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 would watch on another channel. Need an ending after watching so many episod. Now I have to start trading again.
They have to bring it back! I think on another week night. Episode 22 left us hanging!
I joined the watching of this show a bit late–but caught up online and became addicted. Very sad that the finale didn’t resolve anything…hoping that someone will pick it up. It really is a great show–and this is from someone who watches very little tv.
I just watched the season finale of the Firm. I have watched EVERY episode and I’m very upset that it has not be renewed. It has been the only show that I have regularly watched on NBC that could compete with all the great CBS shows. Whoever made this decision shows why CBS has all the great shows. Apparently, NBC and ABC kill any show that is not an instant success. No wonder they have had to resort to all those stupid reality shows that suck and are for people of low mental capabilities. I resent the continuous dumbing down… Read more »
I love it, i want to continue watching it..please.
Looked forward to watching The Firm evert week. Excellent acting/plot. Sorry to hear it was dropped.
Loved the show! Sorry to see it go!
I agree this was the only good show left!!! So Sad!!!
I agree. It was well written and acted. I thought it was a pleasure to watch something that didn’t involve reality TV !!! I’m hoping some one else picks it up and , at least, finishes what was started.
I’m so disappointed The Firm has been cancelled. It was such a good program. I guess I should not be surprised that NBC made that call. Look what happened to Ann Curry. Today killed the mockingbird when they let her go.
This is a great show. I would love to see season 2 and get some closure to the already started plot. It is not fair for the viewers to be left hanging on an inconclusive story. NBC owes it to the faithful viewers.
Should have left it on Thursday nights. Great show! Enough of all the CSI type programs.
I am so mad that the Firm is not continuing – if It had over 2 million viewers- put it on for us. I rarely watch TV and found the Firm, exciting, excellent actors and one of the best shows on TV- the other show I loved on Friday nights was the Gifted Man and that I believe is also cancelled- finally shows that grab the attention and how sad is it that they will not continue. I looked forward to the weekly shows and am getting close to cancelling my cable as there is not much worth watching- bring… Read more »
OMG! The firm was a GREAT show. The characters were the best, and really, really suited for their parts. It has all what one would want, suspense, family, love, intrigue, along with much better court scenes than law and order. PLEASE RECONSIDER FOR CABLE TV.
This is really a shame. My wife and I loved it and NBC can’t leave us hanging! Come on! Finally a show that engages the mind (ala Alias) rather than the stupid and socially embarrassing shows like Two and a Half Men or the myriad of Reality shows that degrades society as a whole. Come on NBC. . . .put some quality back on the air! And give us Season Two.