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 loved The Firm. Me and my wife were hooked. We are very disappointed that it ended after episode 22 on the first season.
My husband and I recently binge watched The Firm during this past week.
We were disappointed to find out that there wasn’t a second season. We thought the acting was great and the action flowed smoothly between the courtroom scenes and the other venues. We would love to see it back on TV. We want to know the ending!
Always loved the movie, and recently watched the series……….I thought it was very good and hope it can be recreated. There is definitely more story to be told!
The Firm should be continued because it is an excellent show with great acting, lots of action and suspense and a well written plot.
Why the ratings were so low is baffling.
Having just finished watching every episode of The firm series 1 in less than two weeks, (often watching two and sometimes even three episodes with my wife in an evening), I am very disappointed to find that there is no series 2 on the cards (yet?). I agree with another comment writer, that the characters were more realistic than the Tom Cruise film, and the plot, while at times predictable, was exciting, entertaining and almost addictive. Someone pick up the ball and keep on running with it. The Firm has got to be able to make some money in its… Read more »
We started watching The Firm and were so captivated by it we couldn’t stop until we had watched the entire Season One. It’ was so exciting and entertaining. We were sitting on the edge of our chars the whole time. The Characters were more true to the original story in the Book than the movie with Tom Cruise. I can’t believe NBC left it hanging in mid-air like that? With Broadcasting practices like that no wonder ratings were low. If myself and over 3 Million other Viewers plus everyone they told about it will surely affect future Productions. They can’t… Read more »
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and would definitely like to see the final or an ending not leaving it as it is!
Season 1 of The Firm was awesome and so sad there won’t be a season 2.
I thought it was captivating, an ideal distraction from lockdown. They should really reconsider.
I just binge watched The Firm. What a captivating story. I’m so disappointed there is no second season.
Just finished watching the series it was awesome why stop it
Loved the show. So sorry its cancelled. Will watch reruns on Sat.
We liked The Firm — so sorry it is cancelled. Hope we can at least find reruns…..? If not, maybe it can be brought back with same cast members for a Saturday….???
good show should continue
Will the series be back it is so hot. let it continue.