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 cannot believe they cancelled this show. Oh that’s right we are supposed to watch those jerks make bigger jerks of themselves on reality shows. Who really gives a crap about that junk.
I hate that fox got rid of this show. I loved it, I watched it every week and was really anticipating the second season. I don’t understand why people watch stupid reality shows instead of good shows like alcatraz.
I totally agree with Jim they always cancel he good shows & leave the crap! My husband and I were lookong forward to the new season, we are so disappointed, who watches dancing with the stars? They really do need to bring Alcatraz back it was an awsome show!!
It is sad when good shows are cancelled to give room to crappy ones. It is also sad what popular demand is now. The world has truly changed. I do not think the show should be cancelled. I’m in Nigeria and I loved the show. In my opinion reality shows are overated. I also wonder, when there are lots of editing going with these reality show, how real are they?
This is very disappointing. My entire family would gather to enjoy “Alcatraz”. It was well written and very well acted. I think Fox needs to rethink this strategy and give the great show another chance. Reality shows are anything but….I cannot believe this obsession with them still exists. They seem to make them on everything and anything and in my opinion are staged and or predictable. The ONLY reality show that ever existed, was “Cops”, and even part of that, although not scripted, was somewhat edited. Who really cares about who wants to be the next “star”, by creation. People… Read more »
u guys sudnt cancell the show u can makeit better work on flaws like the first bs was inmates comin back 50 yrs later n they have no prob wt so ever in using modern tech n auto n semi auto wepons they r adjusting easily easy cash access they r comitig same crimes tht they did in the past well tht can work but how r they by passing the latest security systems lol 10 yrs ago wewere using dialup modems to connect to the internet 50 yrs guys good story plot n everything but u guy fd up… Read more »
I LOVED THIS SHOW!!!!! I HATE THAT FOX CANCELLED IT!!! YOU CAN’T EXPECT IT TO GET ALOT OF RATINGS WHEN YOU PUT THE VOICE OUT THERE WITH IT!!! I WISH THEY WOULD GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT!!!!!
Americans must have the mentality if an 8yr old to prefer crap like the “voice” and”dancing with the stars”. Alcatraz had a fresh story line and unique interigue. It kept my family and I on the edge of our seats and always kept us guessing. Im very disappointed with Fox’s decision. Shame shame america. U disappoint me. 🙁
OMG!!! I have been waiting all summer to find out when the show was coming back just to be completely dissapointed!!!! I absoulutely loved this show. I only missed one episode and drove my roommate crazy cuz I refused to watch anything else on Monday nights!!! I am so upset that they have canceled one of the best shows, which in my opinion rates right up there with CSI and Law and Order. Really hope they will change their mind and bring it back!!!!
Yea it really does suck. I thought this was the best show on after LOST went off the air. Really liked watching it and thought the story line was amazing. Would love to see it come back (but with the same people). Come on fox, do the right thing.
Really I cant belive this, I thought the show was great and watched every week, why do they always cancel the good stuff and leave the crap.
Yeah, lost out to reality TV. I am so sick of all that reality crap. This was a good show with direction and a truly unique storyline. This sucks!
Why, Why, Why did they cancel a show that so many people loved?
This was a BIG mistake!
This upsets me. I hate most reality shows. they alway’s seem to win out. This was an awesome show an was looking forward to the next season. Shame on you fox! quit cancelling all the good ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a shame to see another great show fall off the edge as a casualty to lame reality shows. Why the nework would choose to keep “Touch”, a show with the exact same story line on every episode, is a mystery. We started watching it but it became ridiculously predictable and the breathy whispering of the actors became hilariously annoying. Big mistake keeping Touch over a compelling series like Alcatraz. The Voice and Dancing with the Stars are ratings powerhouses. Just move Alcatraz to a new time slot (Touch’s?) and you’ve got a winner.
Really??? You reel us in, we watch the entire season and leave us with a cliff hanger that begs us to wait for season two, and then you just pull the rug out from under us! No way! You have to give us a little closer.