Bones has been a quiet hit for FOX but the same can’t be said for its spin-off, The Finder. FOX has now cancelled the low-rated series after one season.
The Finder is a procedural series that revolves around a man (Geoff Stults) with the extraordinary ability to help people find the unfindable. Other castmembers include Maddie Hasson, Mercedes Masohn, and Michael Clarke Duncan.
The spin-off debuted on January 12th to a disappointing 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 5.50 million total viewers. It was fourth in its Thursday night timeslot right out of the gate and lost nearly 30% of the all-important demo from its compatible lead-in, Bones. This was not a good start.
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Things picked up a bit in the following weeks, thanks in large part to the show having FOX’s blockbuster American Idol as a lead-in. Still, the numbers weren’t as high as they should have been.
After seven weeks on the air, FOX put Finder on hiatus and then moved it to Friday nights, giving its Thursday timeslot to Touch. If The Finder could maintain a healthy percentage of its viewers after the switch, it would likely garner a renewal.
But that didn’t happen and Finder’s numbers dropped like a rock. In its first Friday airing, the freshman series attracted a 1.1 demo rating — an episode-to-episode loss of 53% — with just 4.03 million viewers. The numbers for future episodes fluctuated a bit but didn’t really get any more encouraging. The network could do just as well or better by running cheaper reality programming.
The season finale of The Finder is set to air this Friday night and there won’t be any episodes after that. Hopefully the producers saw the writing on the wall early enough and won’t leave viewers hanging with any major unresolved storylines.
What do you think? What went wrong with this show? Why do you think The Finder failed to attract a bigger audience? Was cancelling the series the right decision? How would you have fixed it?
This is completely disheartening….. The Finder had a great cast, plot, etc. I actually loomed forward to watching this show. Fox had once again screwed things up with canceling a quality show before it even had a chance. Put this one up next to the Chicago code…… quality shows killed.
How about asking what the PEOPLE, the VIEWERS, want….The Finder was my new favorite. I love Walter’s quirky character and the unique story lines. The cancellation of these great shows makes me want to stop investing in new shows, and just stay with the ones that have been on for years. Moving The Finder to Friday nights was the final nail in the coffin as far as ratings…most people are not watching tv Friday nights! I hope that another network picks The Finder up, like TNT did with Southland after NBC cancelled yet another stellar show. I have yet to… Read more »
It would have been nice if Fox had let people know about the switch from Thursdays to Fridays. Nice going, way to shoot yourself in the foot.
Like most shows The Finder took at least 3 episodes to shake out some of the kinks and allow the actors to gel with one another and the audience to catch up with the chemistry which was evolving. Quirky, fun, intelligent, bring it back. Save us from would be actors, etc. trying to dance, or any more ridiculous “reality shows”.
You are right, P. I really didn’t get hooked until the 4th or 5th episode. Sadly, I don’t watch primetime, but viewes everything via HULUPlus. A lot of people that I have encountered in the process of trying to save this should use the same process.
Please go to USA facebook page and ask them to pick up this great show.
That was one of my fave spin-offs and I thought the cast/characters had a great dynamic! What a shame.
I hate falling in love with shows on Fox! It always ends in heartache. I really really hope another network (cable) wants to pick this up because this is my favorite new show this year. not to mention the writers were not kind in the season finale and all the characters were left in horrible limbo.
I rewatched this final episode three times today. It is so well done that it breaks my heart to say goodbye. It has been a long time (Cagney and Lacey, and Quantum Leap) since a show has moved me so to the extent of getting me actively involved in trying to same it.
Please go to USA on facebook and ask them to save this show.
This is absolutely devastating !!!! there are so few really great watchable funny clever shows with likeable characters and this is one of them!!!! I am so disappointed with fox. So many great shows like firefly (fox) and Rome obliterated for cheaper reality tv- with mindless soulless lowest common denominator intellects only challenged. Please please let another network pick it up!!!!!
I think Fox is making a big mistake cancelling The Finder. Better ask the over 49 age group what they want to watch. It isn’t those stupid reality shows where everyone fights and uses foul language. The Finder was a great concept where this group of people actually HELPED people. When the network moved it around, it took me a while to find it again. Yea, I liked Bones, but I taped that and watched The Finder. Please dont cancell it.
This show has been treated poorly by Fox from the get go…..badly promoted, a very early hiatus and regularly interrupted broadcasting so no consistent periods of week on week airing. It’s no surprise this show had low ratings…no-one could tell if it was on or not.
Hopefully someone at Fox will have a change of mind or another network will pick it up, personally I don’t think any other show comes close to matching this one for its unique stories
You are exactly right. And it’s for that reason that I hate getting invested in ANY new FOX series because if it doesn’t get American Idol ratings within the first few episodes, they do exactly what you said with it (hiatus, new time slot, no consistent showings). This is exactly what happened to some really, really good shows on FOX that include Firefly and Keen Eddie. FOX – you are what is wrong with television.
If it wasn’t for Hulu Plus, I would have missed nearly all of the episodes. I remember losing track of the show, but I didn’t know why. Hulu automatically capture episodes for viewing.
I know now not to invest much emotion in FOX’s shows anymore. First, Terra Nova and now, The Finder. I am finding it much harder to let The Finder go.
Again, campaign is going on trying to get USA Network to pick this show up. Please go to their facebook page and put in your request.
Can’t believe the network people. Do they even watch their own shows? This show was great. It needs to be picked up. I didn’t even know it was on till two weeks into the season. It needs a better night and a little more time. It’s a great show! I hate reality shows and will NEVER watch them.
this series is brilliant. The characters are funny, and the concept is original. What the hell!!! don’t cancel it!!!
Ratings are based on 18 to 49 year olds. When I was that age I was busy on weekends and couldn’t be bothered filling in Neilsen forms. Now, it seems, my viewership doesn’t count. I like when they put entertaining shows on fridays, because I watch with few opposing programs. Why don’t the 49 to 90 year old viewers count? There are more viewers in that age bracket. So many of my favorite programs have been cancelled, I now watch reruns like Mash, Burns and Allen, Lonesome Dove, Alfred Hitchcock, and I,Claudias for entertainment, because I didn’t watch them before.
Honestly, I don’t think the networks would know an interesting site if it bit them. I think I just need to stop watching Fox network because I’m so tired of investing the time without the follow through
The management at Fox never ceases to amaze me. The Finder was a good show that had excellent writing, the cast meshed well together and the story lines were entertaining and funny. The Finder will have its place with shows like Firefly and Dollhouse who were never given a chance. Shame on you, Fox.
FIGURES! I really enjoyed the Finder! So much so that I had purchased Season 1 only after 3 episodes! There aren’t very many shows out that are unique and this is one of them! BOO FOX BOO!