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.
My husband and I really enjoy The Firm and I have read all of John Grishams books and am thrilled to see the same story lines on TV. A great show and hope it won’t be cancelled.)
Please a second season….!!!! And more …………..!
My wife and I loved this show, wtih excellent dialogs and plots that keps us riveted to the TV screen with thrilling situations.
This series is very good we need more like this.
My husband and I would definitely like to see it continue. It’s a great show!
The first 2 episodes were slow but after that it was excellent! I watch Revenge and Scandal and The Firm got just as addictive for me…. What a pity they have cancelled it! Maybe some folk didn’t like the casting of Julliette Lewis character or Abby as they did take a While to convince me but I liked them in the end up! Please someone buy the second series!
I loved the show….. am waiting for second season…. plz bring it back
Definitely want The Firm back!!
Loved this show, they always cancel the good shows and keep the stupid crappie ones go figure!
again another great series cancelled
Great show. Excellent acting that brought me back every week. I don’t watch much on NBC but this was a favorite. I hope there is a season two.
Really lved this show, please don’t cancel it!
Love this show! I hope it is planning to come back on again soon.
I really looked forward to watching each week. The actors were superb! Please give us something besides reality shows to watch.
I love this show! I have recorded all of the episodes and was looking forward to it starting up again. Just when a show gets good, it’s discontinued! And there are so many other series that just aren’t worth watching…..
My husband and I have really enjoyed this series. The suspense is awesome!
I’m not sure what demographic has voted this series off the island, but perhaps its cancellation needs to be reconsidered.
It is a mystery to me how many inferior series survive the hatchet.
Please do not cancel this series. It is one of our favorites. Thank you RC