It’s the nightmare NBC’s Awake fans were dreading. NBC has cancelled the show after 13 episodes and one season.
Created by Kyle Killen (Lone Star), Awake revolves around a police detective (Jason Isaacs) who, after being in a horrific car accident, finds that he’s living in two realities. In one, his son perished — in the other, his wife did. The cast also includes Laura Allen, Steve Harris, Dylan Minnette, B. D. Wong, Michaela McManus, Wilmer Valderrama, and Cherry Jones.
The complex drama had an unimpressive debut back on March 1st, registering a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 6.24 million viewers. NBC had released the pilot episode well in advance so some believed that hurt the premiere ratings.
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Theoretically the second episode should have shown signs of growth but it didn’t. Week two dropped 20%. Week three remained stable but subsequent weeks saw additional declines. Last week’s episode hit a new low with a dismal 0.7 rating and just 2.15 million viewers.
This season has averaged a 1.1 rating in the demographic with 3.5 million total viewers. Awake is the third-lowest rated drama on the network, beating only Harry’s Law and The Firm (both of which have been cancelled as well). On our NBC Ratings Report Card, which measures the relative demo performance of shows on the network, Awake has a “D+” grade.
NBC has now cancelled Awake and the series finale is on track to air Thursday, May 24th. While it wasn’t intended as a series finale, Killen has said that he believes the finale is very satisfying.
What do you think? Are you sorry to hear that Awake has been cancelled and won’t be back for a second season? Was the series too complicated for most TV viewers or did it have other problems?
Image courtesy NBC.
Wow bad promoting and even worse opprotunity NBC as a whole as yet failed again this was by far the best thing on tv in a long long time **** NBC cuz there ignorant let’s prey a serious network picks it back up where it ended some who will give the show a chance I didn’t want to watch it from the one and only commercial I’ve seen about it someone talkin about it in the radio is what got me hooked a fan not anyone gettin paid this is ridiculous
My whole family was into this show! these days people was ridiculous shows that have so point to it! Awake was a show that made people think and guess!!!! the reason it was so interesting was that most people kind of knew they would be wrong and that was the thrill! the unexpected surprise. NBC is not carrying out the show enough i only seen one commercial ever, before and while is was still on. Awake deserves a second season! One that explains every detail (including what happens to Hawkins in the red world because he did not die he… Read more »
Best show on tv. How can you cancel a show of this quality after one season. At least advertise it better and give it another year. ridiculous…
Once again, a unique and thought-inspiring show gets canceled and makes room for more of the TRASH of “reality tv” and yet another f’n cop show. We are an incredibly sad society if all we want to see are mind-numbing, lifeless shows that require no talent both behind the camera and in front. The Firm – which had me on the edge of my seat every week – is another example of poor planning. All networks care about is the **** that the lifeless, brain-dead viewers think makes for good tv and the pride that used to go into creating… Read more »
Don’t they track Hulu views? It was one of the best, most intelligent shows on t.v. I despise the industry for catering to crass humor shows like 30 Rock, Community, Parks & Rec, Up All Night. The best writers & actors (like Killen & Isaacs) deserve a platform and have an audience!!!! Shame on you NBC.
WOW!!! EXCEPTIONAL!!! As a former police officer, now Consciousness Pioneer, with this finale episode it’s easy and clear to see why NBC cancelled the series. It was one of THE MOST IMPORTANT shows every on television. It would be lovely if it would be picked up elsewhere, repeated and continued ॐ
Awake was a series that allowed its viewers to think! Best show ever. Too bad it was on so late at night. Always had to catch up with On Demand.
I’ve been DVRing this show and just watched the last episode today. As it ended, I realized it was over and it made me really sad. I loved how the character’s one reality informed the other and helped him not only solve cases but solve the mystery of his life. I loved how the show got more dreamy and surrealistic as it went on. I would love to see a really premier cable channel like HBO or Showtime work it so that it moved faster and could be even more creative. I think it could be a success on a… Read more »
I couldn’t agree more with everything u said!
I just started watching Awake now and am SO disappointed that it has been cancelled! I hadn’t heard about it at all. NBC did a terrible job promoting it. The quality of this show is unlike any other and perhaps if it had more nudity it would have been considered by HBO. However, I like it just the way it is! Jason Isaacs is fabulous, the writing is superb, and I really wish NBC would re-consider this decision, and work harder to promote this show.
I cannot believe AWAKE got cancelled!! The beginning episodes were a little slow but still kept me coming back wanting to watch more! The last show was no finale! It solved NOTHING. NBC needs to get there crap together and start airing the show again!
I am disgusted that NBC cancelled AWAKE. I found it capitvating, and the best NEW series on television. I will not get attached to another program, especially, a NBC series.
This show was amazing. Once again smart, sharp, brilliant writing and great acting gets dumped over the lazy reality crap. The demographic of 18-49 ticks me off too, I’m 55 I don’t count for great tv?
I canNOT believe this show is cancelled. I have been watching it on primetime shows on demand since I had missed the first couple episodes. I admit it started off a bit slow but by episode 3 things started to get good! There are so many **** shows on TV I don’t know how they stay on and this great show that reminds me of the movie inception gets torn off the air so quickly?? At least move it to another time or promote it better. Something. I just saw what I guess is the final episode but I couldn’t… Read more »
NBC really did no advertising. I wanted to watch the show but never knew when it was on.
I really enjoyed the show and looked forward to seeing it every Thursday night. I used to watch ‘The Mentalist’ but lost interest when the lead character literally got away with murder, and the series continued as if it had never happened. ‘Awake’ seems to have had an interesting resolve at the end of its last show. I had wondered if it was planned that way. What could have happened after that storyline played out. I guess we’ll never know.