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.
I love the firm and I think it should continue. I am very disappointed in NBC, it was an excellent show. Almost like a mini movie every week.
There are few quality shows on TV as it is, why is the FIRM being cancelled? The show was the only good TV on Saturday night. Please reconsider cancellation of The Firm.
There are very few good shows on. Why cancel one of them. The Firm is great.
Love this show. It is great. I have watched all episodes. Please don’t cancel.
The Firm is great. Don’t cancel. This is the only great series on that has not been cancelled.
The Firm is one of the best series on tv. Please don’t cancel. Real people and adults need to have some good tv to watch. Realty shows suck! Except for shows like Idol. Please keep it on.
We love this series, we started watching at the beginning and have followed it thru chapter 21 , I just can never find it on , we always watch it from xfinity!
I loved loved loved this show.. please do not cancel this show..
I enjoyed the characters in the Firm and wanted to know more of what was going to happen to the Russians in the series when they started that chapter…Are these stories in the book? I may have to get the book if the series are not continued..Not always believable, it was entertaining and they characters were easy on the eyes..
Love the show.. but missed several episodes when it was moved to Saturday. why do all good shows get cancelled?
This show was awesome!!!!
Finished watching chapter 21 . Is this over or can we expect to at least finish the series with dignity to its viewers. This is entertainment of quality writing with a good plot. Just needs better exposure of advertising this series. Would love a second season. The network is making a mistake. Wish they would bury some of the reality shows !
The reason I started watching the firm was because I previewed and rated it while on vacation. I watch every episode and it has me sitting on the edge of my seat! I honestly love this show and hope it continues. I have never seen the movie with Tom Cruise or read the book, but because of seeing the show I will end up doing both. please do not cancel the show. I’m really looking forward to what happens next.
This was the one show that I either watched or recorded every week as it was the only drama that was on TV. I think the network did a poor job promoting it because the first night that I watched it, I caught it by accident. Please don’t cancel as those of us who hate reality shows need something on TV that is really entertaining. This was enticing enough that you felt like you had a night at the movies with each episode.
Please don’t cancel the series bring it back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!