Last night, NBC burned off the final two episodes of Prime Suspect. The TV series has been ratings-challenged right from the start and, in November, NBC acknowledged that they wouldn’t be ordering any installments beyond the initial 13 episode order. The official word was that they would re-evaluate once all of the episodes had aired but everyone knew that it was really being cancelled.
If there was even a glimmer of hope that Prime Suspect might see a second season, the ratings for the final episodes didn’t help. Prime Suspect’s numbers continued to dwindle in the latter part of 2011. Last night, following a month hiatus, the finale registered a new series low.
Prime Suspect has been all but officially cancelled by NBC and its replacement, The Firm, is doing even worse. Last Thursday’s episode registered a 0.9 rating for its fourth episode. It took Prime Suspect 10 weeks to drop that low. Fortunately for fans of The Firm, NBC purchased 22 episodes up front. It remains to be seen if they’ll all air.
At the recent TCA press tour, NBC execs noted that, had Prime Suspect been on a premium cable channel like Showtime, it would have been declared a hit and would have been quickly renewed. Maybe but we’ll never know.
What do you think? Are you sorry that this was the end of Prime Suspect? Why do you think it didn’t catch on? Would it have been a hit on HBO or Showtime or even on a basic cable station like TNT?
Image courtesy NBC.
Just a shame. Great show. Compelling cast. Pick this show up someone!!!
I love Prime Suspect. I liked all the characters on this show and I am heartbroken that it is not coming back. Please reconsider and renew this wonderful drama. There are many shows I would never miss, but I have not missed an episode of Prime Suspect and could not wait for the next show each week. I was so excited to see two back to back episodes last Sunday. It gave me hope that it had been renewed
I love that show! Network TV is the rock bottom worst most of the time, especially drama and comedy. Prime Suspect was the exception in that it was well-scripted, had interesting characters, sophisticated humor….Oh! No wonder it was cancelled. Thank goodness for cable!
I am very sorry you cancelled Prime Suspect. NBC had a winning show. Give it time. I was hoping network TV had finally started showing good shows. Please re-think this decision. Thank you.
P.S. Aiden Quinn is also a very fine actor and added depth and quality to Prime Suspect.
NBC executives need to give Prime Suspect more of a chance. The characters interacted well, and Maria Bello was excellent as Jane Timoney. This show was a cerebral police procedural that probably did not appeal to the “man on the street”, but perhaps to an audience that also likes PBS and Downton Abbey type of shows. There was serious homicide investigation, but also humor and levity among the cast members in the detective unit. Other characters also added additional good story lines such as Jane’s father, and Jane’s boyfriend. NBC executives are so quick to cancel this show because it… Read more »
This cancellation has me absolutely crest-fallen. It deserved a 2nd season. The show is totally enjoyable. My petetition stands to bring Prime Suspect back or be picked up by another station http://www.nbc.com/contact/general/ PLEEASE ARE THERE ANY T.V. EXECS READING THIS?????
Ooops petition here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-nbc-prime-suspect.html. The other link is to CONTACT NBC and let them know how we feel about the cancellation. This Network is such a downer!
I’m with Kasey – NBC seems to cancel the shows that are great. I sure hope TNT or USA picks it up, like they did Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Booo! on NBC. It’s no wonder they can’t move up the ratings any more. Since TNT’s airing the last season of the The Closer this summer, I hope they pick up Prime Suspect to fill that slot.
Somebody please pick this up- best new show in years, and only NBC could screw it up.
Prime Suspect featured interesting characters around the shell of a procedural drama. There were some exceptional episodes, the best of which centered on the protection of a young witness by Maria Bello and Bryan O’Byrne’s feuding detectives. It was tense and showcased Bello’s character’s difficulty relating ro children.
Okay, I’ll rant… I’ll say it – NBC has got to be one of the most poorly managed companies on the planet. There’s no wonder why they keep losing viewers and cancelling shows – they never show the same new(er) shows in the same day/time slot for more than two weeks in a row! How do they expect to build fan bases for shows like Parenthood (cancelled twice, currently appears every once in a while) and Prime Suspect (currently cancelled after a disjointed first season of on-again-off-again airing). For awhile there, they were showing Prime Suspect on Thursdays, then re-running… Read more »
So lame that NBCcancelled this great show! Loved it and loved the great rapport amongst all the cast. So wish that this had been on HBO or SHOWTIME. I guess network TV is all about crap reality shows or shows for idiots like Revenge. ARGH………..so bummed.
Sorry to see they have canceled such a great show – love those women who are tough, can hold their own and still have compassion.
I loved Prime Suspect and looked forward to it every week! The shows I like always get canceled! Frusturating!
What is wrong with NBC? Prime Suspect is a great show, well written, with a chemistry filled cast. I hope they are all proud of their work. We are hoping that a cable channel picks it up.