Heartbeat: Cancel or Keep the New NBC Medical Drama?

Viewers who like medical dramas can find them on NBC. Chicago Med has already been renewed for a season two and The Night Shift is returning for its third season in June. But, how is their newest medical drama Heartbeat doing? Will it be cancelled or renewed for a second season?

Set at the fictional St. Matthew’s Hospital, Heartbeat follows a cardio-thoracic surgeon, Dr. Alex Panttiere (Melissa George), as she tries to juggle her personal and professional lives. She eagerly fights authority, particularly when it comes to her patients’ health and well-being. The rest of the cast includes Dave Annable, Don Hany, Joshua Leonard, Jamie Kennedy, D.L. Hughley, Shelley Conn, Maya Erskine, and J. Louis Mills.

The series had been scheduled to launch in the fall but it was rescheduled due to Melissa George’s real-life pregnancy. Heartbeat finally debuted on March 22nd, following an episode of NBC’s highly-rated series The Voice. It drew a 1.39 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 6.30 million viewers. Given the lead-in, it was likely a disappointing premiere.

Heartbeat moved to its regular Wednesday night timeslot the next evening and the ratings took a big tumble, falling to a 0.89 rating with 5.16 million. The third installment lost even more viewers and last week’s installment took a big tumble, falling to a 0.66 rating with 3.90 million. It was in last place for its timeslot in the demo.

This drama series still has several weeks to improve its ratings but, with numbers like these, it’s hard to imagine that NBC will be renewing Heartbeat for a second season. The Mysteries of Laura’s ratings weren’t this low and its future looks questionable.

But, what do you think? Do you like the Heartbeat TV show? Cancel or keep it?