FX has decided to end their Rescue Me series after seven seasons and 93 episodes. The show will go out as it began; closely tied to the events of 9/11.
Rescue Me follows Denis Leary as a hard-living New York fireman who balances the challenges of his stressful job and crazy personal life. The series also features the talents of Diane Farr, Adam Ferrara, Mike Lombardi, James McCaffrey, Jack McGee, Tatum O’Neal, Steven Pasquale, Andrea Roth, John Scurti, Daniel Sunjata, Larenz Tate, Callie Thorne, and Dean Winters.
Though it’s still a high-profile show for FX, Rescue Me’s numbers aren’t nearly as strong as they once were. The first two seasons averaged about 2.7 million viewers per episode. The fifth season has been averaging about 1.4 million and 914,000 in the 18-49 demographic. Variety reports that’s a 38% decline from season four.
The drop in viewership likely comes as a result of the show being off the air for an extended period of time. There was a gap of 18 months between the end of season four and the start of season five, largely due to the writers strike. A series of webisodes were released in 2008 in an attempt to bridge the gap.
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In February, months before the premiere of year five, FX announced that Rescue Me had already been renewed for a sixth season of 18 episodes.
Of the early renewal, FX’s President and General Manager John Landgraf said, “Rescue Me is one of the very best series on television and a tentpole program for FX. We’re amazed by the quality of episodes for the upcoming fifth season, which are some of the best they’ve ever produced. I believe this show will continue to maintain a level of excellence for several years to come, and we’re thrilled to pick it up for a sixth season.”
Now that the network has seen the numbers for season five, it seems their enthusiasm has waned and have decided to make the next round the show’s last. But, instead of 18 episodes as previously planned, the final group of episodes has been increased to 19. The extra installment will presumably be used to cap off the series.
Rather than airing all 19 episodes together, the new plan is to break them up into two smaller seasons. Season six will air in 2010 while season seven will be held until 2011. Peter Tolan, the show’s co-creator, says the plan is to run the final episodes to coincide with the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.
Of the final episodes, Tolan told TV Guide that Maura Tierney, who’s featured prominently in next week’s season finale, may pop up for the final episodes. He said, “We loved working with her — that was kind of a big deal to get her… She’s got Parenthood, but I think we have a deal where we can use her for four episodes. And since we have that deal, we will take advantage of it.”
What do you think? Will you be sorry to see Tommy Gavin and the other characters go? How would you like to see the show end?
Image courtesy FX.
I AGREE THAT THE SHOW SHOULD CONTINUE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. I DON’T SEE WHY FX SHOULD MAKE THIS DECISION NOW; SEE FIRST HOW THE NEXT SEASONS GO. THE SIMPSONS ARE STILL GOING STRONG AFTER TONS OF SEASONS, AND THEY’RE JUST A CARTOON. THE LAST BIG LETDOWN TV GAVE TO US WAS AXING BOSTON LEGAL!
I have recently been turned back on to Rescue Me, a couple small things called Iraq and Afghanistan kept me from watching the show. Anyway, I am totally addicted to the show and its characters now. I will watch three or four episodes a day. I just finished the fifth season and can’t wait for the sixth. I hope FX will re-evaluate there decision to shut it down. Hey look at Family Guy and how much peaple watch it after it came back, 18-35 year olds.
Rescue Me is my favorite tv show of all time by far but I would like to see it go out on top. Seasons 1, 2, and 3 were stellar whiloe season 4 wasn’t very good in my opinion. I was happy to see the stories in season 5 were much better (maybe Tommy drinking again made the show better) but I have high hopes that the show will end with a bang. Sad to see it go though.
i am a full time Firefighter and this show means so much to me its not funny. i love comeing back from a fire and watching Rescue me. thats not right to take that show away from us If u ask me i think its ********. dont take it off the air
I am sad to hear that the show is ending, its one of my most favorites.. I own every season..
Rescue me is the best show on television but the plans to wrap up the show are jusified. The story lines have got better over the seasons and it is best to go out with a bang when the show is still on top. I have seen too many shows that try to stay on the air for another season after season and the content becomes stale.
One example of a show which stopped with everyone wanting more was Deadwood. Rescue me should do the same.
The show is the best Show ever.. so why let it go? i hope the show will keep going on..
Ahhh, Don. You are such a ******* loser.
Ditto, Jethro.
I am an Emergency Nurse in London Ontario and I must say this show had me the first time I watched it. As time went by I started to feel close to all of the characters. This show is as close as you can ever get to being the real thing. As a matter of fact if someone did not know it was a show they likely would think it was a real recording. Please do not cancel the best show on TV. My heart would be broken. You don’t want to hurt a ER. nurses heart do you? If… Read more »
my favorite show. i thought after the shield nothing could get close but rescue me is better.
as far as ending the show i would like like an 2hr series finale in which all the characters die together but separate at the same time starting from the smallest characters like needles moving up and eventually to tommy. and while they are dying each characters story is seen from their prospective.
I’ve watched the show since it started. I’ve liked that Tommy still sees the ghosts of his cousin and others. But the Sheila-Janet story just got old. It was refreshing to see another woman attracting Tommy. I also got tired of seeing Tommy in bed all the time. What about the other guys? Franco is hot. I want to see him bare chested more often. I want to see more thrilling rescue scenes like before. They never show those anymore. How about showing a little more gore.
Love the show. It is one of the only shows I look forward to. Of course it has to end. I am sure there is going to be another Ghost Whisperer type show or another FBI/Police investigation hideous murder or rape show that needs to be made. Rescue me is a very real and true to life show in the way the characters act in everyday life, especially in the firehouse. The whole Cast is perfect. The whole Janet and Sheila drama was starting to get old but the show is still great. At least it will go out on… Read more »
I think the show has gotten totally absurd. It depicts Americans of Irish descent and firefighters like complete and total idiots. That may have been the firefighter of yesteryear but I assure you it is not the firefighter of today. There is long waiting list for people to be firefighters since 9/11 and it takes a lot of skill, agility, strength, courage and intelligence to be a firefighter, versus these bozos on this show. Regarding Irish-Americans, granted some do like to drink, but not all are as stupid as these on the show. The stories cannot be believed. They are… Read more »
Why watch on TV when you can see on DVD without commercials and when you have time. We began watching in June on DVD and have only two DVDs left to catch up. Are DVD rental and sales #’s taken into account in these decisions? As others have said, Rescue Me is the best show on now by far.
the show rescue me has been a great success i have and am still enjoying it, theres nothing else on TV like it.