For the most part, FOX has really been struggling this season. When it comes to new shows, Empire is a hit and Gotham’s doing okay but Utopia, Mulaney, Gracepoint, and Red Band Society were dismal failures in the ratings and have already been cancelled. How’s Backstrom doing? Will it survive to see a second season?
On Backstrom, an offensive, irascible yet brilliant detective (Rainn Wilson) is brought back from exile to run Portland Police Bureau’s Special Crimes Unit. The rest of the cast includes Genevieve Angelson, Dennis Haysbert, Kristoffer Polaha, Page Kennedy, Beatrice Rosen, and Thomas Dekker.
With American Idol as a lead-in, the series debuted on January 22nd with a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 7.98 million viewers. That was an okay start but there wasn’t much serious competition on the other networks.
In week two, Backstrom had to start competing with Scandal on ABC and the ratings dropped more than 30%. In week three, NBC’s The Blacklist moved to Thursdays at 9pm and Backstrom dropped another 30% or so once again, falling to a 1.0 in the demo and 3.64 million.
In week four, the FOX series bounced back to a 1.2 in the demo and 4.39 million. Last week’s installment took another big tumble and Backstrom landed at a 0.9 in the demo and 3.54 million.
It’s pretty clear that, while Backstrom may have some devoted viewers, it’s not priority viewing for most people on Thursday nights. It’s pretty consistently in fourth place in its 9pm timeslot and is now FOX’s lowest-rated drama.
With numbers like these, it’s hard to imagine that FOX will renew Backstrom for a second season. FOX has some serious schedule problems but this show doesn’t seem to be a solution. There are eight episodes left in the season (only five are scheduled) so Backstrom has some time to prove itself with better ratings. This seems unlikely but sometimes miracles do happen. Backstrom could certainly use one.
But, what do you think? Do you like Backstrom? If you ran the network, would you cancel or renew this series for a second season? Would you change anything to attract more viewers?
Please keep Backstrom!!!!!!
This show is ” Excellent Excellent one season is not enough time to bleed into the market world wide Ive told all my friends that never new about it and now they watch it and love it don’t cancel please it has wit smart humor and of course the real detective work.
I like the show and it’s well written and has some depth to each character which isn’t on all shows. Personally I like shows at are different or off beat because they are willing to risk things that the same old stereotype shows don’t. Bottom line is network TV is dieing to internet shows or cable. Hope they bring it back or at least give it the death it ends to end the show, nothing worse then get into a show only to have the network can it & not say a thing about and leave you like what the… Read more »
KEEP! Unique in a sea of drama and scifi offerings – please don’t cancel!
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL!
Love the show. It’s unique well written and I look forward to it every week renew it.
Please renew!! Great cast – love Rainn Wilson and Thomas Dekker. Have a heart and give it another season.
I love this show so much. It is my favorite show this season. Rainn Wilson (who never impressed me before) is awesome. PLEASE DON’T CANCEL IT!
Out of all the cop shows out there, this show has very unique writing and is layered with so much more than finding out who did it in the end. Just change it to another day if Thursday is too competitive for this program. I bet that whatever they replace it with will be dull and less original.
One of the best new shows out there. The idiots should not cancel this show.
Love this show! Would be so disappointed if it’s cancelled. Yes…quirky characters and the fact that it isn’t afraid to break through the barriers of having to tippy toe and cow tow to political correctness is refreshing. Deeper sub plots are intriguing and leave me routing for great outcomes. Keep it, keep it please!!!
Love this show! Extremely dry wit, well thought out plot lines and great characters!
The characters are all working well, there story lines are interesting & entertaining. I look forward to the show every Thursday. I didn’t expect to like it & now it is a must see. Please don’t cancel it.
Please don’t cancel Backstrom. … the show is witty and quirky and SMART. There are so few shows with a Seinfeld-like intellectual wit… I’m devastated to think last night may have been the last show.
I love this show, Rainn Wilson is fantastic! It’s funny, it’s engaging, it’s deep when it needs to be. Canceling this great show would be a big mistake. There”s a lot of trash out there, but this new show is very entertaining!