Conviction: Final Episodes to Air on Sunday Nights?

As previously reported, The Alphabet Network has not ordered additional episodes of its Conviction TV show, beyond the original 13. To be clear, ABC has not officially cancelled Conviction. It is keeping the cast on contract, to keep its options open. That said, not ordering the back nine has been the opening salvo of many a cancellation saga.

Conviction stars Hayley Atwell, Eddie Cahill, Shawn Ashmore, Daniel Franzese, and Merrin Dungey. Sidebar: Dungey is the sister of ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey. Conviction  episode 1.09, “A Different Kind of Death,” is scheduled for Monday, December 5th. ABC has not slated further installments.  When will the network burn off the four remaining episodes of the legal drama? Check out the latest Conviction rumor, after the jump.

Conviction: A Look at the Season One Ratings  

This much, we know. Conviction has been struggling in the ratings.  The series premiered in October with a disappointing 0.92 rating in the 18-49 demographic and a total of 5.17 million viewers. The numbers trended down through its fifth week, when the show hits its low. The November 7th installment earned only a 0.64 in the demo and 3.641 million viewers.

Conviction fared a bit better in weeks six, seven, and eight. The November 28th episode garnered a 1.00 in the demo and and audience of 4.656 million. Still, its season averages to date are a 0.81 and 4.374 million, respectively. Generally speaking, that is not good enough to justify a second season in primetime, on a major broadcast network.

Quantico Moves to the Conviction Timeslot in January

We also know that on January 23rd, after the winter hiatus, ABC is moving the second season of Quantico from Sunday nights to Mondays, in Conviction‘s original 10:00pm timeslot. This move is an attempt to save the sophomore terrorism drama, which moved production to New York, to take advantage of tax incentives.

While in its first season, Quantico‘s ratings were respectable, in season two the ratings have dropped off, significantly. Season one averaged a 1.24 in the 18-49 demographic, with an average audience of 4.34 million total viewers. In the second season, as of November 27th, the season average number in the demo was 0.75, with an average total of 2.838 million viewers.

Will Conviction Move to the Quantico Timeslot?

When news broke that ABC had passed on giving Conviction a full season order, Deadline reported that it was possible the network would move at least some of the remaining episodes to a new night. Now, rumor has it that ABC will air the final four episodes of Conviction, season one, during the hiatus, beginning with Sunday, January 1, 2017 at 10:00pm — coincidentally in Quantico‘s old timeslot.

So far, we have traced this speculation back to the Futon Critic’s Conviction showatch page. The last scheduled episode is, as mentioned up top, episode 1.09, on Monday, December 5th. However, you’ll note that above it, there is a line item for Sunday, January 1, 2017 at 10:00pm, with “TBA” in the episode field.

Our Verdict on the Conviction Move Rumor

We checked the schedule posted to the Disney-ABC press site. It currently contains no entries past the December 27th episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Because that show airs at 11:35pm, it runs over into December 28th and is the only entry for that date. In other words, this is only a rumor.

While we’re not convicted the move will happen, it seems somewhere between possible to likely that ABC will move the last four episodes of Conviction to Sundays at 10:00. The night is already a challenge for the network. Much like Quantico, season two of Secrets and Lies has been a disappointment in the ratings department. During the winter hiatus, Sundays at 10:00pm seem as good a place as any, to burn off the final four episodes of Conviction — a show that is unlikely to snag a renewal.

What do you think? Have you been watching the first season of the Conviction TV series? Do you think ABC should cancel or renew it for a second season? Will the network renew either Quantico or Secrets and Lies for a third season? Sound off, in the comments.