Last year, FOX renewed The Following for a third season — despite the fact that the series lost a third of its audience during the second season. Will the ratings continue to fall this time around? Will The Following be cancelled or renewed for a fourth season? Stay tuned.
The third season of The Following picks up a year after former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and his team put serial killer and cult leader Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) back on death row. The rest of the cast includes Shawn Ashmore, Jessica Stroup, Michael Ealy, Sam Underwood, and Zuleikha Robinson.
The higher a show’s ratings (particularly the 18-49 demo), the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available — typically the following morning, around 11:30am EST/8:30am PST. Refresh to see the latest.
5/8 update: FOX has cancelled The Following after three seasons. Details here.
Final season averages: 1.12 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 3.45 million total viewers.
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It’s worth noting that the second season premiere followed the NFC Championship game and attracted a 4.4 demo rating with 11.18 million viewers. In its regular timeslot, the second episode drew a 2.0 with 6.02 million.
Last year comparison: The second season of The Following averaged a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 5.19 million total viewers.
Note: These are the final national numbers (unless noted with an “*”). These are different from the fast affiliate numbers which are just estimates of the actual ratings. The final nationals are typically released within 24 hours of the programming or, in the case of weekends and holidays, a couple days later.
What do you think? Do you still like The Following TV show? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for a fourth season?
This show keeps you on the edge, it is a sham that they cancel such intriguing shows. The cast, storyline are unfollowable. They should really reconsider this show. Keep The Following, do not cancel it, huge mistake! Maybe another network will be smart and pick it up!
I agree, keep the show going!!!
Please do not cancel this show, I can’t believe it….I love the following….
This was the only decent show on fox! My husband and I watched this every wk. looks like the only thing acceptable anymore are: cartoons and god awful singing/dancing shows. Bad move fox!
I must be honest I don’t really like shows that continue a story week after week, but The Following is an exception. It’s wonderful. My wife and I watch it every week. Bones sucks! Bring back a great show!! Please!
I can’t believe they’re cancelling another Great show. I know my daughter and friends all Love and watch the Following. I guess if it requires you to think, the show won’t make it. Sad
Please keep the following. Best thing on Fox!!! Please please please!!!!!
Don’t cancel the following!!!
I can’t believe fox is ending this show. This is the ONLY show I like by fox. This is a show my mom and I bond over… We watch it every Monday night and then re-watch it on Tuesdays. I can’t believe this is happening. PLEASE WILL SOMEONE CONTINUE THIS SHOW?!?!
My family and I gather every Monday night to watch the Following together. Please renew this show. It is one of the most suspenseful shows on TV. Cancel Bones and keep The Following – PLEASE!!
This sucks, me and my husband watch/Dr EVERY week!! Seriously??? I’m totally bummed. Noooooo
Please renew The Following for a 4th season. Excellent show.
CANCEL— Whoever thinks this is a good show can accept a lot of terrible writing and coincidences. In just one show the entire members of a fire station are silently killed with no struggles, a member of the press being called as a witness against the professor is kidnapped in the courthouse which is supposedly under heavy guard, then she is removed from the courthouse and burnt by her captors, Bacon spots her killers(one has been previously shot by Bacon) and is about 50-100 yards away when he sees them. The chase is on, the killers(remember one is badly wounded)… Read more »
This show is good in that it keeps you on the edge of yours seat,actors are good but I
Feel there is way too much gore . Can’t a there be a storyline without so much gore?
Suspense and storyline with good actors but if this show is going to continue it needs to keep the suspense , and try and do without all the gore. We have enough of that in our
World. Sure could use some good following. I do hope another season brings it!
Love the show…. Bring back Joe….. Kevin is wonderful. Cancel bones and keep the following.
This show has been plain horrible since Episode Six of Season One. The premise was decent but was more suitable for a two hour movie than an ongoing TV series. It took a turn for stupid mid way thru Season 1 and never looked back. Writing is atrocious as they are incapable (or too lazy?) to write a script where the cult actually outsmarts the FBI, instead we have been left with an FBI that is implausibly inept. I could post hundreds of instances where this has happened, but the audience is well aware of it and STILL watches this… Read more »
Love this show. Please keep it on. To all the stupid people replying about the FBI looking stupid, you are the stupid ones. It is a show!!! Entertainment value not FBI 101. Actors on this show deserve Emmys plain and si,ple. Keep the following!!!!!
WRONG! This show is great!
I would hate to see this show get cancelled. I loved season one. Season two not so much. But this third season has definitely improved and recaptured my interest. Renew season four.
Not sure they can make the FBI look any dumber but maybe next season they can appoint special agent Barney Fife to track the serial killers.
Jon, that made me LOL literally. I’m sure my office mates think I’m nuts… just sitting over here laughing! 🙂