NBC has cancelled the Thursday airings of their low-rated legal series, The Firm, and sent it packing to Saturday nights at 9pm beginning February 11th.
The Firm follows attorney Mitch McDeere (Josh Lucas), his wife Abby (Molly Parker), and their daughter Claire (Natasha Calis), as they emerge from the witness protection program after 10 years. They relocate to Washington, DC to restart their lives but problems from the past quickly resurface. The show’s cast also includes Callum Keith Rennie, Juliette Lewis, Tricia Helfer, and Shaun Majumder.
NBC had high hopes for the legal drama but it stumbled in the ratings right from the start. The two-hour premiere of The Firm registered just a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 6.32 million viewers. The numbers got even worse once the show moved to Thursday nights and, for the past two weeks, has only mustered a 0.8 rating with fewer than three million total viewers.
It’s no surprise that NBC is banishing The Firm to Saturday nights with ratings like these. Grimm repeats will fill the Thursdays at 10pm timeslot for the immediate future. Starting March 1st, the peacock network’s new drama Awake will take over.
While it looks highly unlikely that NBC will purchase a second season of The Firm, it seems certain that viewers will get to see all 22 episodes of season one.
If The Firm had been a typical network show, the episode order probably would have been cut down to 13 installments because of the low ratings. However, NBC’s deal for The Firm is unique and a bit more like the one the network had for Merlin, the supernatural drama produced by the BBC.
Sony and Entertainment One partnered to produce The Firm, primarily for the overseas market. Thanks to pre-sales and Canadian production tax credits, the cost of producing the series was already paid for and NBC was able to pick up the show for a greatly reduced licensing fee, just like any other secondary buyer.
If The Firm had been a big success, NBC would have made quite a profit on the series. As things worked out, the network may still be making some money on the deal or at least hasn’t lost much.
Will there be a second season? That depends on Sony and Entertainment One, not NBC.
What do you think? Do you like The Firm? Do you think it should continue?
Image courtesy NBC.
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896 Comments on "The Firm: Exiled to Saturdays; Cancelled?"
Loved the show. So sorry its cancelled. Will watch reruns on Sat.
We liked The Firm — so sorry it is cancelled. Hope we can at least find reruns…..? If not, maybe it can be brought back with same cast members for a Saturday….???
good show should continue
Will the series be back it is so hot. let it continue.
A beautifully crafted thriller that creates and sustains the suspense so well ….. Then Lo &
Behold at the end of episode 22 I am left suspended in midair & Gasping ….Having invested a lot of time in watching a Good Story,Great Production,Gifted Cast …. Why Oh Why no completion. The new system at NBC must be changing it’s governing mandate to something like….Lets see how many viewers we can leave stranded with high expectation and the gain pleasure from watching them suffer!!!!!
Strange A missed opportunity for all ………….Nobody Benefits !!!!
I really really enjoyed the Firm. Can you please consider bringing the Firm back to TV? I feel it will be the wrong decision if the network were to cancel this intriguing, nail biting, faboulously written, entertaining tv series.
I loved the show and was wondering when it was coming back…I’m disappointed.
I love the firm I had my dvr set for the series I’ve been waiting for it to come back on big mistake im so mad.. I didn’t know it was canceled but, diffetent networks keep adding all these nonsense reality shows. Such a shame
I really like the Firm and it is one of shows that kept me on the edge of my seat. I have been looking forward to seeing more of it. Everything is going reality I really don’t watch many regular tv shows anymore because they are boring. I really think they need to bring back The Firm and other shows like it. Everything that I like has been canceled….. UGH!!!!!!
NBC has made a mistake!
Instead of canceling the show, NBC should have been canceling the one doing the promotion for this show. This show has excitement, speed, turns & twists and a story that never gets dull, along with great actors. It keeps my heart rate beating above average pace every time, I can’t wait to see the next episode.
If this show wasn’t getting the required ratings, I say it had nothing to do with the show itself, the problem is elsewhere. Solve the problem and get the show back on the air!
Greetings from Sweden.
I loved The Firm. The show kept me hanging until the next episode. Can’t believe it lost ratings. The Firm should be brought back, considering all the worthless shows they have on TV are not worth the time to watch.
Best show on tv! Let people have the chance to get into it before up and canceling it. I LOVED it!! PLEASE don’t cancel.
Bring back THE FIRM. I loved this show and thought it was equal to Law & Order. So very sick and tired of reality shows. I don’t even watch them anymore. I rarely watch NBC because of their poor programming. Almost as bad as OWN.
I loved the Firm…. Not a fan of NBC Network and now I know why they cancel all of the good shows and leave the dumb ones on air…..Bring back the firm
The Firm was an enjoyable to watch. Then NBC puts on this other stupid show called the Office I really think that needs to be cancelled. Nothing on NBC prime time had me looking forward to to some real drama tv like the firm. Now we have nothing drama based that on this channel that I would even consider watching. Get rid some of these reality show after they run for awhile they become boring.
I watched the firm every week what happened