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 SON AND I WATCHED THE SHOW EVERY TIME IT CAME ON AND COULDN’T TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK FOR ANOTHER EPISODE! IT WAS A GREAT STORY LINE AND I WAS TRULY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEASON 2! FOX SOULD NOT HAVE CANCELED THE SHOW BELIEVE I WOULD RATHER WATCH THAN SOME OF THE OTHER SHOWS THEY HAVE ON OTHER NETWORKS FOR EXAMPLE: XFACTOR, AMERICAN IDOL, SURVIVOR AND THE LIST GOES ON…
Fox at least needs to tell its viewers what is behind the mystery. Until then, I will watch other networks or cable.
I was disappointed to read that Fox canceled this show it was a great show don’t they realize that DVR exists and that the ratings thing is overrated! Fox has canceled really good shows in the past and I see that they are continuing to do so, boo to fox!
I agree, I’ll loved Alcatraz and terra nova. Don’t understand why they cancelled them, too many unanswered questions -that sucks!
I loved the show. Fox sucks.
I second that!
I was really upset to find out that Fox has cancelled this and Terra Nova. I am just going to stop watching shows on Fox. Everytime I start watching a show and get into it they end up canceling the show. I don’t understand why they don’t give some shows a chance to see how they do for a second season. Instead the just throw the shows away.
LOVED IT!!!! Not compelling? are you kidding I watched it every week and wanted to see more and more. It was getting better and deeper into the reason why, whats going on with the inmates and the doctor. Why and how did they all of the sudden leave and where did they go? I want to know!!! BRING IT BACK!!!!!
You’re right it kept me on the edge of my seat, crappy shows manage to on the air!
Disappointed to find out the show was cancelled!
It was a good show and the plot changed every week with a new convict.
If competing network shows are what did it in, then Fox programming set themselves up for failure!
We want season two!!
I really liked the show and watch it every week. They should have went forward with season 2 But, put it on a different day and maybe a different time slot. It would have been one of the better shows on TV .
I think Alcatraz should go syndication (or cable) for season 2!
i wish these networks would stop trying to put good shows on and then cancel them after one season they need at least 2 seasons to get going also the big problem is they put them in a time slot that they should never be in like up against all reality shows and shows that have been established for a while they will never know what they got unless you give it a chance
We need an alternative to the singing and dancing reality shows. If nothing else Fox should have tried another time slot.
Enjoyed everything about this show, especially the great ensemble
cast. Really miss it!!
I don’t understand how The Voice and Dancing with the Stars can be better than Alcatraz….. it really make me think about people….they’re just looking for something lite….but not fair for those who enjoy a show like Alcatraz….shame, shame.
I’m pissed! I feel like Charlie Brown and the football. I was wondering when the next season was going to start, instead, I had to find out it was cancelled on the web. Weren’t some famous shows a bomb in their first few years until they caught on? Some times you need to stand up for quality.