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 can’t believe this show was cancelled. It was an awesome show. Not many shows make you think and this one did just that. Personally, i hate reality TV. Alcatraz was one of the few shows my husband and i enjoyed watching together. Fox, why did you do this. Obviously there are many fans.
BRING IT BACK!!!!!! So much better compared to touch, just because it has a big name like Keifer Sutherland in it and the networks connection to him through 24 doesn’t make it a good show. Alcatraz was so much more creative and compelling compared to others. If you wont keep it then SELL IT ON
this is a shame……..this show made you think n wonder………
Bring Back Alcatrez. I really liked this show. I could not wait for the second season to start and now I find out that Fox cut it due to ratings. I think this show is much better then some of the others that made it in. Can you play it on a different night or sell it to another network? I think their are too many singing shows and some of them need to go. I mean come on you are going to have American Idol on for 12+ years and it does not change, same old stuff over and… Read more »
Really, with all the CRAP on TV today you are cancelling Alcatraz!! I do not watch much TV because of the many CRAP shows and reality shows. I loved Alcatraz, the show was incredibly entertaining and the actors were terrific. FOX you need to bring it back.
Sooooo disappointed that this show is not coming back. My husband and I have been waiting all summer for this show to return and find out what happens next. We watched every episode. Can’t they move it to another night? Or sell it to another network? Please bring back Alcatraz!
My husband absURD really enjoyed the show . I think all the reality shows are mainly for a much younger group. Bring back Alcatraz .
I don’t understand, I thought it was a great show. All summer I have been waiting for the return of Alcatraz. I just happen to go online tonight to see when it was to return, knowing that next week is premiere week, what a disappointment. I was wondering if network averages take into account the number of people the record these programs, I record my favorite shows and watch them later, as do a lot of other people. Even though the voice came on doesn’t mean people stopped watching Alcatraz. They could have recorded it to watch later. Maybe you… Read more »
So sad to see a well done show lose to reality nonsense. When will the viewing public lose their interest in watching other people’s lives.
what a huge dissapointment and surprise. Finally a creative/original show in what seems to be a stream of reality shows and overdone crime dramas. Give me a break. Most americans who are living in “reality”, want an escape from it. Bring the show back and if not to the Fox network then sell to another. Ratings always go up and down , but originality is always appreciated. Alcatraz for a premise of a show is genius. Just like the Titanic millions of people have an unending fascination with Alcatraz and there would always be viewers. If you can’t bring it… Read more »
Bring Back Alcatraz!! Come on FOX, you know where you can slot shows for ratings, Reality shows? Really? Sell it to AMC and let them take over production. With hits like BREAKING BAD, COPPER and HELL ON WHEELS, Alcatraz would be another feather in AMC’s superb lineup. Dancing with the stars? I have participated in polls and I know what I thought was great TV and devlopment of characters. Feel like another LOST. Wake up and see what the 54%’s are wtaching. Still use FOX as my number one news source – doesn’yt make up for the TRAZ!
me and my husband loved the series we were just talking the other day and was wondering what happend to it please bring it back, we are not into american idol and all the other reality shows.
PLEASE BRING IT BACK!!!!! LOOOOOOVE THAT SHOW!!!! NEVER MISSED IT!!! CAN ANOTHER CHANNEL PICK IT UP?????
I am so very disappointed. FOX removes it because of a reality show! My husband and I rearranged our schedules so that we could watch this show. The acting and story lines were great. So much hasn’t been answered. FOX you blew it – how about putting it on cable?
We LOVED this show and would bust our butts to get home each week to watch it! We were intrigued each week and it kept our interest. Continually watching dancing with the Stars and the Voice get repetitively boring. How many reality shows can we continue to watch with singing and dancing? If Fox could have moved the time slot, they would have had success not just with that particular time slot w/ the singing shows, but an additional success with the 10 million who watched Alcatraz each week. I’m sure they could find companies out there that would want… Read more »