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.
I watch and really look forward to watching this show (as I did with Trauma also) every week. I really hope NBC makes the right decision to keep this show going, since it will be the only medical themed show worth watching left!! I will seriously cry if they take this show off!! We really don’t need more stupid shows on like Parenthood either!
I love both Mercy and Trauma. It seems all the good shows get cancelled pleas don’t cacel these two.
I really enjoy the show. What I haven’t enjoyed is how many directions they have taken with the show; it gave me viewer whiplash! When Leno left at 10, it should have become a 10, or at least a 9 o’clock show. It was never a 8 o’clock show. I fear it’s gone. We will never see if Veronica can reclaim her life, if her dad wanders off and is never found again. Will Sonia survive a lawsuit? Will Dan keep shaving? (love it) Really don’t care about the new doc (don’t remember his character’s name and don’t care), Chris… Read more »
Please do not get rid of this show! I absolutely love it. The drama with Sonia and her whole insurance issue (assisted suicide), Veronica with her mental issues, and finally Chloe and her younger football player boyfriend with a head injury.
I’ve watched this series from the begining and look forward to new episodes. I have never felt this way about a show before. I can usually go without knowing and don’t worry about missing an episode. With Mercy, it is totally different. Please do not cancel it. It is really the only show on NBC I watch.
I LOVE both Trauma & Mercy. Please don’t cancel either show. Give them a chance. They were some of the best new shows of the season.
Trauma probably won’t come back. They canceled Three Rivers, now it looks like Mercy will be canceled. Bring on some more reality shows don’t have enough of those crap shows, and they never get canceled. It’s to bad all these good shows are getting canceled. Sad sad!!!
I enjoy Mercy, but the technical issues are difficult to watch at times. I am in the nursing profession and it’s frustrating to see them use interventions that are just plain ridiculous. Anyone watching with a medical background has to pick up on some of them. For instance, the episode where the nurse bound a patient in a sleeping bag with bungee cords overnight for his sleepwalking problems. She acted very serious doing it as if it was a great idea but in truth its illegal – you cannot leave a patient restrained and alone without a sitter. If you… Read more »
I’m sorry, but everyone knows Mercy is a fake show, its not a real life doctor/ nurse show. If thats what you then watch those shows. This is t.v. it is meant for entertainment. I am a CNA and start school in the fall to become an RN, i know the difference, it’s not like after I watch Mercy the next day I do the same thing on my patients. Come on now, if people dont want to watch it because of that, then dont. But dont make it so boring that the rest of us that are faithful views… Read more »
I love both Mercy and Trauma. NBC needs to stop cancelling good shows its turning in FOX
I love Mercy! I watch it faithfully every week and think it is one of the best new shows out. I would be extremely disappointed if the show was cancelled! The cast is great love them all and james vander beak was an excellent addition I love his character! With such an amazing plot and story line anything but mercy season 2 would be a mistake!
WE LIKE MERCY AND TRAUMA AS ITS NOW CONSTIUTED. THE NEWER EPISODES ARE DEFINITELY BETTER THAN THE EARLIER ONES. MERCY WAS ALWAYS INTERESTING AS WAS THE CAST. i THINK ALL NEW SHOWS SHOULD HAVE AN END POINT EVEN IF ITS A BIG HIT. i WOULD HAVE STOPPPED WATCHING LOST EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT i KNEW WHEN IT WOULD FINALLY END.
Please save Mercy. So much going on, I love it.
I watch BOTH Trauma and Mercy faithfully. Please don’t cancel either one.
This show is defiently worth watching. I like the fact that the main characters are not the medical series steriotype main characters as hot-headed docs. They are the sometimes less thanked nurses. The charaters are also flawed which adds real life appeal for the audience. I believe that the show would do better in a more accessable time slot. The current slot is early in the night, and is an ‘adult’ show so it is watchable with younger kids still up. I do hope they keep the show.
NBC, please leave Mercy on your schedule. It’s the ONLY show I watch on the NBC network. I don’t watch the game shows, I’m not interested in the reality shows, the so-called “comedy” shows are not to my taste….so if you take Mercy away you lost one potential advertisement target. Having some continuity with the scheduling would probably help your ratings considerably.
Please, save Mercy!
I like the show. The ensemble cast is great and I like the story lines. I think the show appeals to many audiences and deserves another season.. Michelle Tractenberg is adorable and I love the Veronica character. I think moving it to a later timeslot would be helpful to the ratings.