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 hope for a season two–season one left everyone hanging in midair–superb show
I LOVED this show even though I could never remember when it was playing I watched it on line every week!!! Great Suspense and acting. SOOOOOOOOOO nice not to have blatent retarded sex or homosexuality or gore crammed down my eyesite!! I would so watch this again and buy the DVDs. Please Please Please re think this one.!
We loved this show….couldn’t wait for the next epidode. It always kept us guessing
and we loved the character development
So disappointed ( once again) by NBC!
It’s absurd to cancel this show – it was exciting and one of the best shows on television. How can the polls increase if you randomly move the day and times to air it. You set it up for failure. How about a bit of advertising?
Such a disappointment! LOVED THE FIRM!!!!!! So sad!!!!!
My husband and I love the show! Why is it that every time an excellent series comes on the air, it promptly gets cancelled? If there are any networks out there that have great taste in television viewing, please keep the series, ‘The Firm” going for many more seasons to come.
So upset…I have been waiting for season 2 to start!
Our family looked forward to watching this together.
One of the few shows that we all enjoyed.
REALLY liked this show. I was hooked from the begining. I am a huge JG fan and have read all his books. Even got my 13 year-old daughter hooked too. We hope this gets picked up again!!!
It was my favorite show, but had to tape it each week on the DVR.
I hope another network picks it up!!
I like it better than Prison Break … Should come back. Reminds of Matlock as well … Great serie, hope it continues as well.
We would definitely watch season two. We were unable to watch it during the regular season but recorded it. We are so glad that we did, it is a great show. This would not be a show we would wait to watch again. We are hooked! Please bring it back, inquiring minds want to know.
i loved this show! also could not wait for the next episode! Would absolutely watch on cable or buy the 2nd season on DVD!!! Please, please, please make a second season. there just aren’t many good shows on anymore!!!
One of the top 2 shows on TV – hope it continues
DAMN…I loved that show!!! Why is it everything I like get cancelled on NBC!?!? My finacee and watched it every week. I really hope another channel picks it up. I am giving up on NBC!
I loved this show! This was the best show on the air since 24 finished it’s last season. I would definitely buy Season 2 on DVD and hope to see the series picked up on a cable channel….soon!