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.
Outstanding acting! Love all the drama. We want MORE!
THE FIRM IS AN EXCELLENT SHOW. WHAT THE NETWORKS ALWAYS DO INCORRECT IS BRING A NEW SHOW ON AND MOVE IT’S TIME SLOT, DAY. ETC. AND THIS PISSES OFF WATCHERS AND THE RATINGS DECLINE. I THINK NBC IS MAKING A GIANT MISTAKE BY NOT GIVING THIS A SECOND SEASON. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD DAYS WHEN YOU GOT A SECOND CHANCE AND GOT SEASON 1 AND 2 AND THEN GOT CANNED IF IT DID NOT SHOW IMPROVEMENT, “EXAMPLE” MELROSE PLACE”, NEED I GO ONE?????????????????????? RE THINK THIS OR SOMEONE OUT THERE SMART PLEASE PICK THIS SHOW UP AND SHOW NBC… Read more »
I can only agree with many ppl here!! Who makes these decisions and based on what?
Demographics!? Honestly, no wonder if you are 14 and have the attention span of a goldfish
you can´t follow a show with a bit more elaborate plot. Sorry to see it go, I would LOVE a 2nd season! ANYWHERE!!
Greetings from Sweden
(Wallander Country) 😉
Joey
Love this show.
I can’t beleieve. It is well written and has such a great cast. With all the junk out there, why this didn’t make it is a real question.
This is a great show that just hasn’t been given a chance. We would definitely watch it on another channel. Please someone pick it up for another season.
The is a great show!!! I agree with “SG ” in that NBC did not give this show a chance. I, personally, will be searching to see if it is picked up by another channel, cable or some other media.
TO NBC: GIVE THE FIRM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE ITSELF!!! PICK UP THE OPTION FOR SEASON TWO!!!
I love the show first was slow but now great
We love the show. Hope another network picks it up!
What in the word in NBC thinking? The Firm is one of the best new series that has aired in a long time. The actors are fabulous and the plot is terrific – perhaps the fact that the show has been moved around from one night to another and then several weeks were skipped altogether so that no one knows when it is one has something to do with the poor ratings. Come on, first Ann Curry – now the Firm – what next?
This was a great show with great acting and writing. I don’t think NBC gave it a chance. It was moved around in the schedule, wasn’t shown every week – you never knew when it would be on and when it wouldn’t. I hope a cable channel picks it up.
My husband and I enjoy this show tremendously. The acting is superby, the plotting holds our interest, especially now with the mob line. Maybe cable will pick it up.
We would follow this show anywhere. We DVR it.
My wife and I love this show. I hope someone picks this up. I love the cast!
Do a Season 2 of The Firm!!!
Why do you continue to cancel good even great shows??? You continue to renew all of the so called “Reality shows” Well, they are NO ones REALITY they are just CRAP….. All left overs from the writers strike. Wake up major networks….cable channels are going to take over with their excellent programing and you are all going to be out of work….And don’t get me started with the TODAY show. NBC you need to ask people that watch TV what they want to see.
Why does all the smart series get cancelled? Better cancel stupid Grimm, what kinda stupid show is that? so disappointed in NBC