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.
The Firm has first rate acting and first rate drama. Unfortunately, it does not have a gimmick like a weekly sing-along for all the people out there who watch reality TV and are still looking for the “dream” or it doesn’t have a Vampire or a Zombie or anything to really get the women heated up. It is an old-fashioned, first-rate drama and it is a shame it is not doing better. However, this show could thrive on a network like HBO with 10 show seasons in a kind of annual mini-series effort. Let us hope and pray it keeps… Read more »
Great show! Finally something not about forensics or vampires that I can love watching every week. I hope another network picks it up and turns it into a hit for next year. With such a great cast, that wouldn’t be too tough.
My husband and I love the Firm and can’t believe that it has not done well! NBC did not market it well at all. We stumbled upon it the night it first aired. They should take tips from ABC and market like they did with Revenge…I saw billboards and commercials everywhere for that months before it aired!
I love the show! Can’t we have any quality programs on tv? The show has good actors and a suspenseful storyline. Keep it!
there are tons of better shows then this…
Love the show. Maybe a cable show will pick it up like they did with Damages (another good show cancelled) ………..can’t understand how they can keep junk on and let good shows go. Typical of NBC……………
they havent let good shows go, there has been many awesome shows that has been renewed the last months
I LOVE this show!!! I can’t believe it is getting cancelled!! How can we save the show!
why does the dvd options have so less votes, who wouldnt want to have a new season on dvd and being able to watch the episodes over and over
i’m sad that NBC has canceled the firm but the fact that the firm is canadian is the one thing that has kept me from breaking down and crying because of the cancellation
the firmanatics are demanding it
Firmanatics a die hard fan of the firm
Boo! Love the show-can’t imagine the ratings are so bad. Hope someone else picks it up.
We love the show. Look forward to watching it every week – disappointed to hear NBC isn’t renewing it. Hope Canadian station still will air it. Would definitely buy a 2nd season on DVD. Never even heard any ratings during season until now. Explains why they moved it to Saturday night. Please don’t cancel it!!!!!
I love this show. I can’t believe they want to cancel it.
Love the show- Hopefully will be picked up by somebody else.
NBC is just pathetic
The Firm is awesome! my husband and I watch the show every weekend we love watching it . Please don’t cancel this
I like the show. I didn’t know it was canceled until now. I was surprised to see this. I normally wouldn’t write anything, but it is a show I look forward to watching. I didn’t like that the show was not playing every week. Now I know why, what a disappointment.
The Firm is a great show, can’t wait to watch it each week, thanks heavens for DVR as that way we won’t miss it..Take the Firm off NBC and put the show on a more viewer friendly network or cable that won’t keep changing the day it is suppose to be aired. NBC doesn’t know what a great show they are throwing away, what are you thinking!!!
AMEN!