This season alone, two of NBC’s most anticipated new Thursday night TV series — Prime Suspect and The Firm — have flopped. Is Awake different? Will it be cancelled or survive to see a second season?
Awake revolves around police detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) following a horrific car accident with his wife (Laura Allen) and son (Dylan Minnette). Britten discovers that he’s living two parallel realities. In one, his wife died in the accident. In the other, his son did. As he tries to discover what’s going on, he finds that details from both realities seem to bleed into the other. The cast also includes B.D. Wong, Cherry Jones, Michaela McManus, Steve Harris, and Wilmer Valderrama.
The show debuted on March 1st with lots of positive reviews, a mediocre 2.0 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, and 6.24 million total viewers. It was first in its timeslot, opposite repeats on ABC and CBS. While the premiere of Awake didn’t generate great numbers, it did better than Prime Suspect and The Firm. It was also the best performance that NBC’s had in that timeslot since last May.
Many contended that the premiere’s ratings were undercut because NBC released the pilot online well in advance — a strategy that seemed to help generate some buzz. If that gamble paid off, theoretically the numbers for the second episode would be better than the first. They weren’t.
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The ratings for episode two fell 20%, to a 1.6 demo rating and 4.33 million. It was easily beaten by an original edition of The Mentalist on CBS but topped a rerun of the GCB pilot on ABC. Week three of Awake held steady. If the show could maintain those numbers for the rest of the season, it would be safe. Unfortunately, it couldn’t.
Episode four’s numbers dropped a whopping 25%. Weeks five and six then dropped another 17% and 10% respectively. After just a half dozen episodes, Awake is basically matching the Thursday night ratings of NBC’s other cancelled dramas.
Based on the ratings, Awake is sure to be cancelled by May. They’re just too low for the peacock network to be able to justify a second season on the network.
Given the state of NBC’s current schedule, it seems likely that the network will let the remaining seven episodes air on Thursday nights. If the ratings continue to drop, they may pull it or ship it off to the Saturday night graveyard with The Firm.
Most importantly, it looks unlikely that viewers will have their questions answered by the last episode of Awake.
But, what do you think? Are you still watching Awake? Have you lost interest? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for a second season?
Image courtesy NBC.
Why did they pull it! I’m so pissed.
I Love it! I’m still watching! I love the premise of the story and I love Jason Isaacs!!! Please don’t pull the plug!
I like AWAKE. I think the lead actor is really good. Not your “cookie cutter”, good-looking male lead type, which makes him more interesting to watch. The show can be a little hurky-jerky at times and I’m not particularly fond of the wife (her voice is annoying) but, once again, I’m sucked into the overarching plot and will hate to see it cancelled without some closure…ala Flash Forward. Give it a chance, at least one more season. Come on.
sensational. modern take on Sherlock meets Hamlet. shrewed almost clairvoyant noticing of clues, with haunting sense of injustice causing it,with ghosts. Renew this show
I love Awake, it is always so good, please bring it back.
One of the best dramas on TV, excellent acting, intriguing premise.
Juuuust enough clues to make you think you’re “getting” it, before they yank the rug out from under you and confuse you again.
If it’s to be cancelled I hope the decision was made early enough to allow the last episode to wrap things up.
I love this show – the actors and storyline are great! Hate the timeslot – I always watch it ondemand and hope the powers that be are taking this into account when they make decisions about cancellations. I tend to agree with others that it might work better on something like Syfy network – but gee – it would be great to have a quality show like this stay on a regular network – it would give me hope. Don’t leave us hanging with the mystery of Britten’s existence and why………………
I think the problem with a lot of these shows is that the audience just has no clue as to where the show is going. Take for example ‘Touch’… I can’t imagine how the writers think (or thought if your reading this after cancellation) how to string the story along with a new issue to solve every week. What could be the possible outcome of it all? Awake at least has a slow burning mysticism at it’s heart but other shows with a far more mystical theme such as Lost lead us along that path, across a rope bridge, cut… Read more »
Awake NEEDS to be renewed, it is suspensful, well-written, and intellectual! I am not able to watch it every Thursday night but I make sure to still watch it! Awake is my FAVORITE show on TV right now!! This is all coming from a college student, c’mon my generation is known for non-sense like Jersey Shore. For once allow a show with substance and meaning remain on the air!
Awake is an intelligent, well- written show. Sadly, that’s often the kiss of death in the ratings.
How is it possible that this show is NOT getting ratings?!?!? Of all the drama/suspense/cop shows that I can think of right now on TV, this one is easily in the top 3. Awesome concept, great acting, intriguing story line… what more do people want? If this show gets canceled, the ounce of faith I have in left in TV today will be gone. I’m soooo tired of crap shows getting high ratings and great shows like this getting the boot. So sad…
I enjoy Awake. It deserves another season.
I watch Awake, and I love it, especially after seeing it through; the ninth episode really blew me away in particular, where I feel there was some answers and the slow anticipation that has been steadily building is beginning to nag at me the same way something nags at the main character until he gets the conclusion… So artful it’s chilling in its loveliness! I love the actors way of slightly under-toning things… Okay but– and i think this may hold true for other pple too, I dunno-but since thursday nights is a busy time with greys anatomy,touch and scandal,… Read more »
In my opinion, Awake is one of the best series that premiered in this season. The quality they cover and connect both realities is impressive. And I can’t accept why american people in general don’t watch this kind of show. I want Awake for a season two! #SAVEAWAKE
Pleeeeeaaase keep it! And promote it. E.g., run a marathon catch-up, like OUAT did. It could really develop a following.