Despite being NBC’s lowest-rated scripted series on the weekday schedule, the network has ordered four more scripts for Undercovers, their new action series.
Starring Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mekia Cox, Carter MacIntyre, Gerald McRaney, and Ben Schwartz, Undercovers debuted on NBC to a disappointing 2.1 rating in the target 18-49 demographic and 8.7 million total viewers.
In week two, the demo plummeted to a 1.6, a drop of 24%. The ratings have kept falling since then and hit a low of a 1.4 rating last week. It tied for fourth and last place in the timeslot with The CW’s America’s Next Top Model. When a major network ties with a show on The CW, you know they’re in some serious trouble.
Despite all of that, NBC appears to be interested in ordering four more installments beyond the initial 13 episode order. The network is supposedly happy with the show creatively but unfortunately, with low ratings, that doesn’t translate into much ad revenue.
Regardless of whether NBC orders additional scripts or episodes, it looks certain that Undercovers is living on borrowed time.
What do you think? Why isn’t Undercovers performing better? What would you change about it or should it just be cancelled?
Image courtesy NBC.
I am surprised this show has such low ratings…I think the ratings system is bogus to begin with, but that is another rant. I love the chemistry between these two actors. This show rocks.
I love the show. However, I need more actions: fight scenes (martial arts), explosives, cliff hanger moments, etc. I agree with too much bedroom stuff. We need to cut that down a bit. I love the cast (Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Gerald McRaney, Meka Cox, Ben Schwartz). However, I think the writing could be stronger–more believable. The mission could be more edge cutting. We really need to start getting into the two main characters past sooner rather than later. This may help the show to survive. There seem to be some drama that will help complicate things to make the… Read more »
I absolutely love this show! It’s fresh, smart, sexy, intelligent, gorgeous, AND all of the actors have wonderful chemistry. It’s a total feel-good hour! I think that the time-slot, 8:00 PM, is the problem. Give it a better time-slot, and it will perform better.
I watched the first episode and found the story particularly weak. There was too much romance filler in lieu of a solid story. I won’t give it a second chance.
I love the show. Its an updated Jonathan and Jennifer Hart drama. NBC is known for stupidity in programming – a la Jay Leno fiasco. If they cancel, the underlying truth is here we have two intelligent, multi-lingual, married to each other, beautiful, African American, who are the stars of a drama. They are not acting like bafoons and this goes against the industry norm for AfricanAmericans. Darn, the last relevant AA programming was the Cosby Show. Undercovers is a welcomed diversion from the same old police, hospital, law, AND most definitely the stupid reality programming. The show may not… Read more »
I agree with many of the posts here in which people basically agree the main characters just haven’t been very well developed. The pilot should have been 2-hours. Instead we got a quick pan of the restaurant and the kitchen staff, then the leads were off on their first adventure. We got a few hints about their backgrounds, but nothing really substantial. An extended pilot could have properly introduced us to these characters, their friends and co-workers, and their world, past and present. Each episode has the same problem, great action, but no real interaction or communication between the leads.… Read more »
let’s be honest the show doesn’t appeal to all demographic. It’s a very entertaining show, but there something about it that doesn’t attracts more viewers…….
I like the show. In terms of constructive criticism, the weakness is in the comedic elements of the scripts. The comedic timing seems off. The support agent, Hoyt, and the other field agent, Nash, try to be funny at all the wrong times. Oftentimes, their jokes come off as annoying.
Definitely a good show when it actually gets into the missions. So just cut some of the bedroom scenes and focus more on each mission and it should be fine. And of course promote the show much more.
Sam and Steven are too cute and too pretty all the time. It’s just not real. But I like the premise and the plots.
I absolutely love this show. The chemistry of the two lead characters is just right and the stories are very entertaining from week to week. I truly hope this show sticks. I actually enjoy it more than Chuck.
GREAT SHOW…2 sexy people, and the storyline potential is endless…should go with more drama and less comedy…
I want to see more going on in the catering kitchen… that’s my favorite part!
ITS THE STUPIDIST TV SHOW NBC HAS EVER SHOWN. HOW CAN THIS MORONIC SHOW STILL BE ON AND THEY CANCELLED LIFE WHICH WAS SENSATIONAL. YOU GUYS SHOULD LEARN FROM CBS
I absolutely love the show. The episode with the German avant was my favorite to date. The show is packed with action, I enjoy watching them travel all over the world and speaking different languages. I would like to see the character’s backgrounds before they originally left the agency to live a “normal” life come to the forefront. I think if that story line could be drama laced and come to the forefront it would make the couple a little more interesting to pick-up viewer-ship. Or have the guy who assist with IT, be a traitor and they have to… Read more »