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.
I hate that NBC won’t give this show a chance. It is the most satisfying hour on TV!
What the heck..quit bashing Americans. I think we understand the plot just fine, Micol. Maybe you should quit complaining and get your entertainment from your own country instead of relying on the U.S.
Anyway….I loved this show….I’m so sick of my favorite shows getting cancelled. I really hope the “finale” is good.
They said that one of the reason why they have cancelled the serie was because it was too hard to understand for you! It’s obvious that I’m not refering to ALL the americans, but to the most of them which, probably, are capable to follow just movie plots “American Pie” style… If I want to watch an american series, these are none of your buisness, Jason Isaacs is one of my favourite actors and he is fantastic in this show, so, with your permission, I’m pissed to hear if, because of some idiot, which I repeat, probably it’s one of… Read more »
Devastated. I am devastated. It is the ONE show that I look forward to and am disappointed when the hour is over. Now I have to accept that there is no next week? The acting is phenomenal, the writing is the best out there. I just don’t get it. Please other networks, please pick it up.
I will miss that show…I loved it….Jasaon Isaacs is a great actor….I knew when I watched
the pilot that it will not make it…It is too intelligent..People dont want to think..
They prefer to watch the Kardashians people with not acting talent..
Well that is the way NBC works..They dont give a show a chance..They just cancell.
I hope it will be pick up again …Please please give the show a second chance…
I am fine with any show that is cancelled, as long as they wrap up the series nicely, I will watch their programs again. As for the show Lost…..I won’t ever give the writers another chance. They are so totally fired.
though “fine” might not be the word i’d use, i definitely agree with you about wrapping up. there should be a requirement in the industry, as a responsibility to the viewing public, that any cancelled show has to aire the episodes already in the can and if possible have a finale. too often we are just left hanging. it could be budgetted into the contracts as a “first and last” clause like renting an apartment.
It’s too bad the general public doesn’t want to invest in a quality show. It made you pay attention and wasn’t something you could just zone out of. Awake gave you all the clues to solve the crimes. Pay attention and realize that this was a great show with great actors, characters, and an amazing story to be told. I hope it gets picked up on another network. I am definitely not ready to say goodbye to Det. Britton!
Ugh! The first original crime drama with an excellent cast & great writers cancelled! I’m so disappointed. I haven’t enjoyed a show so much in a long time. I’m sorry to see it go. BIG MISTAKE NBC!!!
Well the networks clearly are working by the numbers and shows like the New Jersey Housewives or mindless shows like The Bachelor keeps coming back season after season. I would like to thank the writers for being so original and not churning out the useless repeated stale plot lines that most shows spew out week after week. I am confident that you will end the series on a high note.
What a shame! We loved the show! We looked forward to it every week. If that plot was too complicated… I seriously have to wonder what’s wrong with everyone?!?
What’s with all the American-bashing in the comments? I am American, and I had no problem following the plot. I’m also a huge fan of Jason Isaacs. Please don’t attack us as a nation simply because a show you enjoy has been cancelled. Many of us are disappointed by the decision as well.
Once again, another brilliant show that decided to take a step outside the box!
Unfortunately, it seems that the networks are catering to the dumbed down parts of society.
Don’t know who keeps making these stupid decisions to air enough shows that gain a loyal following & the axe the show at the end leaving more unanswered questions?
How about a bit of closure?
You should be ashamed you idiots!!
RIP another great show.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bring-back-awake.html
PLEASE SHARE this petition to bring AWAKE back and sign it too!!
Maybe someone will pick them up! This cast was brilliant and they deserve it! PLUS I love the show!
“Too complicated?” Hardly – at least not for the viewers. The writers seemed more than a bit befuddled, though. The show introduced a really solid, intriguing sci-fi premise in a promising pilot, but then seemed to decide that what it really wanted to do was be a crime drama when it grew up. As far as I can tell, after about the third episode, the writers seemed to regard the whole original story as an inconvenience that took too much time away from the spectacularly uninteresting criminal investigation. Given that the writers obviously never had a clear vision regarding the… Read more »
I’m really disappointed to read that. I’m from Italy and I was a fan of this show which is not aired here but I have watched thanks to the internet. I assure you that Mr. Isaacs here in Italy has a lot of fans which probably loves him more than the american show buisness men. It seems to me that you are just interested in your f*****g money and not in what people really thinks of a show. I’m sure that also all the Americans fans are so disappointed in you. You should be ashamed of yourself… ALL OF YOU!… Read more »
of course I was refering to the ones who cancelled the shows!
I’m italian and I see it in streaming with subtitles. I don’t speak and understand english excellently but I love this plot, I love this fiction, I love Jason Isaacs.. If the american people don’t understand the plot is not my fault.. It’s not my problem.. I want to see this fiction!!!!!! Wake up AMERICANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!