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?
who wants to watch reality shows, they are no brainers, alcatraz keeps you interested and makes you think, i guess no one wants that any more
it sucks
I so can’t believe this!! What bs!! Fox is a pos!! One of the only shows I even watch on tv and was so looking forward to next season. I don’t know why we even watch television shows anymore when they are all just being cancelled!! FU Fox!!
At least tie it up for the faithful viewers. This is one of the main reasons I usually don’t watch network tv and these kinds of shows. I have to admit that I got sucked in and thought it was pretty good and sure enough they left me hanging.
The first three episodes of this were pretty good. After that I quit watching. It got too disjointed and unbelievable (even considering the premise of time travel)
This is BS!!!
VERY VERY VERY UPSET!! Please Reconsider.
Putting it up against heavy hitting shows like the Voice and DWS what were they expecting, fight reality TV with reality TV and put new shows up against new shows and get your ratings if that is what you want. I’m going to miss it, my wife and I always made sure we were home to watch it, or could catch up on it. I am so unimpressed now. I hope another network picks it up seeing the love people have for it. If there is a petition for its renewal could someone let us know, I’d sign it, just… Read more »
This is friggin stupid! Fox takes great shows, puts them in terrible time slots and cant figure out why the ratings drop! They cancel shows like terra nova, human target and not alcatraz, but let shows like house keep going?!?! unbelievable!
Here is the petition for the renewal of Alcatraz:
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/alcatraz-petition-22564/
Now I’m wondering if I should even watch the 2-hour finale that’s been on my DVR since it aired. The show had a great premise and JJ Abrams is a sci-fi God in my mind, but the acting was weak (the main girl and the big guy – neither of whose names I know lol). They were the weakest links in terms of acting and the writing left something to be desired a lot. Soto always knew the answer within seconds and had the case solved in minutes. But still, it was a really interesting story. Stupid singing shows.
This sucks. Maybe try moving it to another night? This was a great show. I will miss it. Like someone else commented, a lot of people did dvr it, such as myself on most occasions. When I did not dvr the show i was watching it when it aired at it’s regular time slot.
Fox just keeps doing this all the time. yes other networks do this too, but it seems like fox does this more.
What viewers don’t realize is “reality” is not reality. And, they’re no-brainers. That’s why so many tune in to all these stupid shows – probably the same audience for every one of them! Hey, networks: the intelligent people miss the old, well written, entertaining shows of yesterday; you know, the ones written by talented, educated people starring actual actors who are still stars today. Maybe the networks should be looking at who’s making the decisions about time slots. Switch it up! Give us poor, bored viewers a chance to be entertained by quality sitcoms and dramas!!! There’s probably a lot… Read more »
The show was slow to develop, but the overall mystery was interesting. I’d like to have seen FOX give it another season to see if it could grow an audience — science fiction takes more effort than other genres, but FOX has little patience, especially when reality shows are so cheap and easy to do.
Ah, well.
Fox sucks all they do is cancell good shows. They don’t give shows enough time to build a audience. I liked Alcatraz and thought it deserved a second season.
Arse, damn you trigger happy US TV Execs.
That’s it I’m out watching of first season ‘mystery’ type programs like this until the second season is confirmed. Flash Forward, The Event, Alcatraz, etc, etc. etc. Just too many.
Yours,
Disgusted of the UK
And I’m sure Awake will join this list soon (if it hasn’t already).
I’m not watching anymore NEW TV shows the first season. If it does come back for a second season I will go back and watch the first season. I hate getting invested in good TV shows to have them cancelled and left hanging. CRAP reality shows get renewed year after year but they do not give NEW shows a chance to make it.
This really sucks – best series of all time plus they left us hanging. I think the figures are misleading – a LOT of people I know DVR’d it.
I’m so pissed right now! I can’t believe FOX cancelled this incredible show. I was excited to see a new episode on Mondays, but I guess that won’t happen anymore. Shame on you FOX; you don’t care about your damn veiwers, just freaking money and ratings. I officially lost faith in your network.