This evening, FOX released some new changes to their schedule that will take effect in the next couple weeks. One of the changes involves The Finder leaving the schedule. Will it be back, get a second season, or has the show actually been cancelled?

A spin-off of Bones, The Finder debuted on January 12th to a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.5 million total viewers. It was in fourth place for the timeslot and lost 29% of the Bones lead-in audience. It was hardly a great start for the new show.

In week two, with powerhouse American Idol as a lead-in, The Finder drew a 2.2 in the demo with 6.58 million. While that was a nice improvement over the first week’s numbers, the show actually lost a whopping 61% of the lead-in’s demo.

In week three, The Finder rose to a 2.8 in the demo and 8.44 million, losing 49% of the lead-in’s demo. For the last three weeks, The Finder’s ratings have dropped lower each week. Last Thursday’s episode hit a 2.0 with 6.18 million, losing 56% of the Idol demo.

While each show is ultimately judged on its own ratings, FOX can not be pleased that Idol is delivering a huge number of viewers and more than half of them are making a conscious decision to turn the channel. It’s become clear, especially based on the most recent numbers, that The Finder would almost certainly tank without having a big lead-in. They’ve given the series the best possible lead-in they have and it just doesn’t measure up. Touch will take over the coveted spot once Finder is gone.

The Finder is set to leave the schedule in two weeks, on March 8th. At that point, there will be five unaired episodes remaining and FOX has noted that the show will return later in the season. While that may be true, it looks highly unlikely that the network will want to invest in a second season.

But, what do you think? Should The Finder be renewed for season two or should FOX just cancel it? Why do you think more people aren’t watching?

Image courtesy FOX.