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?
Like a few previous posts I just read I just found “The Finder” on Netflix. This is a fantastic show. I am disappointed this show is no longer on the air. I can not believe the show was not produced for cable or placed on FX. The show apparently aired after Idol, a show I do not watch so no wonder I just found “The Finder”. (If the joke is extra lame use it twice for best results) I wish the producer or owner of the show will try to put the show back on the air. It will be… Read more »
I just found this show on Netflix. I’m disappointed that it ended the way it did. It should not have ended it is a great show. As usually when a great show is on they cancel it. WANT MORE of THE FINDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG! The Finder was an awesome show!!! Im bummed that it wont have another season!!! It ended and there are sooo many questions! Someone pick it up for Gods sake! Next time it should be promoted better!!! Fabulous story line!!!
I just started watching this on Netflix and was very disappointed to hear it was cancelled! it is a fantastic show– i love the plot and cast. it reminds me a little bit of Psych. Someone should definitely pick this up, they just needed to promote it more!!
I agree just found it on netflixs. The writer was right on and a good show and cast. But for big companies it is all about $$$ and ratings not what we want.
Enjoy the show on Netflix. It never had a given the shows it was following. People instantly change the channel after American Idol and nobody watches TV on Friday
I was really sad to hear about The Finder not being continued. Such a fun show. Wouldn’t have been the same without Michael Clarke Duncan, who was such an amazing spirit, but it was dropped before he died. This so often happens with well written shows that have a hint of depth. I read once that writers for TV have learned to write for the maturity level of a 12 year old, the average brain power of the average American audience. More thoughtful shows tend to tank in the first season. Now it surprises me when something well written like… Read more »
I watched with interest and am a little saddened that the Finder will not continue. For the current state of the viewing world I guess you could say this show had some questionable agendas, but nothing to draw the jaded masses away from made up “reality TV”
Fox is the problem……This was a creative show that was truly entertaining! Definitely good without commercials. Someone else should pick it up!
I don’t watch programming on T.V. I watch what I want commercial free on Netflix. There have been several series that I have enjoyed on Netflix that didn’t make it on regular programming. Finder, Firefly, Jericho, Eureka!, to name a few… Finder was fresh. It had humor and wit, the violence was minimal and the character’s personal stories were interesting. If the network had given them another season to build a following I think the show would have taken off. It was improving with each episode. It kind of reminded me of Eureka!, in that it had likeable, imperfect characters,… Read more »
Sorry this show cancelled…reminds me of FIREFLY, FOX!
I’m so disappointed… this is one of my favorite shows for a while; couldn’t stop watching it! We don’t have cable at our house though, so I don’t get to see shows until they’re on Netflix. It seems that the continuance of a show is solely based on how many people want to watch it on TV (which narrows the sample down to those who are to wait a week between episodes, I can’t do it!) – so I’m wondering if any other factors go into the decision to keep making a show or not. How does a person like… Read more »
I watched this show from the beginning, and I think Fox made a mistake making it a spinoff. It is too different from BONES, which I also love, and appeals to a different audience. As a person in the lower end of the key demo range they were looking for, I know this show could have done well if it was marketed differently. If they brought it back, I would be one excited fan!
I really wish that this show was not canceled. It was great.
all I can say canceled, that’s why people go to other channels. This was excellent show. Never new about it. Just watched on netflix and I am hooked, it’s one of the best things I’ve seen in along time. If it comes back, sorry without Michael sorry to say, I would never miss it. I know what’s wrong with series, the good ones get canceled and moved all around, not enough advertising. Look at what happens they get canceled, they move to netflix like terra nova, secret circle, the finder, then the real watchers give them a true 5 out… Read more »