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.
Love this show. It’s a story with a script and real acting not the reality crap. I hope another cable network picks it up. We need decent shows with stories.
Please pick up this show. I must have a conclusion. I’ll sick of being faithful when the networks don’t care about the viewers of their programs. Books never treat me this way!
Why? Why? I love this show, I’d watch it on cable.
Love this show. I hope another network will give this show a second season.
My husband and I love watching The Firm and are so dissapoinated to hear that NBC won’t be continuing this series. Really hoping someone else picks up this show.
I am also addicted to this show. It is one of the best shows on. I cannot believe people would rather watch these mindless reality shows. Please produce season 2 for those of us who prefer to think while being entertained!
I was very disappointed to learn this terrific show won’t make it to another season. Television is terrible these days…I mean, how many CSI’s do we really need to view? This show was a refreshing change from the boring and repetitive garbage that’s usually aired. I’ve enjoyed watching this show and hope it makes it to another station.
This is one of the best shows on Tv. Hoping someone picks up season 2.
We are all addicted to this show and would watch it on any cable channel –or network channel that picked it up. Pretty stopped watich most NBC shows, including TODAY, in protest after it was cancelled. And guess what, we actually liked Scott Pelley better than Brian Williams, and CBS morning actually has NEWS! What a revelation…..
I really love this show. Please continue with season 2. it doesn’t matter which channel picks up but just pick it up and continue with season 2. season 1 was really great. want to see more of Mitch McDeere and his entire team.
Are you kidding? We love this show. We would DEfinitely purchase Or watch. It’s the most engaging show we’ve seen in a long time. Guess we are not average. What a disappointment. We haven’t missed an episode.
Are you kidding me! The Firm is by far one of the BEST television series’ on the air now. The writing and the plot twists are superb! I don’t think this show was marketed well, nor was it’s day and time ever appropriate. There is no way this show should have ended up on a Saturday night. Hands down it should have been on a night during the week instead of all the reality and fantacy garbage that is inundating the airwaves. I will DEFINITELY watch The Firm on another network or Cable, since NBC has made a horrible decision… Read more »
Im in love of Pablo Velasco !!! I cant live with out him
please! do a season 2 of the firm! This was a great show with great acting and writing.
My apologies to those who, like my husband and me, enjoy The Firm. It seems that if we like a show, NBC will cancel it (The Event, Harry’s Law, Awake, etc.). We feel responsible so we’ll stop watching anything on NBC to spare the rest of you the shows you like. Too bad. We used to like NBC. Maybe it will get cancelled.