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?
My husband and I just loved Alcatraz, Fox should move the show to another night and leave OFF all of the shows about people wanting to “make it big” in the world. What ever happened to good programing ?
I was so mad that they cancelled Alcatraz. It was such a good show with a plot and it didn’t get confusing. Now since they ended there is a big mystery of what would have happened. If they had low rating because of other shows on that sane night, Then they just need to move it to a different night.
I am so upset that this was cancelled. They should have given it a chance. Move it to a different night of something. I don’t thing LOST was that popular at first and look where that went.
I can’t believe they cancelled Alcatraz. I absolutely loved the writing
And the cast. They left a open hole in my evening TV viewing.
FOX you need to really look at this one . Find anew spot for it and make season 2
I cannot believe that you cancelled this show. it truly is a disappointment to me and all of my friends
Typical……start an interesting, well-written show and the “experts” lol, cancel it. Everyone thinks it has to be a “reality” show to be successful. Way to go Fox….that’s why I seldom watch your network!!!!!!!!!
I JUST WANT TO SAY I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU HAVE CANCELLED ALCATRAZ….I HAVE BEEN A BIG FAN SINCE THE SHOW STARTED AND HAVE LOOKED FORWARD TO SECOND SEASON COMING OUT…THERE MAY OF BEEN SOME DAYS I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WATCH THE SHOW BUT BELIEVE I HAVE DVR’D SO ME AND MY KIDS COULD WATCH IT…I THINK THAT WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU HAVE MADE AND I WILL NOT BE WATCHING ANYTHING ON THAT CHANNEL THAT YOU HAVE REPLACED WITH SHOWS THAT I HAVE NO INTEREST IN SEEING
The suspense was fa We were always looking forward to viewing Alcatraz. Our bubble has been burst by FOX. WE WANT IT BACK
Fox should start keeping up with the times and realise that people record episodes of their favorite shows so they can watch them at a suitable time. Haven’t they got the drift with technology. Alcatraz is one of the best shows i have seen in a long time.
Even though “THE VOICE”, was in so-called competition against Alkatraz , I couldn’t wait for each episode to air. It shouldn’t have been canceled. It was a very thought provoking show. My best friend, my fiancé, and I watched that show faithfully. The actors fit their character roles perfectly. I hope th hey get a second chance.
We finally found a show that my husband and I can sit down and watch together and discuss it afterwards, then Fox cancel it. Disappointing to say the least. I fought for Fox 40 when Dish Network will not air them early this year in the Sacramento Area (they had the call the the Dish Network call drive to keep your shows going) and this is how they repay their viewers, cut the more intelligent shows they ever shown. The show is engaging and make you think, not those reality shows that by the way…I never watch. In fact, it’s… Read more »
My husband & I LOVED Alcatraz! Great writing, great story, great acting. Please bring it back, or let another station pick it up, we need to know how this ends!
i hate reality shows and thats all you can find now. alcatraz was an amazing show that ive looked forward to all summer long. how can you leave a show ending that way. so many people(myself included) are now stuck wondering about the rest of the inmates and did rebecca die or what? this is just rediculious. please bring it back.
I can’t believe that this show isn’t coming back it was the best show I have seen in a long time. I was just searching to see when it was to begin again and just found out it will not . This is very disappointing please bring it back.
Why do they keep doing this, they keep all the crappy dance show, & that reality junk, and cancel something worth keeping I so sick of it, bring it back please!