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.
Didn’t mean to leave Entertainment One out!!! Please don’t cancel The Firm!!!
Please Sony don’t cancel The Firm. My family and I love this series and John Grishams work. Please, Please, Please don’t cancel The Firm!!!
I don’t understand how NBC doesn’t recognize how brillant The Firm really is. I have watched episodes where I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat. The writers are doing one hell of a good job! The plot has so many twists and turns that a person can’t ” figure it out” like they can with some shows. The season finale last night had a line in it I texted to my friends today that I will live by from now on. I’m glad to know it isn’t completely in NBC’s hands. I’m gonna trust that Sony will… Read more »
Please don’t cancel The Firm , I love it and hasn’t miss any episode.Mr.Grisham you are still the best.
Love ‘The Frim’. Well done and well acted. My family has enjoyed seeing a show that requires your IQ to be above 3
Please, please, please…….bring back “The Firm”. It’s addictive, it’s riveting.
Great drama and suspense……we love this show!
Please do not cancel the firm it’s a good show. Please do not cancel.
My wife and I love the show! Please renew it for a second season.
Please do not cancel The Firm. My family and I love the show. It’s very well done, much better than most of the shows on network T.V.
Please do not cancel The Firm. It is a a bright, thoughtful drama. We enjoy it each week. It is quality entertainment. We need more of this!
We love The Firm. Why do you always cancel the good shows and leave on the crap? This is why I usually watch CBS instead. The Firm is the only show I watch on your network, so I guess I won’t be watching you at all now!
Please continue the show. My husband love the show. The storyline is excellent and the actors work very well together.
Please keep The Firm it is one of the best on TV.
The Firm is a super suspenseful show and should return for a second season. With so much junk on TV these days, this is a GREAT show.
My husband and I think this is a great production and were shocked that they were talking about cancelling it. It is thrilling. . . Please don’t cancel it!!