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.
 Loading ... |
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.
Once again you have a really good show, but for whatever reason it did not have a great response in ratings for whatever reasoning. It could be marketing, but it didn’t help that the network changed nights in mid season. There have been shows that had poor first seasons but were picked up. Hopefully they will continue with season 2 for oversees markets then we can view either through Netflix or other on-line providers. if the demand is there perhaps one of the other networks will pick it up. What could be NBC’S big loss can be another’s great find.
Man NBC what is wrong with you guys? THE FIRM WAS A GREAT SHOW!
I have been anticipating the return of The Firm. I can only hope if NBC doesn’t change their minds, that another chanel will pick it up. I totally agree with Tina. It was poorly marketed. Please bring it back and let people know about it.
We’re very sad the show has been cancelled. One of the few we loved to watch.
I love John Grisham novels and so my husband and I watched season 1 of The Firm from the first episode and we looked forward to the next episode each week. I’m so disappointed to hear it’s cancelled! I want it to continue to the end of the story!!
I hope another network picks up The Firm. Maybe TBS, TNT, or USA???? I read the book, saw the movie and think the TV show was very appealing – lots of upside.
Ive finished watching The Firm last year when the season ended and ive been waiting for what,? like ages, for the 2nd season and that’s when I thought of asking google when will it be.. I found this answer and Im like, soo frustrated.. The Firm is a great series! I wonder why do TV networks kept on CANCELLING fantastic shows.. Ive had too much frustrations when i found out that CSI MIAMI and LAST RESORT has been cancelled too and now here’s another great show that might never have the chance to have its second season.. I just hope… Read more »
Yes my boyfriend I love that show and cant wait for the next week show cant come soon enough and we’ve been waiting patiently for season two to begin and to hear that its not sad ens us very much .If we ever missed a show we always down loaded it .Maybe they should taken consideration how many people down loaded the torrents to watch it.Scene most go out on Thur-Sat they should of tried Monday or Wednesday there is never nothing to watch those days on t.v.I would down load on internet to keep watching episodes we don’t have… Read more »
Cannot beleive this is cancelled. Here I was just trying to desperately find out when it was starting up season 2 to find out it won’t. Everyobody in my family, (mom, dad college students, sister-in-laws, brothers, gramma and papa) all watched it faithfully.
What I do wonder is the marketing of it? I came across it by chance on the second episode and was hooked, but never saw and pre marketing of it??
That and I rarely watch NBC. Hope it comes to cable or HBO or Showtime. We loved this show..
I have just finished watching the first season of “The Firm” via Netflick. I am greatly disappointed to see that the series was cancelled, particularly since must worse programs continue to be shown on TV: programs which degrade values, mock parents by obnoxious children, throw immorality in our faces. At least “The Firm” sought to deal with issues of life from a broad spectrum of moral issues. And, the primary characters were “real people” dealing with these issues. Perhaps that is why so many people did not watch it and why the TV network chose to cancel the program. They… Read more »
My husband & I loved to watch the Firm each week. It was so different than most and fairly clean. Please continue the series.
Sue Beus
The firm was an awesome show my husband and I really looked forward to watching it. And just found out it wouldnt be returning sad about it
Please, please bring back The Firm! It’s a great series and once you start watching, you can’t stop… so please don’t make us stop 🙂
Please bring The Firm back. I thought it started out a little confusing by having flashbacks upon flashbacks, which is why it might have lost some followers. But, once those of us who stuck with it got the thread of the story, it was really exciting and well done. I usually pick a show and stick with it, like St. Elsewhere, NYPD Blues, LA Law, Picket Fences, ER, 24, and others. This was of that calibre so please bring it back.
please bring back the firm i loved this show at least but the the rest of the shows on the internet so we can watch them very sad