Last May, fans of Harry’s Law were overjoyed when NBC decided to renew the David E. Kelley series for another season. Unfortunately, the ratings have been terrible this season and it will surely be cancelled soon. What happened?
Starring Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law revolves around a sarcastic attorney named Harriet Korn who opens a small law firm in a rundown shoe store in Cincinnati. She’s initially aided by a young attorney named Adam (Nate Corddry), a quirky assistant named Jenna (Brittany Snow), and a paralegal, Malcolm (Aml Ameen).
The show debuted last January to a 2.2 in the 18-49 demographic with 11.07 million viewers. The demo number’s not great but it was certainly a lot better than what the network had previously been getting in the Mondays at 10pm timeslot. The show’s total viewership was impressive however and, when you have poor numbers like NBC, older-skewing viewership is better than nothing. The ratings for Harry’s Law began to dwindle down pretty quickly and the show ended the season with a 1.4 demo rating and 7.75 million.
The show was on the bubble for renewal and, on one of the other big networks, the law drama surely would have been cancelled. But NBC had few truly successful shows to renew so they brought Harry’s Law back for a second season.
A few months later, it was announced that the show’s cast was undergoing some big changes. Snow and Ameen were replaced by Mark Valley and Karen Olivo, Christopher McDonald became a regular, and the shoe store was abandoned in lieu of a more standard office.
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Many fans liked the old characters and quirky setting and expressed their displeasure with the changes before season two even began airing. When the show returned, it was to a new series low; a 1.2 in the demo and 7.5 million viewers. The most recent episode fell to an even more pitiful 1.1 rating with 7.3 million.
So, was NBC trying to sabotage Harry’s Law? No, of course not but they had to do something. Last season’s ratings weren’t good enough to keep the show on the air so producers and the network took a chance on making changes (not uncommon for a Kelley show) to hopefully attract more viewers. The gamble didn’t pay off and they ended up alienating some of the few viewers that they had.
Harry’s Law is currently averaging a 1.2 rating in the coveted demo and 7.85 million viewers. It’s the second-lowest scripted series on the network, performing just a bit better than Chuck on Friday nights. That show is ending it’s run after a 13 episode season and it looks certain that Harry’s Law will be cancelled after this season.
A few weeks back, NBC ordered a half dozen more scripts for Harry’s Law but, with these kinds of ratings, it’s very hard to imagine that they’ll ever be produced. If NBC’s mid-season replacement series tank, NBC could conceivably put some more episodes into production but that seems like a remote possibility at best.
Either way, Harry’s law firm is surely going to be closing its doors for good sometime this season.
What do you think? Did the season two changes ruin the show? Should NBC make more changes or should it just be cancelled already?
Image courtesy NBC.
Harry’s Law was a my favorite show the first year. It was innovative, funny and clever. It was WAY different than the same old same old lawyer shows. Maybe part of the problem is that it didn’t revolve around a bunch of pretty people hoping into bed all the time. I’d like to see it go back to the situations and cast from the first season. If NBC wants only to air things as usual, I’d like to see CBS or ABC take over.
I loved Harry’s Law the 1st season. I have continued watching the 2nd season hoping it would get better. Tonight’s episode, where an intelligent Big Ape was left rotting in a zoo, was the final straw for me. Kathy Bates will land on her feet, but these writers deserve to be unemployed!
I agree with Vicki…PLEASE DO NOT cancel this show, it’s David Kelley and an awesome cast. To see Kathy Bates once a week, FANTASTIC!! One of my favorite shows that will not survive if put opposite another great show The Good Wife. PLEASE don’t make us choose. Harry’s Law is a sharp, entertaining show. No canned laughter and silly like most shows on prime time.
Do NOT cancel this show. Give it a chance to develop. Or else–cancel NBC and move Harry to a different network that knows how to market talent.
Yes Vicki is speaking for so many of us!!!
One of the few shows that both entertains and educates us about current issues. We check out the issues and stats and the writers are spot on. Never miss an episode and watched every Boston Legal, many multiple times. Spread the word – Harry’s Law can make you more informed. Watch it – don’t cancel.
Jim is right!! Please listen to the viewers!
Yep! NBC’s done it again. No wonder I don’t watch them. They screw up every show they put on that is worth a darn. The Harry’s Law’s first premise was what and why I stayed with the show. WHAT a Difference this second season is. Not even closest to what the premise was originally. Give me a break you idiots. And I was even taken by surprise to find the second season’s opening show at all. No structure in NBC. When and IF you guys figure out how to keep an audience happy maybe you’d get part of the market… Read more »
We love Kathy Bates, However we loved the Idea of the first season. Bring in Allan Shore go back to the format if season one and keep Tommy Davidson.
Do not cancel Harry’s Law!
PLEASE DO NOT!! Luz is right!
Finally a great cast, well-written law drama comes out that isn’t cookie cutter like the other law shows before it, and the rocket scientists at NBC-Unusual take no time in moving the show around so it can’t be followed, then the same firm of morons who put Jay Leno on 5 nights a week and ruined NBC’s ratings messed with Harry’s Law and took the charm that separated it from every legal show ever televised, and made it homogenized for TV just like all the shows before it. Is it now like “The Good Wife?” Sorta. Is it like “Boston… Read more »
I absolutely LOVED Boston legal. When someone told me about Harry’s law, I couldn’t find it. Every TV guide site I find doesn’t have a “when is it on” feature. I only found it a few weeks ago and I LOVE the show. Now I see it’s about to be canceled? Well that’s just great. There is so much garbage on TV it’s refreshing to have a good show appear. But gees. Give it a chance. DON’T bury it at 9pm. Don’t move it around so it’s impossible to find. And I never ever ever see it promoted. Same commercials… Read more »
I agree!! Keep The Show
I loved the show last year and was very unhappy when they changed it to Weds. night in an earlier time slot. I still watch it, but do not enjoy it like I did last year. I loved Harriet last year, but she isn’t the same this year. Bring back the old characters and the shoe store location.
I still love the show and think it has potential to get better if writers can figure out how to get back to basics of the first season. I like Tommy being a regular on the show show but i miss the other characters from the first season. Hopefully it can be saved because its still a good show and I love Kathy Bates. She deserves to have a good show.
I have to admit I quit watching after the first two episodes. Even though I love Kathy Bates, the show isn’t fun anymore. The one thing I loved about the first season was that Harry seemed real. She was the lawyer that fell off the latter of success but didn’t let that keep her down. The character loved helping people although she tried to pretend people irritated her. For some reason when a show doesn’t do well in the beginning they want to add pretty people instead of being more creative with scripts. No disrespect to the new cast, but… Read more »
I loved the 1st season. Now, it seems like Harry has forgotten her roots. I loved the idea of her moving into an area where she did good by helping the neighborhood citizens. There was more reality in her cases. Now shes like every other attorney going after the big bucks. The writers should put the new law offices on fire, move her back downstairs or have her sell the law firm and start over. Can’t be half as bad as it is now. Great cast. Just not right for this show.
I agree that the first season worked completely. Season 2 is so different that it is not the same show. What we fell in love with is no longer there. I loved the dynamics of season 1 and the cast working together. We were given one diet and the menu was changed. Season 2 is good, but it is a different show. If season 2 were the original pilot, everything would be good. But season 2 took us from a down-to- earth ghetto love that worked to a posh, upscale law firm. The two seasons have nothing in common except… Read more »