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.
HOPE YOU RECONSIDER CANCELING THIS SHOW. EACH EPISODE HAS GROWN IN STRENGTH. SO GLAD IT IS ON SATURDAY EVENING. PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL.
I really hope that they don’t cancel The Firm. It is so refreshing especially when compared to the stupid reality shows. That seems to be all the networks know these days. You really can’t hardly miss an episode to keep up with it. That was the way “24” was and they kept it on for at least several years. My husband and I love the show. We don’t care that they moved it to Saturday night but they could have let us know. Poor planing on their part. It’s almost like they don’t want it to succeed. Stupidity!!!
Of course….they would cancel the first good show since csi. There must not be enough big players in the background stuffing there pockets. Little fish never make it, even when Quality smacks the network in the face. NBC if you don’t want shows to get bad ratings, quit cancelling them before they can even get a run on it.
Please don’t cancel!! I just watched all the episodes having recorded them on my dvr. This show is Amazing!!!! It probably has low viewer count because people are afraid to watch anything on NBC anymore due to them canceling anything new that comes out. Like Chase, or The Event!!! People are frustrated with getting in to new NBC shows because lately all they do is cancel after one season. Try advertising more on other channels etc. stop canceling and get More loyal viewers!! I know that i’m sick of it! If they cancel The Firm for good I won’t watch… Read more »
We LOVE The Firm! I can’t believe they are canceling this. PLEASE SAY NO!!!
Love the show. Finally something different and you want to take it off. I say NO WAY! Also, nice that we were informed that it has been moved from Thursday to Saturday.
I am disappointed that the firm has been cancelled. Most tv series are so mindless that they are boring. i really liked the challenge of following this series. Shame on NBC for giving up on it so quickly.
This is the first good show in a long time! do not cancel
Too bad. It was not perfect, but each episode was better than the last. With its intelligent, talented cast and some tighter direction, it was sure to become a favorite of the few of us who have not totally deserted commercial TV. Alas, it’s abrupt removal to the Saturday night doldrums, and NBC’s rude disregard of viewers, proves once again the shallow, profit-driven, cynical character of those in charge of network programming. Oh well, we have all known for a long time that there are many better ways to spend our precious time than to watch what now has truly… Read more »
Hell no it should not be cancelled. If it’s not a stupid reality show it does not do well. That is a shame. My wife & I looked forward to this show every Thursday. It pisses me off that no one said it was moving to Saturday. I missed last weeks show. What a killer drama show that was different than the usual. Too bad.
You didn’t miss the next chapter!! I thought the same thing but it doesn’t air until This Saturday! February 18th! They have advertising issues apparently. 🙁
I really like this show as well, it is just getting to the meat of the story. Please keep it on. Great cast as well and good acting esp. Lucas.
I WAS ENJOYING THE PLOTS IN THE FIRM- JUST AS I HAD ENJOYED THE MOVIE. SO SORRY TO SEE IT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. YOU HAD TO PAY ATTENTION TO KEEP UP WITH THE PLOTS- MAYBE PEOPLE DIDN’T WANT TO THINK TOO HARD.
I LOVE this show! PLEASE don’t take it away!! And everyone I have ever mentioned it to, loves it as well, so low ratings is puzzling to me?!?!?!
I like the series a lot. I’ve been looking for it for 2 weeks. I hope you give it a chance.
Geez…just when I thought NBC was improving their primetime line-up….this pathetic news.
The show is FANTASTIC!!!!!
Knowing America’s luck…this show will be replaced by another ASSININE reality show….and bets are …amother Donald trump snow-jobber.