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.
Don’t cancel Mercy! The show is great. What did you expect with the ratings being so low when you put it on at the same time as American Idol, luckily I hate American Idol.
I just heard that “Mercy” is going to be cancelled. I love the show and the season finale was awesome!!!!! Please re-consider taking this great show off the air. I just lost “Ugly Betty” and still can’t understand why that show was cancelled. Ugh, know there will be so few shows that I like. Sincerely, Brenda J. Cameron
A lot of people watch Mercy, but ever think that maybe it was recorded on a DVR while watching American Idol? They both show at the same time.
Please dont cancel the show, I enjoy watching it.
Please, for goodness sakes, can’t you look past the fact that the women and men on this show aren’t taking their clothes off and eating bugs while competing on a “random” island and/or living in a house together trying to screw the other one out of money and keep a quality show about relationships, and all the crazy jacked up things that happen in them, on television? I don’t feel stupid after I watch Mercy, the others don’t get my ratings because I don’t want to feel like I lost brain function by watching them.
Don’t cancel Mercy!!! There’s hardly anything worth while to watch on tv anymore! Just STUPID reality shows. Mercy and Grey’s are about the most entertaining shows on.
Mercy is a great show. The shows scripts were getting better and better. Why do all the quality shows get cancelled and those stupid reality shows stay on and continue to lower the intelligence of the audience.
p.s. i want to see what happens with mike and veronica really bad!!!
I have been in love with Mercy since the first time i watched it, i didnt watch it from start because i didnt know about it but i have been in love with it ever since, i dont know how people couldnt watch it, i used to feel this way about greys anatomy but i can honestly i still watch greys anatomy but my attention is more on mercy, plus having a season finale and cancelling it..wtf? seriously
I think it is a pretty good show. I think the old ratings system does not take into consideration that not all viewers watch on tv. Many people like me watch on the computer via Hulu.com I dont subscribe to a cable package with a dvr and work while the show is on. I have never been able to get NBC video player to work proper. So maybe they need to check with Hulu and other sites before pulling the plug.
that is so wrong to cancel the show the way it ended, i love that show and it’s the only
one i watched and i think if it’s gonna end it should at least not leave us hanging.
Please don’t cancel Mercy, I don’t even have t.v. and I found a way to watch it every week. It is the only show I watch!
I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! Please don’t cancel Mercy I am so sick of reality shows and this is a GREAT drama. it’s refreshing 🙂 PLEASE RECONSIDER!!!!
Are you freaking kidding me?!?! They can’t cancel Mercy…..that was something I looked forward to every Wednesday night!! Get rid of all the stinking reality shows…it seems like every time you turn on the TV a new reality show is on…enough already!!
Please don’t cancel Mercy! Are you guys crazy? It’s a great show with good characters! Everytime I get into a good show it gets cancelled. I’m almost ready to give up watching TV! It really upset me when Husband told me they cancelled. PLEASE RECONSIDER!!
Please dont cancel mercy!