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?
Bring back Alcatraz!! It was the best show, my husband and I loved it!!
I cannot believe FOX cancelled Alcatraz!! My husband and I were just wondering when it would come back on, so I googled it and found out it was cancelled. Alcatraz was the only good thing about Monday! Come on FOX bring it back.
CRAP…I was so looking forward to it coming back. Everyone is SO into all the reality shows, most of which are stupid. I show might have seemed a little predictable but it was the way they flashed back and the ongoing story that was good..
I loved the show, I was wondering when it was going to air, and googled it, was shocked to see it was cancelled. All those dumb shows like the voice are still on, c’mon fox, bring it back!!!!!!!
Can’t believe u would keep other crappy shows on and leave people hanging!!!! I use to dvr the show just so i could watch it the next morning the minute i got home from work guess tv is just a big let down these days along with people in the world!!! Who cares about if u can sing or not the voice and all those other reality shows people should just go outside and see the real world if they want reality!!!!
I wanted to see what would happen next. Sad it is gone.
Even the Cosby Show wasn’t a hit the first season. Alcatraz was a very good show. It will be a cliffhanger with only the cliff – hang on folks the bigwigs of Fox are trying to pull their heads out of some hole, sometimes called the ostrich syndrome. A ‘C’ according to to Fox wasn’t good enough. Let’s give Fox an ‘F’ – for failure to care about what people like.
Tera Nova and Alcatraz….other then Fringe that was all I watched on FOX….big mistake they hey are both great shows and Alcatraz was exceptional!
fox is defiantly freakn idiots for canceling Alcatraz.. was my favorite show n kept me guessing which is why i loved it. The show was great and i am mad. I wanted the story to at least finish and now i am left wondering and will never get answers. I hope another network will pick it up n show fox up.. i am sick of fox n them cancelling good shows. They should have gotten rid of fringe its done and old and just the same **** every episode… Terra nova was another great show and they cancelled that as… Read more »
fox is defiantly ******* idiots for canceling Alcatraz.. was my favorite show n kept me guessing which is why i loved it. The show was great and i am pissed. I wanted the story to at least finish and now i am left wondering and will never get answers. I hope another network will pick it up n show fox up.. i am sick of fox n them cancelling good shows. They should have gotten rid of fringe its done and old and just the same **** every episode… Terra nova was another great show and they cancelled that as… Read more »
Fox is absolutely retarded for getting rid of Alcatraz. The show was amazing and every week it kept you coming back for more. Every week Alcatraz was the only show I looked forward too.. Boooooooooo FOX… Forget you guys
My son and i are very upset. We loved that show, it was great bonding time. We couldn’t wait till the next weeks show.
Can’t believe all the garbage that is on TV and this show gets cancelled. I guess that I am in the minority. Would much rather watch this then all the “fake” reality shows that get shoved down our throats. My husband and I (50’s) watched this show every week. Now we are left wondering?
We are extremely disappointed to find out the show has been cancelled. As the above have stated, very well written and actors were convincing!!! It should have been moved so it wasn’t run against the popular shows for the brainless. We had a family full of viewers that loved the show and came together with us to watch the episodes. It was our night out at the movies so to speak. The idea of offering it to TNT or USA has merit. Several of the more thought provoking programs are now running on these networks. If there is anyway it… Read more »
Alcatraz was new and innovative. Recently shows have premiered with new and inspiring plots outside the normal cop and lawyer shows, and the mindless reality shows. Falling Skies on TNT is one of them and great. There were two others Terra Nova and Alcatraz both on FOX and FOX cancelled both. Both shows were different, intelligent and well written. Both deserved second seasons. Hopefully networks like TNT or USA which continually bring new, fun and well done shows will pick them up. Even the A & E and SYFY networks have new, interesting shows. Alcatraz would do well on TNT.… Read more »