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.
Please don’t cancel. I love it.
Please don’t cancel the show!! It’s really good-especially those who are fans of Grisham! Let’s have a Season 2!!
And maybe if they didn’t keep changing the show times people would be able to keep up, I’m pretty busy most of the time and miss most of my favorite shows and mostly catch up online. At least give it a second season to prove how good it is they don’t even give it a chance like the show Robinson Crusoe! I kept missing it but once I caught up I was like “how could they leave it like that!” please keep this show it keeps us hooked the whole way through never a night where an episode is off… Read more »
No they can’t get rid of this show! I never find out about a show until at the very least the second season and I watch all the episodes until I’m caught up and find out I love it. This show has kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way though so they can’t stop it at the second season D=
I prefer and by far The Firm compared to Awake. Please do not cancel this serie.
Pleeeese don’t!!!!!! I have recorded all the episodes so I don’t miss a anything
Please don’t cancel this show!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Firm is my favorite show and I look forward to it every week. If you cancel it I will cry for quite sometime. It’s been a while since there has been a decent show out there!! Please don’t cancel The Firm!!
I love The Firm! I am hooked on it! It is so well written, excellent acting, so much substance to this show versus so many other shows that are the same thing, just different people! I always watch it through On Demand with Comcast.
Please do not cancel The Firm, it is a great show. It takes a good mind to follow the show. Maybe the people you are polling are only like shows that are no brainers.
That’s too bad. I love “The Firm” I love that kind of suspense.
Best new Drama Show. It gets better every week!
Love-love-love! I will be so disappointed if it is cancelled.
The Firm is one of the best shows I’ve watched in years. I agree with some of the other viewers. This show has incredible story and plot. Not just run of the mill suspense. I would be very disappointed if it got cancelled. So many shows that have had some substance to them have been cancelled. I suppose that says a lot about what people really think is “good” tv. Fluff and reality shows, which are a waste of time. Please keep The Firm!
Love the show. Please do not cancel.