ABC continues to try to replace some of their aging hour-long TV series. Once Upon a Time will be renewed but how about The River? Cancelled after one short season?
The River revolves around the search for beloved TV host and explorer Doctor Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) some six months after he and his team went missing down the Amazon. His wife, son, their crew and a documentary team go after them on a rescue mission. As you might expect, they find more than they expected and the trip is fraught with danger. The cast includes Joe Anderson, Leslie Hope, Eloise Mumford, Paul Blackthorne, Thomas Kretschmann, Daniel Zacapa, Shaun Parkes, and Paulina Gaitan.
The paranormal/horror series got a double-episode launch on Tuesday, February 7th. The first hour averaged a 2.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 8.35 million total viewers. The second hour drew a 2.3 demo rating with 6.83 million. Those demo numbers were better than what Body of Proof’s been getting but were still disappointing.
Looking at the half-hour breakdowns, you can see that the ratings steadily declined as the two hours progressed. Between the first half hour and the last, The River lost 15% in the demo and 26% in total viewership. That certainly wasn’t a good indication that those people would return for week two.
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And, they didn’t. For the third episode, The River’s demo fell a whopping 26% with a 1.7 rating with 4.96 million. Several shows also saw declines that night but The River was easily the biggest loser of the evening.
After just three installments, The River averages a 2.0 in the coveted demo and 5.9 million viewers. It ranks 12th on the list of ABC scripted shows for this season, just above already-cancelled sitcom Man Up!. The River also receives a “D+” on the ABC network report card. Unless the next episode attracts at least a 2.0 rating, the season average and grade will drop even further.
Based on this early performance, it looks certain that The River will be cancelled after one season. The network only ordered eight episodes so there are only five produced installments remaining. The last is expected to air on March 20th. Given that this is an ongoing mystery series, it seems highly unlikely that the story will be wrapped up by the finale.
But, what do you think? Have you been enjoying The River? Do you think it deserves to be cancelled or get a renewal for season two? Cancel or keep it?
Image courtesy ABC.
This show is pretty amazing! I would be so upset if it got cancelled, its got suspense, horror, and keeps my eyes glued to the television! This is the last season of desperate housewives, it would suck if this didnt make it either /:
i absolutely love this show and it irritates me on how little respected this show is getting it has all the aspects of a great show its suspenseful edgy and above all its original unlike whay seems like the hundreds of crime dramas
I find it amusing most of the comments have the phrase “Stupid American TV Show” Like any other countries do any better. I find the series thus far quiet enjoyable because its different. As I can see nobody here likes different things, always want to go back to the old classic tv shows. Never giving New Ideas a chance and such. There only been what 3 episodes so far and already people are judging it to cancel the show? What about Lost? With the first 3 episodes I bet it also seemed boring as well? On its way it did… Read more »
show is fantastic and gripping. keep it
Definitely keep The River!! It is a great show! It is different from the mainstream reality crap that is all over TV now. The levels of suspense are great as well. Also, with Spielberg involved I think we are sure to see more action, thrill, and suspense if the show is given more than just 8 episodes!
please don’t cancel the show… i really like it and it is the only show i can watch and actually pay attention!!!
I say keep it. I like shows that are different. I’m tired of shows like Glee and lawyer shows and doctor shows. Enough! Let this show develop and see what happens.
Love this new show. Season Premiere was all about getting you set up to understand it. And it is turning out to be a good show. All shows dont have to start off with a bang, I like the suspense and to build up to see where they will go with it. Do not cancel!!
I honestly have to say that The River is pretty darn good and that I have really enjoyed watching most of the episodes with my girlfriend clinging to my arm. While the initial premiere episode was admittedly slow to develop with flashbacks and brief character introductions, the other episodes were fun to watch. I don’t really care for the slasher fetish films such as Saw and I actually prefer suspense that is based on storyline and old fashion spine chilling without the overt torture scenes that aim to shock. The River looks like it has the potential to be a… Read more »
Keep it!
LOVE this show. Nothing like it on tv. I really enjoy shows that make you think and keep you guessing. You never know what’s coming next, and that’s what keeps me interested. I would much rather watch a show that gets my brain working than some crime show like NCIS where you can figure out how each episode is going to end in the first 5 minutes. If this show is cancelled, I’ll be deeply disappointed. Stop canceling the only good shows that get on air!
i keep it on.could get better..it is better than other tv shows..church,glee,smash,ect
Of course you should keep it Daniel Zacapa And his daughter are the best more about them
i like the show.very different..i keep it on..
Dear Television Viewer’s, I ask that you give us a chance. We indeed in terms filming and the use at times up to 9 cameras rolling at once, are trying to present to you something that’s never been seen on television before. From an actor’s point of view, as an example, it was liberating not having to think about hitting your marks. It is challenging on many levels. This is a learning process for us all including you the viewer. Most importantly I know that I and my fellow actors are first trying to create characters you will care about… Read more »
I LOVE the river ! it totally caught me by surprise, I thought it’d be about river monsters. like giant gators or something, but the paranormal stuff came out of NO where and I absolutely love it! I can’t ever watch the shows alone…it has me on my seat and hiding behind pillows the whole time , but I gotta love it! I think alot of people stopped watching it because it’s not what they expected, and aren’t very open to the concept. But to those people who are into this stuff just and will eat it up. KEEP PLEASE!
Daniel, I agree with you totally! Lost took people a while to get into as well. I love the premise of the show, the cast and that it’s DIFFERENT. I would love to see how this show grows, and morphs into the hit it can be. There are plenty of phenomenal shows like Breaking Bad, that took it a second to gain some traction, but in todays fast food world it’s tougher to get that time. I hope that if ABC doesn’t realize what it has one of the cable networks like A&E picks you guys up and grants you… Read more »