Earlier this month, the peacock network debuted The Cape, a new superhero action TV show. Interestingly, they’ve put it in one of Heroes’ old timeslots. Will The Cape last as long as the Tim Kring series or will it be quickly cancelled instead?
The Cape stars David Lyons as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force. He finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. Vince is then forced into hiding, leaving his wife Dana (Jennifer Ferrin) and son Trip (Ryan Wynott) behind. Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken their home city, Vince becomes “The Cape” — a vigilante and his son’s favorite comic book superhero. Others in the cast include James Frain, Keith David, Summer Glau, Dorian Missick, Martin Klebba, and Vinnie Jones.
The TV series debuted on Sunday, January 9th, with a special two-hour event. It attracted a decent 2.6 in the 18-49 demographic and 8.45 million total viewers. NBC reran the pair of episodes the following night. The next Monday, The Cape dropped a staggering 30% in the demo to a 1.8 rating and 6.22 million. Last night, the ratings fell another 11% to a 1.6 demo rating and 5.84 million viewers.
 Loading ... |
Currently, The Cape ranks as the 10th most watched scripted series on the network, tied with Community. It ranks as high as it does because of the premiere’s ratings and because NBC’s schedule as a whole isn’t doing all that well. For a series that’s been on the air for just three weeks, The Cape is already not in good shape. If the ratings continue to decline, it’s almost certain to be cancelled.
The network ordered 13 episodes but, for now, only eight of them are scheduled. Another struggling series, The Event, is scheduled to take back the timeslot on February 28th. If The Cape’s ratings continue to sink, one has to wonder if NBC will even bother to schedule the remaining five installments.
But, what do you think? Do you like The Cape? Do you think NBC should keep running it or just cancel it now?
Image courtesy NBC.
Seriously? why must you critique everything you watch? i mean do you watch a show or movie and point out things that you don’t agree with or think is very good. this show is great and should be allowed to live for the rest of the season at least. Suzanne, how about you try to enjoy something instead of critiquing it to death. God forbid you might have a little bit of fun.
The subject of the article is Cancel or Keep. I vote to cancel it, and I explain why I won’t watch it anymore. If the movie is good I’ll enjoy it, if its bad I won’t. Yes I will point out its flaws, and then if it doesnt get better, I turn to something else. Anytime you applaud a show or sneer at it, you have already critiqued it. We want to see GOOD tv shows as opposed to just watching something because its on the air. I’m happy to enjoy something, but it has to be Enjoyable. This slop… Read more »
LEAVE IT RUNNING NBC!!!!!! Most definitely the time slot is not good – I’ve missed the show as soon as it started because it’s hard to catch shows you want to watch due to family and work schedules, and most people just go to the net to catch all their shows nowadays to watch them when they want. I love sci-fi and superhero fiction and so does America, so it would be a big mistake to cut the show. If the show finishes strong on the first season, the ratings will definately jump BIG for the second when the word… Read more »
A lot of pro-Cape comments seem to be asking us to overlook the poor production. Ignore the weak plotlines. Never mind the sappy cliches. Rejoice that Summer Glau and Keith David (both deserve better) are on network TV again. These are weak pitches for people that can’t discern quality writing from poor writing. There was a time when you we only had three channels to choose from and TV was a wasteland of mediocrity. I doubt the Cape would have made it even then. It certainly isn’t making it now (how did this even get on the air??) and the… Read more »
Plots Maximum Cliched.
Too much about how stupid and bullheaded the hero can be. Combines badly with Slow micro-step development of character and subplots.
Not really “super” hero just a one trick ninja show.
Zero excitement.
Please give it a chance I think it has possabilities!! I like the show!!! Thanks Ern
for those who are not giving the cape the credit that is due are the ones who are loyal heroes fans… and its not fair for the cape to be compared to heroes. this is actually a great super hero show, with unique villains, painful storyline – yes it would be easy to reunite the cape and his family together.. but remember we live for the drama. people should really give the show a chance, u can fall in love with the characters and the plot if u stop comparing it with other super hero shows of the past. i… Read more »
The show lacks a horrible plot. Without a good plot there’s nothing. Seriously think about it, why can’t he just get his family, leave the city, and change names. That hole in the story rears its head in every episode. He has no justifiable reason for fighting villains.
he was given the option to leave with his family and refused (episode 2 or 3). As for fighting villains, he is trying to redeem himself and has to fight them to get to Flemming, or to keep himself alive. I personally think this show is great! the only thing i have a problem with is that it wouldn’t be able to last long under because he will eventually prove his innocence, unless of course he decides not to hang up the cape and go back to the police, but remain a masked hero and THEN fight crime without a… Read more »
Man, I don’t know what people are talking about. This show is great! Sure, much of the storyline is overused these days… but I have yet to see a show where that isn’t the case. If this were a 2 season series… it’d be perfect! As far as ratings go… I don’t know why networks don’t wise up and start learning how to really poll their audience. Ratings are a farce.
The problem with the show is that it fails to show enough of the cape doing what superheroes do. They have created this top heavy storyline that they feel compelled to keep piling onto each episode. This is not shakespeare or some heavy mystery thriller people..It is fantasy and as such should not be weighted down with a storyline heavy enough to topple a herd of elephants. I have had great hopes for this show and Tivo every episode in hopes that we’ll see more of the Cape and less of the villians and Vince Farraday’s personal life. Show more… Read more »
My kids and I enjoy this show a lot. Unfortunately, Monday night is not a good time slot. We watch a copy on Friday night. This may explain why the viewers are down. I betcha that people like myself are watching a copy at another time….
Do not cancel is my vote.
I really like it so much. I hope they keep it. It keeps me interested every Monday.
[i]this[i] is the replacement for Heroes? Gimme a break – and give me Heroes back!
This show sucks very slow and predictable. Bring Heroes back
This show, The Cape…is a show I didnt think I would care for in the beginning.,.,. However, upon viewing Every episode now…I Love it!!Please dont cancel it…or cut it off just before the end of season, to leave everyone wondering?? That happens too much in good shows that seem to get cut because someone thought they werent popular (when they were!!)
Hey there, The show is just too dark, and a little confusing at times. It’s really sad that the Cape can’t talk to his wife and give her some kind of support and hope, that lets her know that he is still alive. NBC does this all the time, making great SCI – FI shows and and ending them so abrubtly. EX: Star Trek, and V, and Buck Rodgers. In closing NBC if you are gonna end this great show, end it with a finale/closure, don’t leave us the viewers hanging. Or hand over the rights and put it in… Read more »
I quite liked it, plotwise it’s filled with cliches, but I sat trough the first 5 years of Smallville, so I pretty much can live with it and just find it amusing in parts where it really shouldn’t be.