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.
 Loading ... |
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 was so frustrated to come home and go to watch the only good thing on on Wednesday to find another reality/game show. Mercy needs to stay on its great and I love the cast the writers have built so much into them as characters. This network makes me so mad every time it has a good show that I love it cans it….maybe its not the show with low ratings its the network overall! In my house we barely watch it because whats the point once they get a great show they are just going to can it….why give… Read more »
I looked forward to Wednesday nights because I loved watching Mercy. Please don’t cancel the show.
Gina
Mercy is a great show the only reason its in trouble is they decide to do one new show and then the next two days are repeats and then they don’t put it on for awhile for a week or two. The problem is not the show its NBC,people want to see new shows for a while and if you go to repeats let people know because that pisses people off. The last bad ratings was because it was against Survivor nobody beats Survivor.
I am so upset to learn that Mercy has been canceled! I am hoping that is misinformation. It is one of my favorites! The cast was wonderful and I thought it had a good storyline. Shame on you NBC!!!
@Sharon: Mercy has not been cancelled. Things don’t look good but a final decision hasn’t been announced.
Love Mercy! Please dont cancel it!!!
Have mercy on us and Mercy. Out in the hinterland we need our Jersey (not Shore) fix. It’s better than most of the crap they call TV out there. But then Moonlight was canceled too…What vampires popular? Keep this show going, at least they tell stories that aren’t outlandish…too much.
someone has got to fire the ppl that keep cancelin all the amazing tv shows and airin a bunch of crap on NBC!! Mercy is amazing period
I think that the reason for the drop in ratings is the timing of the show. It was put on in the middle of the Olympics and then they delayed a few episodes by three weeks at a time. Viewers do not want to remember to watch a show that they have not become addicted to yet with only a few shows to create interest. I think they need a second season but the directors or who ever is running the show needs to step up and get the shows on in order week after week not week after three… Read more »
i look forward to wednesday nights alll week just to watch Mercy. You can’t cancel another hit show
Mercy cant get cancled its one of my fav shows Im a single mother and after I put my daughter to bed I love getting a cup of coffee and watching it plus the show is alot like hospitals in real life my sister is a nurse and she tells me stuff like that happenes all the time if the show gets canceled it will be a very very bug mistake KEEP MERCY ON PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please don’t cancel Mercy, and Trauma. I don’t understand why both of these shows are low in ratings. I love both shows. Three Rivers was another good show NBC got rid of. What’s going on with NBC cancelling all these good shows?
I was very disappointed to come home from work lastnight to find Mercy didnt record on the DVR. I looked foward to watching it. If Mercy gets cancelled I think it’s a mistake and it would be the second show that was cancelled that I enjoyed watching which was Three Rivers.
PLEASE KEEP MERCY!!! My daughter and several friends love this
show where do you get your low ratings!! it is a good show KEEP IT ON PLEASE
I placed a comment on another site about this, this comment won’t be as long. PLEASE KEEP MERCY ON!!!!!!!!! My husband and I LOVE this show. We look forward to coming home from a stressful Wednesday and watching our Mercy. Maybe if you put it on another night, maybe it would be more suitable for people. For us, it won’t matter what day it’s on…we’re watching it. Love the story lines and the characters are awesome…please save Mercy!! And I can’t believe you put some stupid game show on in it’s place…just so you know…I changed the channel.
I can’t believe a stupid game show was on instead of Mercy also. I so agree with Tammy. Mercy, Trauma, and so was Three Rivers all great shows. Enough with these reality shows.
I agree with Jan and Tammy. All 3 are great shows. PLEASE KEEP THEM ALL.
The wizards at NBC have done it again. Mercy may not be/have been an intellectual giant but it is/was a good, decent show but the dumbduts in charge of production at NBC panicked again as oft times has happened in the past and now we have a “game show” to compete against PBS. Where do these people breed and how do we send them to other employment? Darwin missed out with this group of self proclaimed “deciders”. Maybe we should take one of their insidiously stupid and tepid game shows and offer THEM off as a (bobby) prize ONLY if… Read more »