ABC unveiled their new legal drama, The Deep End, last night. The promos say that it’s like a cross between Grey’s Anatomy and L.A. Law. Can it get the same kind of big ratings?
The Deep End follows the lives of five eager and young first-year associates in a top Los Angeles law firm. It features the talents of Matt Long, Ben Lawson, Tina Majorino, Norbert Leo Butz, Leah Pipes, Billy Zane, Sherri Saum, Clancy Brown, Mehcad Brooks, and Rachelle Lefevre.
Interestingly, this is ABC’s second attempt at doing this show. There was another pilot that was shot in 2008 with some different actors in some of the roles. Zane replaced Roger Bart, Pipes filled Morena Baccarin’s role, and Saum replaced Gail O’Grady. Based on the mixed (at best) reviews the current version has received, the network might have been better off sticking with the original pilot.
 Loading ... |
The young legal drama got off to a disappointing start last night with just 7.07 million viewers and a horrible 1.8/5 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. That put the show in third place in total viewers and in fourth place for the target demographic. That is not a good start, especially compared to FlashForward’s debut in the same timeslot.
On top of that, new shows typically lose about at least 10% of the viewership in week two. Deep End will get even tougher competition when Survivor returns in early February.
ABC has six more episodes of Deep End waiting to be aired. If the ratings don’t improve, it’s very unlikely we’ll be seeing any more.
If the numbers fall, they could pull the series before all of the episodes have aired or they might just keep it on to fill space until the Winter Olympics are over and FlashForward returns on March 18th.
What do you think? Is this series on too early? Is this legal show worth watching or is it a crime against the audience? Cancel or keep it?
Image courtesy ABC.
It should be cancelled for one reason. Billy Zane made a virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic movie in Turkey a few years ago. It also starred the brain damaged Gary Busey and was a calumny upon American soldiers. This series should be offed, post- haste!
Seriously? Dont hate on the show because of something one of the actors portrayed in YEARS ago. If I did that with every show that I watched, there would be nothing left to do but stare blankly at the screen twiddling my thumbs! Get over it! I thought that the show was really good for just starting out. I dont understand why people wont just give this show a chance. It has only been airing for three episodes. OMG you people are impatient. If it doesn’t grab your interest in the first minute you are fine pulling to cord to… Read more »
im quite addicted, i always watch it on mondays on a free hour that i have during the day, until it helps not being bored for 60 minutes, i say keep it, and if they do cancel it, i hope they will make a satisfying ending
Pilot was Great. But ep2 was “Suck”.
I think the show has potential. The young characters are interesting enough. I’m looking forward to watching Dylan act like less of a “boy scout”. I don’t want to listen to Beth cry because her Daddy doesn’t like her. Addy is funny, albeit a little childish at times, but I have to wonder can she deliver dramatically. Liam is funny and intriguing. Just when I think I’ve got him figured out I find out that I’m wrong. The writers need to remember that this is a law firm representing powerful people. Cliff, Susan, Hart, and Rowdy should be getting into… Read more »
Good Grief!! What I would like to know is how are the ratings being tracked? Almost everyone today records things on a DVR and watches it later, unless it’s a competition show that you vote on or such as that. EVERYONE I know records one to two shows in the same time slot since more than one show you want to see is aired at the same time.
HOW DO THEY TRACK THAT? Until they devise a way to do so, they are throwing money away by not giving these shows a chance.
I’m willing to see where this goes. Maybe it will get better. They should have ended the episode sooner. Give it some suspense, so people will tune in for the second episode. We’ll see what happens.
This is a mildly entertaining show…nothing “deep” but will allow for a bit of escape…I say keep it
I watched the show or tried to anyway but it was hard to keep my interest, It was almost like a really bad version of Ally Mcbeal mashed in with a little bit of somethin not quite right. I believe they should get rid of it and put Eastwick in its timeslot. Ugly Betty has taken over Eastwicks slot and Im also not a fan of Ugly betty!
Sure beats GLEE!
I enjoyed the show. I think the cast is excellent. I was pleasantly surprised.
The background music was so loud that the dialogue became unintelligible. I cannot tell you if the show has any promise.
I say they keep the show. I like the first episode even thought the ebd was totally perdictable. How ever i still think tht people will tune in.
Keep. Although I didn’t like how the end was set up, because it was too obvious, and not compelling enought to get people to return for episode 2.
I really wanted to like this show. I just found it to be a depressing commentary on how nasty and cutthroat many rich people can be. While unlikeable characters are, of course, an integral part of any drama, there weren’t any characters in this show who I really liked. Sure, some were good people with consciences, but I didn’t feel any real empathy for them. I thought the show tried to hard to make its rich, cutthroat-lawyer point and ended up almost as a parody. I was particularly turned off by the lawyer “forced” to have sex with a client.… Read more »
[…] Series Finale asks whether we should keep or cancel the show. Cast your vote here. 0 people like this post. Like Related […]