It’s not like there was any question but NBC has confirmed that there won’t be a second season of The Slap, their low-rated Thursday night mini-series. The series ended as it began — with poor ratings.
On The Slap TV show, a birthday celebration comes to an abrupt halt when a man slaps another couple’s misbehaving child. It’s a small action that ends up deeply affecting all involved. The cast for the mini-series includes Peter Sarsgaard, Thandie Newton, Uma Thurman, Makenzie Leigh, Zachary Quinto, Dylan Schombing, Thomas Sadoski, Melissa George, Brian Cox, Lucas Hedges, Maria Tucci, Marin Ireland, and Penn Badgley.
The series got off to a very poor start in the ratings in February with the debut garnering a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.13 million viewers. The numbers took a big fall in week two, dropping more than 25% in the all-important demo.
The network cancelled their Thursdays at 10pm series, Allegiance, after five episodes and shifted The Slap to that later timeslot to finish out its run. The eight episodes ended up averaging a low 0.8 rating in the demo with 3.62 million viewers.
NBC promoted The Slap as a mini-series but, if it had been a ratings smash, they surely would have figured out a way to bring it back for a second season — potentially like “limited series” like Fargo or the UK’s Broadchurch. With such terrible ratings, that wasn’t going to happen and the network has confirmed that last night’s episode is indeed the last of the series.
What do you think? Did you like The Slap? Why do you think the ratings weren’t better? Would you have watched a second season of these characters?
I am watching The Slap “on demand” and I can definitely see how it could have had a second season and become another program about a family much like “Parenthood.” We were already meeting each character and getting to know their strengths and weaknesses and interactions. I hope I can find the last two episodes and I hope they come to a conclusion.
Dumb premise for and even dumber program. Nothing like taking an uber exaggerated, politically correct-generated taboo and trying to make it a viable story…Im shocked it even went in to production at all.
Just another bit of proof our society builds mountains out of mole-hills.
What’s next – a TV program on taking your child out of school for a 5 day vacation…? ‘The Horror!!!’
yeesh.
The reason the show was not a success in terms of viewer ratings and numbers is that the American viewer taste in TV fare is primarily adolescent. If it doesn’t have super heroes, vampires, big bang geeks doing spy stuff (Scorpion), dumb cop shows ( Bones, The Mystery of Laura, Battle Creek, etc. ) or post armageddon guerrilla warfare scenarios, an intelligent show is not generally going to survive. The network producers just want to churn out more of the same. I definitely would have watched a second season.
The Slap was great! Please bring it back. Great acting and story lines.
I enjoyed the series, but did not see how it could have gone to a season 2. But it was entertaining for what it was worth.
I’m so sick of them not renewing good shows. The Slap was so good and I guess because there was no nudity, cursing, or intense violence the people of this world weren’t entertained. It’s so annoying that people who enjoy a tv series about the normal everyday problems of life can’t have a season 2 because of NO VIOLRNCE
I loved the show! I am sad there won’t be a second season!
I’m sorry to hear The Slap has been cancelled. My sisters and I really liked it.
I loved this show. I am so disapointment. FIrst well written, very talented cast.
I loved this show, and I understand the slap, was the plot or storyboard for the show, but the title was, at best, a one episode, or one night incident that sounded more like a movie? The cast was awesome!!! I think if they had called it something else it might have made it. They advertised the hell out of the debut, but basing a complete series on that name, made people think, “what happens when they overcome (settle) the slap scene”, why would that slap define the entire show? The stories behind the cast members, was excellent…. I’m VERY… Read more »
GOOD RIDDANCE !! 🙂
ps. Quinto – i saw your Tom on Broadway, you were dreadful. Please refund me my $150 bucks, and next time do better with what ever they throw you or don’t get up on a stage. Thanks!
Loved the show. Just watched the whole series via On Demand. Intrigued from beginning to end. Thought the actor who played Ritchie was brilliant; his courtroom testimony really showed how silly adults can be. A great show with some really talented actors. Wish it didn’t have to end but they took it as far as it could go and wrapped it up really nicely!
My husband and I watched this show together. It was a very talented group of actors. It has an interesting premise that centered on a child being slapped and then it tells the individual story of each character. I almost didn’t watch because I wasn’t interested in a child being slapped. It’s seemed too simple. I taped the first episode and enjoyed it and then brought husband in on it; he enjoyed it. We thought it was a mini series and we weren’t expecting more, but we would watch again. Anything but simple, it gave us numerous discussion points to… Read more »
I thought The Slap might be intriguing enough to record, but I had other shows that had more priority. Though I thought I recorded the first few episodes, I didn’t. However, I managed to record the last two episodes. This series is good enough for one season but I’d grow weary if the topic were dragged out for more than one season. With ‘Hostages’, I was drawn in from the very beginning and wouldn’t miss a single episode but was glad that they wrapped up the story in one season. I enjoyed every twist and turn of this ‘mini-series’….looking forward… Read more »
I Love This Show!!! I am Super Disappointed That It Won’t Be Back! I Want To Know What Happens To Everyone Involved!! Super Bummed!!