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?
“Alcatraz” was amazing! It deserves more time to develop the story…..STORY! For the benefit of FOX programmers….A STORY is what people used to be able to watch for entertainment. “Reality” tv is a bunch of stories with amateur “actors”. Not really the same thing. Of course, I guess it’s cheaper to produce a reality show. You just watch one that’s already in existence, then take the dialogue and transfer it to a new show. Less creativity and artistry means cheaper budgets. Brilliant, FOX! I want to see a reality show that features cameras in the meeting room where the decisions… Read more »
So hard to find a decent show to watch, and I really loved Alcatraz.. so maddening when you get into a show and then the powers that be cancel it. This is why I do not watch Fox much any more…only Bones now.. CBS has the best programming right now.
You got to be kidding me. It is sooooo hard to find a Great TV Show and when there is one (Alcatraz) it is cancelled. It had a compelling storyline – it was DIFFERENT. It was NOT a reality show – it was an EXCELLENT show. I hope someone else grabs it. Sooooooooooo what is the Warden up to — My husband and I NEED to know!!!
agreed, we don’t like to be left hanging!
Very un happy you have cancelled it whats wrong with you people at least air another series answer questions then cancel it
That’s the last time I bother watching an episode tv show again…..!
Alcatraz was my favorite program this season – I couldn’t wait to see the next episode! All the characters were believable, and dealt with something that actually existed and has its own notorious history. I am sick of reality shows – what a waste of time, and whoever likes them needs to get a life of their own. I much prefer to escape for an hour to somewhere that keeps me glued to the TV. We are getting realitized to death, and I hope someone else picks up Alcatraz – they deserve another season. Besides, we were left hanging after… Read more »
While I agree with you Kevin, the whole statement is ironic given the errors in your post (read: too not to; spaces after the commas; two spaces after a period)
What’s do these comments have to do with Grammar. Are you a teacher that can’t find work or who wants to make yourself feel more important by putting other down? There are better places to preach about grammer. Go play 50 somewhere else.
I can’t believe they cancelled alcatraz! that show was so amazing! it was so awesome that it dealt with some real history! not like some of the crap they keep on tv. Bring it back!!!!!
Should have put it back-to-back with Fringe…..it would have done great next to it. Alcatraz was a FINE show and deserved better.
Fox always dumps good shows. I doubt I will ever watch a show on Fox again. I’m very disappointed that this quality show with great characters and so much content to go with in the future has been thrown out. I really think this network has no idea how to schedule a program to make it succesful and gain it audience.
This was one of the best new show of the season, personally I am so sick of these reality shows and crap shows. Hopefully another network might pick it up. Same on you Fox!!!!!
All the good shows gets cancelled,because to many people have been dumbed down by fake reality shows, and they don’t want to watch a show that makes them think.The media loves to dumb us down with garbage show like American Idol,Dancing with the Stars,Survivor,Real Houswives,Jersey Shore,etc.. What most people don’t realize is that all of these shows are staged, and they use actors.
Not surprised to see the show is cancelled. There were lots of promising, even brilliant, moments to be sure, but it was hard to follow the plot as it progressed fitfully from week to week. Friends told me that many of the characters looked alike, and some characters had then and now actors, which made things even more confusing. Keeping it all straight took a lot of effort, and it probably was not quite good enough to prompt viewers to make the investment. The episodes were written as if they had many years to tell their story. And the final… Read more »
Let’s keep the reality “Loser” shows but cancel the awesomes ones…. Good one Fox….
I can understand how Alcatraz lost viewers during the 1st half of the season, too few answers and not enough series plot direction. It was starting to look like a “Situational Drama” with some sci fi put in as a plot twist. It was still very good and as the actors and the writers found their ‘voice’ and the overarching plot came out then the show started to really shine with good emotional performances and character development. It is cancellations of this and the other great shows this year that I think will soon drive TV off the TV and… Read more »