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.
I am thoroughly upset about the cancellation of “The Firm”. It is the only show
that my husband and I watch together. “The Firm” has a great storyline, terrific
actors and is dynamic. This show is vastly superior to all of the overdone reality shows
and moronic comedy shows. I am not an avid NBC watcher other than watching “The
Firm”. I am sorry to see it go but I am looking forward to seeing season 2 on a cable station.
I hardly ever watch TV, but this series with Josh Lucas was a winner and I watched faithfully all through the season–yes, even trying to find which time/day slot it had been moved to! I’m sure hoping somebody else picks it up and keeps it running!!
I’m very disapointed that the show is ending! The reason it is ending is because it does not have enough sex and flith in it!! There is so much garbage on tv anymore. My husband and I enjoyed the show very much.
I am saddened that NBC is cancelling this show. The original movie was great, and this series only enhanced the experience. I hope a cable company will pick up season 2 and continue the saga. I have always been a fan of courtroom television series going all the way back to Perry Mason.
As several others have said before me, this series is much more entertaining than the best of the reality show on any network.
I really thought NBC was coming back. But after canceling the only hour I tuned in for, I can skip it all together. The “Reality TV” has run its course. It’s all fake and boring boring boring! I’m hopeful cable will pick up The Firm.
I never write these but I am fed up with good dramas being replaced with crap!! I am tired of the crap on tv and look forward to these type of shows every season only to have them canceled and I am left hanging. AWAKE and THE FIRM were both great shows,,, both canceled and I am really disappointed. They dont even wrap up the show to give it closure just leave us hanging. I hope someone picks it up and I get to watch it. Just like MEDIUM was picked up!!
I love this show. Leave it to NBC to cancel a good one again. I dvr this show and yes I would buy season one and two on dvd. But why should i have to keep the show great story line and great acting. My whole family likes it. Im tired of the reality junk on tv. NBC we are all getting tired of you canceling good shows. KEEP IT!
And, NBC strikes again. Anything that is drama, vaguely good, not bottom of the pond sludge is hidden and immediately canceled. Probably will continue until no one who is still human is watching anything they show. I just discovered this show and am marathon watching. Really good writing, good actors. Just way too classy for NBC (stands for nothing but crud) to possibly keep on the air.
Yes I would watch it on another channel, and yes I would watch season 2 on DVD.
I love this show.
I would much rather see this show than all the “reality” garbage and “talent” shows out there. Do we have a generation than can’t concentrate long enough to follow a story line or what? Does the whole world have ADD?
The Firm is one of my favorite shows. We just watched episode 17 & 18 and were looking forward to the next episode tonight and cannot find it. A repeat on Dateline NBC instead… Really? There are 4 episodes left. We would like to see the last episodes. I do hope a cable station picks it up.
i looked forward to this show every week, why do the good ones always go off the air.
please bring it back!!!
I can’t believe you are cancelling this show. It is great and my husband and I watch it every week, except when you guys change the time or day and we have to scramble to try to find out what happened to our favorite show. What’s wrong with you? It is a great mix of conflicts. By not continuing the show is like tearing out the final chapter of a great novel and saying we don’t care about you, the reader. Well, care, and for crying out loud, quit changing the time and day of a great show. You have… Read more »
I really really like this show. I hate the reality shows. The Firm has good writing, great acting. I can’t believe it will be cancelled with all the other garbage that continues on. What a mistake!
I would love to see The Firm continue on another network. It is a great show. It wasn’t given a chance…..