Late in the 2013-14 season, NBC and ABC launched three new Sunday night dramas — all with single word titles. NBC cancelled Crisis and Believe while ABC renewed Resurrection for a second season. In retrospect, was that a good decision for the alphabet network? Should Resurrection have been cancelled as well?
On Resurrection, a small town in Missouri is turned upside down when long-dead loved ones return after 30 years. The cast includes Omar Epps, Frances Fisher, Matt Craven, Devin Kelley, Mark Hildreth, Samaire Armstrong, Sam Hazeldine, Landon Gimenez, and Kurtwood Smith.
Debuting on March 9th, Resurrection had a great launch with a 3.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 13.9 million total viewers. (Those numbers are about the same as this season’s How to Get Away with Murder’s debut.)
Unfortunately, Resurrection’s ratings dropped about 19% in week two and they kept falling nearly every week of the eight episode season. The seventh installment hit a low of a 1.9 rating with 7.85 million — half of the premiere’s demo rating.
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Considering the poor luck that the alphabet network had last year launching new dramas, it wasn’t much of a surprise that ABC renewed Resurrection. They didn’t have much choice. However, the ratings slide was a terrible sign for the future.
Now, the show has been really struggling in season two. After a positive second season debut, the ratings quickly dropped, falling to new series lows week after week. The October 26th installment registered a mere 1.2 rating with 4.36 million.
ABC recently ordered full seasons and additional episodes of many of their new and older shows. It was a telling sign that the network is only producing 14 episodes of Resurrection this season.
Unless the ratings improve, it looks very likely that Resurrection will be cancelled by May. Hopefully, the writers will give viewers some degree of closure before the end.
What do you think? Did you stop watching Resurrection? Should it have been a mini-series? Is competition from The Walking Dead and football the cause of the low ratings? Do you think Resurrection should be cancelled or renewed for a third season?
Do not cancel. This is a great looking show with a great mystery to boot. ABC please don’t let Resurrection be canceled.
Please don’t cancel yet another show I like. First Crisis, then Believe, now this. I agree with the above comments…tired of cooking shows, reality shows and sports. Put in a different time slot and night if you must.
Don’t cancel
This is a GREAT show! Please DO NOT cancel it! The premise is different…yes…what if YOUR loved one “came back” after death…what would YOU do? It really does make you think! Would it be better? Would they be the same? How would handle a large time gap of 10, 20 or 30 years…or more?? Let’s at LEAST finish out this season! When “Commander-in-Chief” was cancelled before the 2nd season several years ago (and this was after the show had been heralded as a “big hit” the 1st season!) I actually went out and bought Season 2 on DVD, just to… Read more »
My tv is tuned in every week, I don’t know where these lousy ratings come from. that’s a great show, ABC can’t cancel it now!
I really like the show…first series I have got into since Prison Break….got hooked with episode one. Hope it keeps going….there are too many unanswered questions for them to wrap up too quickly.
EVERY time I find a show that I like, it gets canceled! The last one cancelled, “Save Me”, aired on NBC & it was hilarious, starring Anne Heche. ALL the networks seem seem to be replacing shows we like, with cooking shows, talk shows, game shows or all these mindless reality shows like Duck Dynasty, The Dog, Storage Wars, The Cristys, Honey Boo Boo. . . the list is e-n-d-l-e-s-s. When networks keep canceling good shows because viewers drop, it’s because they might conflict with dumb football or baseball games that always seem to run over time, completely exempting the… Read more »
It’s not just about low ratings. It’s about DECLINING ratings, which can’t be blamed in football. If ratings were steady, the football and Walking Dead argument might have some validity, but that goes out the window when fewer and fewer are watching each week. The show sucks. The story goes nowhere and is all over the place. There are plot holes galore (why aren’t returning dead people attracting media and news?), the characters are dreadfully boring and the writers seem to be making the story up as they go. Throw in ridiculous cliches like. ‘The government” and there IOU have… Read more »
I hope they don’t cancel it. They always cancel the good shows I actually follow. I do not like shows like Modern Family, and I’m sure there are others that don’t as well. I like the drama shows much better. So they are cutting out a group of people that will go to other stations to watch better shows. Put Modern Family up against Sunday Night Football and see what happens. Its not always the shows. Its the timing they are on.
Of course ratings have declined. It is up against Sunday night football as well as the Juggernaut called “The Walking Dead”. I hope it doesnt get cancelled. I wished they would move it to a different time slot. Futhermore, the whole two weeks off vacation doesnt help either.
Steve, you are right on. If they put Resurrection into a different time slot it would be successful. Or, ABC should consider that they are not going to do any better with any other show in that slot and keep it. I know millions tape it or watch it. Does that get included in the viewing stats?
Me too!!! A lot of people watch The Walking Dead instead, but they do DVR Resurrection and watch it later. It has a big following. It’s more of a sleeper hit. Taking a little bit, but it is easily a hit show. ABC just isn’t doing it any favors, but it does have a loyal fan base. It’s looking like it will be cancelled, but I think that is a huge mistake. It’s the only show I watch on ABC.
I just recently heard of this show. I then starting watching the previous episodes from the beginning. Was drawn in from the first episode. Every episode gets better and better . I am TOTALLY ADDICTED to the show now. Note that I have been addicted to watching the Walking Dead since it started too. Resurrection is tied to my number one favorite series and about to overtake my number one series ! ABC may need to move the airing date so as not to have to compete with Sunday night football and the Walking Dead . More and more of… Read more »
I’m still feeling Resurrection out. That’s pretty sad to say since it’s in its second season. There are some things that annoy me about the show, yet I keep getting pulled in hoping it will get better. How much more can be done with a whole bunch of dead people coming back to life? I’ve been trying to hang on for some real excitement. Still waiting! I told myself a few times that I was gonna stop watching, but I’m still watching! Writers better come up with an unbelievable, mind blowing twist REAL soon! As far as ratings go, I… Read more »
It is up against Sunday night football!! Of course the ratings were better in the spring. I think resurrection is a fantastic show and I can’t stop watching it!! Maybe move to a different night rather than cancel????
Keep it. I dvr it but still watch it when I have time. Maybe others do it and that’s why ratings are down
I love Resurrection! I can’t wait for it to air every Sunday. I wish I didn’t have to wait until January to find out what happens next. I am shocked the ratings for this show aren’t higher. I’ve been addicted since episode #1!