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 really love the show, and it’s a pitty it will probably come to an end.I don’t see where the problem is. The storyline is good, actors too, and I was looking farward. anctiously to see every episode as soon as it came out. It keeps you hooked. I am not aware of the tv networks in the States and how they manage their shows but it is the only thing I can think of regarding The firm’s failure. Or, I probably have bad tastes in shows… 😀
I most definitely would watch the show if moved to another cable channel or network. The characters do a great job so look forward to future shows.
Love The Firm…..was just as good as Grisham’s books in that it left you sitting on the edge of your chair wondering what would happen next. I agree with the other comments that switching the show nights and times certainly hurt the ratings even more. Would definitely watch if this went to cable or season 2 came out on DVD.
Love, love, love the show. Wish ABC would pick it up. They know how to market and time-slot a show. Love that’s it’s not another ridiculous reality show and is clean and leaves you on the edge of your seat! Don’t have cable but if another network picked it up I’d watch for sure!!
I’d buy Season 2 on a DVD or watch it on cable.
I enjoy the show and will miss it very much. Hope it is picked up by another cable channel.
I love the FIRM….I have watched every episode and will continue to watch it if it’s picked up by another station.
I have to agree with Kelly. Now that we have a PVR I would record some of my most watched programs. My PVR cannot track down a show that has been moved two or three times into different time slots or days. Very frustrating indeed. I have never been a fan of reality shows nor will I be. Give me a show with imagination and a plot and I’m hooked. Love “The Firm” as a book and I love it as a show. Bring it back somewhere out there please?
Sorry to hear The Firm is leaving. Why doesn’t NBC consider some of those viewers over 49. We now have time to watch TV since the kids are gone. I hate the “reality” garbage and long for real drama. I look forward to future episodes on cable. NBC loses again.
I loved the show and will miss watching it.
I loved the show!
My husband and I watch the Firm all the time. I think the real problem is the way that the networks switch days and times all the time, not allowing a show to develop a following. It was quite an ordeal just to keep up with what day and time it was on – I’m sure many people just gave up trying. So annoying, finally something not reality tv that we could actually look forward to and now it will be gone!
Love the show. I look forward to the next episodes. I am hopeful a cable company will pick up the series next season. Wonderful show. On the same level, I feel, as The Killing, Mad Men, Walking Dead.
Hate to see it go. Hate most of the shows on lately. Hope TNT picks it up.
I too am very disappointed it is being cancelled. Here’s hoping it is picked up somewhere!