It’s been a rough road for Mitch MicDeere. Now, it’s come to an end — at least on NBC. The Firm has been cancelled after one season of 22 episodes.
The Firm picks up years after the young attorney (Josh Lucas) made his deal with the mob to take his old crooked law firm down. He and his family have come out of hiding but their problems haven’t gone away. The show also stars Molly Parker, Callum Keith Rennie, Juliette Lewis, Natasha Calis, Tricia Helfer, Martin Donovan, Shaun Majumder, and Paulino Nunes.
The series represented one of NBC’s biggest launches of the season but it misfired right from the start. The two-hour premiere brought in a dismal 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with just 6.32 million viewers.
When The Firm moved to its regular timeslot on Thursdays a few days later, the numbers got even worse. Week two dropped 29% in the demo and the ratings kept falling in subsequent weeks. After hitting an embarrassing low for a primetime show — a 0.8 demo rating with 2.97 million viewers — NBC sent it packing to Saturday nights.
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The numbers have been awful since that move — even for a Saturday night show. It’s frequently outperformed by movies and crime drama reruns on the other networks.
To date, The Firm has an average of a 0.7 rating in the demo and 2.10 million viewers. On our NBC Ratings Report Card, which measures the relative demo success of shows on the network, the show has a “D-” grade — even after low viewership is taken into account.
On the positive side, 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 eOne 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.
Not surprisingly, The Firm won’t be back on NBC (according to TVWise) because the network has opted not to renew its deal with Sony and eOne. The series could continue to be produced for other markets however and even possibly be picked up by a cable channel here in the US. There’s been no word on the show’s fate beyond NBC so, for now, we’ll have to wait and see.
There are 22 episodes in the first season of The Firm and tonight’s marks the 17th. Right now, the finale is slated for June 23rd. If a second season isn’t going to be produced, hopefully the last episode will supply enough closure for the few million faithful viewers who’ve kept watching.
What do you think? Are you sorry that NBC isn’t continuing the show? Would you watch on another channel or purchase season two on DVD?
Image courtesy NBC.
Why promote this series and leave everyone high and dry at the end? Absolutely ridiculous! This was a complete waste of time for the viewers who should have been told that there was no follow up series and the programme was being pulled without any conclusion to storylines.
Absolutely loved it and I am so annoyed there is not a 2nd series. Episode 22 ended leaving everyone not knowing the outcome. Not good NBC. I am very disappointed. We want a series 2.
Cannot believe I have watched all 22 episodes and there is no second series! Why even show it?? I am fuming it was not wrapped up – a mean come on 22 episodes and you couldn’t finish it off over a couple episodes – Extremely disappointed!!!!
Really can’t believe after watching 22 episodes finishing with Mitch 6 weeks later jumping off a roof to find out there is no 2nd season !! Why show any of it then ?
I just found the series and have virtually watched it back to back …like a good Grisholm novel, I could not put it down….I am extremely disappointed that there is no second series. It has left me wondering what happens….surely there could have been a second series..brilliant series!!
Great series! Just found it… disappointed it was cancelled. Very little decent programming out there.
Absolutely
Just binged watched it on Prime, to bad it was cancelled it was just getting good and had great potential. Trust NBC to toss it for most likely a cheap reality show for brain dead 20 somethings.
Very annoyed that The Firm has been cancelled. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would think there’s enough support to continue for loyal viewers. A Stinky act by network.
Would like a season 2.. It was such a good ‘hanging’ ending to season 1.
My husband or I had never seen the series when first released but just found it on prime video and watched the full season 1 over the last week. It was a GREAT show!! So disappointed how the last episode ended and to find out it wasn’t continued. I know it is years later but would totally love to see it continued. Sounds like many others feel the same based on comments below.
Please continue this show…or at least put on a final episode on prime video ! Not fair to leave your audience hanging!
Please continue this show…or at least put on a final episode on prime video !
I watched all 22 episodes and somehow had it in my head that there was a season 2 and 3 ! I am so disappointed!What a great show and I cannot imagine why the ratings were down.On the other hand,I was an avid TV viewer in 2012 and never knew the show existed so maybe there was not enough promotion.I certainly would’ve watched then too.
We only recently discovered this great show on Foxtel On Demand. We have watched all 22 episodes which kept us on the edge of our seats. We are very disappointed to learn that there will not be a series 2.
They should have a warning,”Cliff hanger,no Season 2!”Bwaaa!
I am devastated. I have just watched all 22 episodes in about a week! The acting is superb and the plots are mind-boggling! How can it be cancelled??? It left me hanging and wanting more. I simply do not understand how it has been criticized or abandoned. The characters have captivated me and the plots have left me breathless. I am in total shock that there is no Season Two. There is no logical reason. My heart goes out to everyone who put their heart and soul into this fantastic series, only to have it remain unfinished. Is there any… Read more »