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 can’t believe the networks are canceling all the good shows. I HATE REALITY SHOWS! Please keep Mercy.
I watch both Mercy & Trauma. I think they are both great entertainment. Enough with all the reality shows.
Keep Mercy! Networks don’t give shows a chance anymore! If they don’t get huge crowds immediately, they’re gone! I don’t want to watch reality tv, so keep Mercy!
mercy is a great show i really hope they change there mind cancel one of the dumb shows first leave mercy alone !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mercy is my favorite show. I can’t wait from one week to the next to see it! It would be devastating to see it cancelled.
PLEASE don’t cancell Mercy. I can’t believe it’s ratings are so low, but this show is my absolute favorite of the 10 I set to record all week. I love Mercy and if it got cancelled, I would be appalled at the networks lack of listening to the viewers.
this is my favorite show i would watch it every day if i could. they shouldnt cancel it!
Don’t cancel. I would waaaay rather watch this show than those crappy reality shows. I just won’t watch tv on wednesdays if this is cancelled.
I LOVE this show! Lately, every time there’s a good show, it ends up getting cancelled! I agree with Laurie, you look forward to your program and it’s not on. It’s not on the next week. It might be on the following week, but it’s in a different time slot. It is becoming annoying to keep getting hooked on these new shows which ultimately end up being cancelled! And I also have to agree with Mandi – NO MORE REALITY SHOWS!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t cancel!!
My husband and I both love Mercy! There have been so many lousy shows on the air the past few years and they finally get a good one and they want to cancel it. I remember when you could sit down and watch your favorite show because it was Wednesday night and you knew it would be on. Nowadays, you look forward to your program and it’s not on. It’s not on the next week. It might be on the following week, but it’s in a different time slot. And I have to agree with Mandi – NO MORE REALITY… Read more »
I LOVE this show! I haven’t had a show I make a point to watch, this is my favorite,its the only time I sit down to watch tv during the week. PLEASE don’t cancel!!
As a nursing student I LOVED MERCY!!! Its an awesome realistic show it NEEEEDS to come back!!! LOVE IT! As shallow as it sounds..it would have more viewers if it had more sex…look at greys anatomy
This show was not given a fair shot…..with weeks at a time skipped, even tho I loved it I couldn’t tell when it was going to return, or if it was going to return. I’d bet the low ratings were because it wasn’t on every week and people just gave up.
I love mercy! I was gonna watch it tonight but it wasn’t on! If it gets cancelled I’m gonna cry! It’s a lot better than trauma. Even though trauma is a good show. I need to watch mercy to survive! (:
Mercy is my favorite show and I look forward to it all week. I can’t believe its supposed to be canceled.