I have just read that there isnt going to be a second series and just cant understand why especially when there are other rubbish shows on and they just keep going. Another series has to be made just to answer all of the questions that have been left in series 1.
It had great scripts,characters and actors and drama. It had an original plot. If the public gets anymore obsessed with the reality programs someday that will be all that will be on. Why not just put all reality programs on at the same time and on certain nights. Then the rest of us might get to see something we like to watch. To me the reality programs are like having Lawrence Welk on all the time. Movies and tv were created so we could escape reality. Fox should sell the rights to the show to the BBC so the Brits… Read more »
I am really annoyed that Alcatraz has been cancelled it is a great show that does really well in the UK, bring back season two and let it continue to its logical end and not leaving the programme hanging
I cannot believe they have ended it like that. Rebecca was brilliant why did they kill her I’m sooooo angry !!!
I’m disappointed and angry that the show was cancelled. I also watched all episodes and loved it. They shoud bring it back another season and not leave the audience with a cliff hanger. This was a great show!!
Thouroughly enjoyed the series concept. One of the more decent offerings coming out of U.S.A. Shame that Fox don’t have the courage to continue this absorbing series. No doubt we viewers in the UK will be left no option but to avoid the usual banal Fox oferrings. It would be nice to think that the programme execs. at Fox have a serious rethink or just pack up and leave the T.V. industry altogether
well thats the prats at the tops fault why would you put on a fiction drama against reality shows all the public know who will be the top of the ratings if you have a hit show put it on when everything else is **** and bring back the show its fantastic
Absolutely gutted!! Just watched the final episode (13) of this great series, only to find out that the next series has been cancelled! Why did Watch push this so hard when they must have known that it was cancelled????? Personally, I will NEVER watch another Fox series again – total waste of time. They cannot be trusted and care nothing for the viewers… very, very angry!
I am absolute gutted! Just watched all 13 episodes and loving it. Especially building up to find out the secret of what was really going on in alcatraz, then to find out that fox has cancelled the show! I feel cheated to be left on that cliffhanger. Fox bring it back for another series pleaseeeeeeee!
i have just watched the last alcatraz and i am very disappointed that we have been left with no answers to all the new questions that have come up please bring a second series out to answer all the questions i am in the UK
Really disappointed this has ended as it was a cracking series with great actors. How can they cancel this. If this was a British series it would go into a second series. America has made some really great dramas like this but ruin it by cancelling it.
i am really pissed of now just watched the final episode only to hear that the show has been cancelled. watch you are a joke of a network.
I thought the series was superb. It just got better and better. Without doubt the best thing I have seen in ages. It’s always the subject of conversation at work, so I know I’m not alone. I would like to think that Fox would change it’s mind, but I suspect this is somewhat of a forlorn hope.
Just watched the last episode of Alcatraz in the UK, how can a series be cancelled when there are so many unanswered questions. Bring it back for a second season.
watch in the uk love the programme gutted that there is no second series. please think again