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.
Loved the series and recorded and watched all 22 chapters. Too bad it’s gone and leave viewers with no ending. Maybe someone else will pick it up and give us Season Two.
My husband and I were really looking forward to season 2. What a bummer. I hope another network picks them up!!! Love that show!!
Gee how could NBC do that to me and my boy-freind we are in love with the MicDeer family, and we purchased the whole 22 episodes and we were looking forward in the new 2nd season, and now NBC cancelled on us, I think this is so unfair.
Magali Mena
Its’s too bad that America’s viewing public are so infactuated with reality tv shows. Really, Swamp People; Duck Dynasty; Hillbilly Handfishing!!! Give your head a shake folks. For those who hate that crap there is not a lot to watch unless its sports. The Firm was a great show. Maybe the ratings were so low because the idiots who scheduled the show tried airing it too late and/or on an evening which had a lot of sports, like Saturday night. Bring it back! Who cares about how the Cardasians or the Osbornes spend there day? Some network should get their… Read more »
I’ve been looking forward to seeing this show! I’m in love with the MicDeer family. I’m hoping another network will put on this show!
Hated it being on Saturday night but taped and watched every episode. Would defineity look at another season. Been watching every week for it to start!
THIS IS REALLY ********!! THIS SHOW IS BETTER THAN MOST THEY HAVE ON NBC!!! GET RID OF THE B/S SHOWS LIKE THE REALITY SERIES YOU GUYS HAVE ON AIR!!!
Shame on NBC ! Maybe if the did a better job plugging the show, it would still be on!
AGREED!
Love this show!! So sad to see it go!! Would definitely have loved watching going forward.
OMG! I can’t believe they have cancelled it. I loved this show!!! I’m so upst right now.
luv the show. seemed confusing at first with the flip flop back and forth in time. BUT after watching a few episodes in a row GOT HOOKED!! Sad to hear it will not be back. GREAT cast!!
miss this show 🙁
My wife and I love this show, the firm reminded me of the justice due the firm is the best so far, I’m sad when I heard NBC canceled it, the Quetion here is how I’m I going to tell me wife that there’s no season two ? NBC why?
I LOVED THE FIRM.. AND I HATE THAT IT WAS CANCELLED… BRING IT BACK!!! THE ACTORS WERE FAMILIAR FACES AND THE PROGRAM WAS INTENSE AND SUSPENSEFUL.. ACTIONPACKED.
I HATE THE NBC CANCELLED THE FIRM.. IT WAS EXCITING AND SUSPENSEFUL.. THE ACTORS WERE GREAT AND FAMILIAR FACES.. BRING IT BACK!