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.
great show-so much better than all the reality tv and comedies. feel like i have really gotten to know the characters as the show has developed. hope it gets picked up by a cable network.
overall their programming is far superior to the big 3-if i miss an episode i always go back and watch on demand! I am 54 year old female so a bit older than their intended target audience but i love josh lucas( sweet home alabama) and of course the original movie on which it was based
I appsolutely love “The Firm”, it’s intense, suspenseful, and captivating; plus I love Josh Lucas. I hope “The Firm” is picked up by another channel or cable network. Crazy for NBC to cancel it!!! Please reconsider !
i love the firm, please dont get rid of it. best cast on t.v i would watch it on dvd or another channel.
Certainly would purchase DVD would have liked it to contimnue– not enough publicity given
More pissed than anything. Stupid move for a great show.
Love The Firm!!! Please don’t cancel it. Or at the very least let another network pick it up.
Just discovered The Firm and I love it! The show is Great!! Drama and Suspense… SO sick of the CRAPPY so called comedies that are NOT funny and the reality shows. What Happened to GOOD TV?! Hopefully someone will pick it up!!
I love the Firm! I hope to hell someone picks it up for a season 2.
This show is Great!! Drama and Suspense… SO sick of the CRAPPY so called comedies that are NOT funny and the reality shows. What Happened to GOOD TV?! Hopefully someone will pick it up!! Chicago Code was another good one that is no more…
Me too. The firm is fabulous. With NBC dropping it and Harry’s Law, what’s left on NBC worth watching (other than a bit of Celebrity Apprentice)? And please, don’t move it to a cable station, since I currently don’t get cable!
I. love. THE FIRM! It is an intelligent, exciting, worthwhile use of my viewing time!!!! I am so disappointed that it has been canceled by NBC. It is head and shoulders above the new show Missing – which started out strong and then kind of ran out of twists and turns, I guess! It became so predictable. The Firm, on the other hand, has continued to grow episode by episode. Great writing and wonderful acting. I think the character of Abby is played incredibly well. Please save this show. I have a feeling it is only going to get better… Read more »
The Firm is an excellent program and getting better each episode. It’s suspenseful, intriguing and the charcters get more depth and more developed as the show goes on. I think it is one of the better scripted show out there. So many stations are turning to the stupid “reality” shows, which by the end of those shows you aren’t really seeing a real portrayal of the person anyway. Reality T.V. producers/directors “frankein-splice” so many shots together you might as well be watching a scripted show. At least with The Firm, and Harry’s Law, and many other shows NBC has cancelled… Read more »
Im so disappointed to see it go! I think it would do great on a cable channel or even on directv like damages did . I really hope omeine can see the potential this show has and keeps it going! NBC didn’t promote the show very good and the network hasn’t been doing great of late anyway and moving to sat is going to drop any shows ratings it’s not a night people think to look for new shows most go out. Also look at Merlin it’s doing great now. I could see the firm on TNT and doing great… Read more »
Absolutely LOVE “THE FIRM”!! We PVR every episode and have watched several of the episodes a few times. It is getting better and better!!!! We (and our friends) hate to see this great show cancelled… the stories and characters are getting and better and stronger each week. We would DEFINITELY watch it on another station!!!
Come on you TV Execs… grow some and keep the show going!!
The Firm and Harry’s Law were 2 of the best written shows on TV. Apparently it is easier and cheaper to hire writters that don’t have to think much about plots. That is why so many brainless shows stay on TV and great thought provoking shows get cancelled. There are a couple of new shows coming up that look really good, but I am not going to watch them. Why get hooked on another show when I know it will just get cancelled if it is any good.