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, please do not cancel this series. I love everything about it. The cast clicks and it would be a shame to see it go. It is sure as hell 10 times better than Vegas!
Please, please do not cancel the show.
I loved The Firm….couldn’t wait for each new episode..I really hope that it continues!!
LOVED THE SH W
I am really disapointed The Firm has been cancelled. Couldn’t wait for the show each week. Somebody sure keeps messing up eliminating good shows, and keeping all the many reality shows no one cares about.
We had gotten hooked and are really disappointed that The Firm has been cancelled. At least finish the story.
I feel the same! Loved it, and it was just getting heavy…!
Love love love the show!!!
What are you thinking. The Firm was one of the best shows on TV. You leave all of these same old comedy shows on and get rid of something with a real story. I am bannong your station from our house.
Not enough people have spent a winter in Vermont. Tv becomes a part of life. A descent show comes out like The Firm and now it’s time to cancel. It’s pretty sad when society holds a higher viewing value on a family in the south hunting hogs or a group a mild red necks seeing whose beard this week is longer oh but let’s not forget that spine chilling reality show about to air next week on another channel about a town of somewhat normal people trying to stay alive from zombies. I have seen commercials for these shows for… Read more »
Why do they do that to us???
The Firm was the only NBC show I watched. Hope it finds a home somewhere else.
The Firm one of the better shows on TV in 2012. Why is that the good shows have to be
cancelled and then the trashy ones still come on every year. Go figure. Maybe some
network will pick it up. LET’S HOPE SO.
We both enjoy “The Firm” very much. When we consider all the other trash on the air, is it too much to expect a very good show to be renewed?
I LOVED “The Firm”. Couldn’t wait for the next episode. I knew that the “powers that be” would get rid of something that good, and give us the trash that is offered.
NBC, Please give us 50+ a decent show to watch. So much is related to the 20 – 30 group. Harrys Law is another show not to cancel.