In July, production on NBC’s Parenthood was delayed due to Maura Tierney becoming ill. She eventually had to drop out of the project and Lauren Graham stepped in.
Because of the backstage issues, NBC delayed Parenthood’s Fall premiere and replaced it with a series that was scheduled for midseason, Mercy. Some wondered if having two new medical series might cause one to suffer. It turns out, Mercy and Trauma are both in critical condition.
Mercy follows the lives of three very different nurses at Mercy Hospital in Jersey City. The cast includes Taylor Schilling, Jaime Lee Kirchner, Michelle Trachtenberg, James Tupper, Diego Klattenhoff, Guillermo Diaz, James LeGros, James Van Der Beek, and Delroy Lindo.
The series got off to a mediocre start on September 23, 2009. The premiere attracted a 2.3 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic and 8.25 million total viewers. That put the debut in fourth place for the demo and in second place for total viewers.
The second episode fell to a 2.1 rating and 7.35 million. The third installment dropped again to a 1.8 rating in the demo and 7.29 million viewers. Not good.
Though the show’s ratings could hardly be called strong, NBC gave Mercy a full season order in October. The rest of the network’s schedule was performing poorly and the order likely had most to do with the fact that NBC just needed original programming. It didn’t hurt that the series is a co-production of NBC’s corporate sister, Universal Media Studios.
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Meanwhile, Trauma struggled from the very beginning and NBC pulled the plug after 13 episodes. But then, based on the need for more programming, the network ordered seven more installments. That show returns on March 8th but is a big longshot for renewal.
While Mercy was initially the better performer, the show’s ratings have now reached Trauma-like levels. The most recent episode of Mercy hit a series low with a dismal 1.4 rating in the demo and just 5.86 million viewers.
NBC’s Primetime Entertainment President Angela Bromstad recently said that she still loves the drama creatively, but she also noted that the show’s ratings need to rise for it to survive. She made that statement before Mercy fell to its most recent low.
The network has commissioned 18 pilots for the 2010-11 season and Bromstad has acknowledged that they’ll have to essentially rebuild their schedule from scratch.
With the ratings as poor as they are, it’s highly likely that Mercy will be cancelled and won’t survive to see a second year.
What do you think? Would you be sorry to see Mercy cancelled? Is it worth watching? Is there a reason that more viewers aren’t tuning in?
Image courtesy NBC.
KEEP THEM BOTH!!!
I really hope they don’t cancel Mercy. It’s the first show I’ve actually took the time to follow since Charmed was canceled by the WB in 2006. Like a lot of people have said, NBC doesn’t give Mercy enough promo. Most people I talk to either don’t know that the show even exists or what time it’s on. If NBC actually spent time giving Mercy some promos, then maybe the turn out would be different. Besides, the first season of most shows usually fall flat most of the time, anyway. Usually by the second season it’s easier to tell if… Read more »
I love this show! Dont cancel!
It’s way better than those other crappy shows like “dancing” and “idol” and “survivor” crap. I like both shows pretty well. But, out of the two…. Trauma is better. But, yeah give them both a chance. House sucks now, so we need a good show to take it’s place. I’d hate to see it get canceled like the “Firefly” series did. That was an amazing show!!!
PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL THE SHOW!
My husband and I both liked Mercy, which is unusual for us to like the same show. Please leave it on. It was taken off for everything and not given a chance.
I love Mercy & Trauma. I had my teen son & daughter watch it with me and they now love it too. Give these good shows a chance. Develop the characters. People will watch the shows if they know about it. You need to advertise these shows other than on NBC to draw an audience!
Of _course_ the ratings for Mercy reached trauma-like levels. You have to actually research each damn week to find out WHEN or IF Mercy is going to be on, they’ve forced the show to take numerous 3 week breaks in the middle of its season, and then scratch their heads and puzzle over ratings. NBC, are you not seeing a pattern to how you keep killing off good shows full of talented actors? Does ANYONE remember how tv was only a few years ago? When you say a show plays at 9 on Wednesdays, it PLAYS AT NINE ON WEDNESDAYS.… Read more »
KEEP Mercy. It is one of a Very Few shows that my wife and I anxiously await each week.
I agree with the previous poster. I wait all week, turn on the t.v. and bamn…some garbage in it’s place! Why not pre-empt something else once in awhile. Disgusted with NBC!! And, I don’t have much faith in your ratings….check the polls sometime. There are an awful lot of people watching MERCY, and we want it to stay on!
How the ratings be anything but low – it’s one here in Seattle so seldom that I forget to look for it. Something stupid taking it’s place as I write this. Great program — hope it survives.
Why does NBC make constant mistakes. You don’t give new shows a chance, or you leave viewers hanging. If I recall, Seinfeld didn’t do so well in its premier season, but you took a chance and renewed it for the following season. I like Mercy, and have watched every episode. NBC is going to become a network of TODAY, reality shows, and the TONIGHT SHOW if you continue to jerk your viewers around. I myself am more inclined to take a chance on shows on other networks, as they give new shows a better chance than you do. It’s happened… Read more »
I agree with everybody else Mercy should come back. Please please don’t cancel it. All the reality shows have gotten so boring, cut throat and just plain ridiculous. Let the viewers have what they want instead of what you think we want.
I really wish you would not cancel Mercy just for the sake of our men and women who have returned from Iraq in the same shape as this nurse and doctor are. They can relate to them. I think the show would help a lot of our troops if it could get more into this with the hospital scenes as well. This war has affected more lives then anyone could imagine.
Why does NBC make constant mistakes. You don’t give new shows a chance, or you leave viewers hanging. If I recall, Seinfeld didn’t do so well in its premier season, but you took a chance and renewed it for the following season. I like Mercy, and have watched every episode. NBC is going to become a network of TODAY, reality shows, and the TONIGHT SHOW if you continue to jerk your viewers around. I myself am more inclined to take a chance on shows on other networks, as they give new shows a better chance than you do. It’s happened… Read more »