Though the Monday night drama was declared “cancelled” back in October, NBC made a surprising move and ordered three additional episodes of Trauma a few weeks later. Is this a sign that the show’s not dead yet? Executive Producer Jeffrey Reiner hopes not.
Trauma follows a group of San Francisco first responders as they try to save the lives of those in need. The cast includes Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Kevin Rankin, Aimee Garcia, Billy Lush, Jamey Sheridan, and Taylor Kinney.
Networks will rarely admit that a TV show has been cancelled, especially while they still have some unaired episodes on the schedule. Still, NBC essentially cancelled Trauma when the network acknowledged that they wouldn’t be ordering any more episodes. If you don’t make any more episodes, the show’s over.
Reiner tells the Mercury News, “The obituaries were piling up. A lot of people naturally thought we were dead… And NBC did nothing to counteract those reports.”
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But Reiner says that he and his collaborators didn’t take the news lying down. With some episodes still left to produce, they cut more than $500,000 from the show’s production budget. They also started focusing more on personal stories and less on expensive special effects. He mused, “There’s definitely less adrenaline and action-figure stuff… We’re not a soap opera, but we’re getting a feel for who these characters are and I think viewers are becoming invested in them.”
The cost savings, coupled with the hope that ratings will get better and the network’s need for a bit more programming, likely caused NBC to order three more episodes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t likely change the show’s chances of getting a second season. The show would need an infusion of viewers for that to happen. Reiner said, “We’re barely hanging in there, but at least we’re in the hunt right now… And that’s all we can ask for.”
As devoted viewers have surely noticed, the show’s not currently on the schedule. It’s on a lengthy hiatus, a programming move that’s not likely to help the show’s ratings improve. NBC hasn’t said when Trauma will return but the remaining six installments probably won’t air until February 2010 at the earliest.
Still, Reiner refuses to give up hope and likens it to his experience working on Friday Night Lights, a show that was always on the verge of being cancelled, “Heck, we thought we were dead every year, but we lived to fight on. You just concentrate on doing the best work you can — and wait with bated breath.”
What do you think? Is there still hope for Trauma? If the show doesn’t come back, how would you like it to end?
Image courtesy NBC.
I love trauma. looked foreward to it every week. My husband loved all the action and the story lines were great; always kept you on the edge of your seat. Please “LEAVE THIS SHOW ON”
What is wrong with NBC they dangle a show like trauma hook us in to watching it and now they want to take it away! I enjoyed the show but it is apparent NBC is not interested in what the people want.
trauma is one of the greatest shows on tv! if you need to make cut backs, than don’t use the helicopter in every scene. you should also delve deeper in to the relationships of the charachters. also, from the public safety side, include more interactions from all sides, dispatch,police and fire too. In the system where I work, we all tend to hang out together, even after the day is done. you could really make an awesome drama of this. please don’t give up on it! there are sooo many situations in this field that can be interesting and even… Read more »
Please keep Trauma it’s one of the best shows on t.v.
Please NBC keep up truama. It is good series.
Dont cancel the show
pleaseeeee
Hey NBC……Remember Seinfeld and Friends(just to name 2)? What would have happened if You did not give them a chance(You almost canceled both). Ya got rid of Vegas, Life, and Studio 60 to name a few…..which would still be generating income for You instead of floundering around for the past 3 years. And don’t even get My Wife going about what You have done with Days of our lives.
I LOVE TRAUMA AND I WANT IT TO STAY ON AND GET RID ALL THE OTHER CRAP YOU SHOW. THERE IS NOT ALOT ON NOW THAT ANYONE WHATS TO WATCH BUT TRAUMA WAS A VERY GOOD SHOW GOOD PLOT AND GOOD ACTORS I LOVE RABBIT HE IS SO NEAT AND I WOULD STOP MY DAY JUST SO I COULD WATCH THIS.PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING YOUR CUTS ELSE WHERE BUT NOT THIS ONE. IT IS NO WONDER YOUR RATINGS ARE DROPING YOU DONT GIVE YOUR SHOWS A CHANCE TO EVEN GET OFF THE GROUND AND THE OTHERS YOU MAKE ARE SUCH CRAP… Read more »
Trauma is a great show. My wife and I would make sure we recorded every episode so we would not miss all the action.
KEEP TRAUMA, ITS WAY BETTER THEN MERCY. IT SHOWS THE REVIRSE SIDE TO ER. I DON’T WANT IT TO END. NBC KEEPS THE BAD SHOWS AND GETS RID OR THE GOOD ONES. ONE GOOD EXAMPLE IS SOUTHLAND, KNOW I CAN’T WAIT FOR SOUTHLAND TO AIR ON TNT.
I think Trauma is an excellent show and one that suffered because it’s really a 10PM drama that has suffered because Jay Leno is taking up so much space for good adult drama. I surely hope they will reconsider for more than 3 episodes. But that’s a good sign. Good ensemble dramas need time to build an audience.
I have enjoyed the show since the beginning. I would like it to get the chance other shows that were slow starters got. Shows like Mash and Jag were not instant hits but took a little while to develope audiences. Give it a chance.
We loved Trauma. Well done and very realistic. NBC needs less crap and brainless antagonistic “sitcoms”
Trauma is the only show I found this season to watch on network Television, the only one worth watching! And now they are canceling it! I am heartbroken and disappointed beyond words. The script was witty, the characters perfect and the screen play well done. They took ER and gave us trauma. Now they are taking Trauma and leaving us with those other trashy medical shows I refuse to let in my living room. What next?
Keep Trauma alive. I really liked the show. My brother also liked the show. They are cancelling shows to early in my opinion. They started the series and then ended for the holidays (like everyone else does) and then decided it wasn’t worthy to be put back on the schedule, according to who. I think alot of people were watching. I think they should put it back on and see what happens after the show has been on for a whole season and then decide. REMEMBER IT IS US LITTLE PEOPLE THAT MATTER NOT THE EXECUTIVES. If we like it… Read more »
save trauma please!