Midseason TV Cancellations and Renewals: Napoleon Dynamite and Rob! cancelled (05/14)
89Last updated: May 14th
Cancellations and Renewals of TV Shows that first premiered in other seasons:
Last week, the Midseason TV season started off, and quite a lot of shows have already premiered. With this Hub, I'll keep you up to date on all developments around the series that first premiered in Midseason. This includes renewals, cancellations, but also ratings and my predictions for the future of these shows.
Is your favorite show cancelled? Do you agree with my predictions? Or is there something else you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments section below!
Cancelled
| Renewed
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|---|---|
Work It (ABC), January 14th
| House Of Lies (Showtime), February 1st
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ReModeled (The CW), February 10th
| Smash (NBC), March 22nd
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Luck (HBO), March 14th
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Breaking In (FOX), April 12th
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The Finder (FOX), May 10th
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Alcatraz (FOX), May 10th
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Awake (NBC), May 11th
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Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC), May 11th
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GCB (ABC), May 11th
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The River (ABC), May 11th
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Missing (ABC), May 11th
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The Firm (NBC), May 12th
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Rob! (CBS), May 13th
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Napoleon Dynamite (FOX), May 14th
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Cancelled
Rob (CBS)
Rob Schneider's 'Rob!' premiered Thursday, January 12, to 13.5 million people, with a 4.1 rating in the all-important demographic. These numbers are actually quite good, though keep in mind that this is CBS, and also that next week, 'Rob!' is facing the season premiere of 'American Idol'.
Update (01/19): On its second airing, 'Rob!' lost 12% to a 3.6 in the 18-49 demographic. Total viewers went down to 11.7 million viewers, which is a loss of 13%. Considering that it was programmed against the Thursday premiere of 'American Idol', retaining this much is quite good.
Update (01/27): 'Rob!' was a tenth down versus last week's airing, reeling in a 3.5 in the demo, and 11.5 million viewers; which is a loss of only 3%.
Update (02/05): Losing another 6%, 'Rob!' was down two tenths to a 3.3 and 11 million viewers. Versus 'Rob!'s premiere, this episode was 20% down.
Update (02/18): Among widespread decline, 'Rob!' lost a tenth to a 3.2 rating. A little more than last week, 10.9 million people were watching.
Update (03/03): After a quite steady run, 'Rob!'s season finale (there were only eight episodes) dropped 19% to a 2.6 in the all-important demo. In terms of total viewers the show also dropped about 18%, to just under 9 million. Being CBS's lowest rating comedy show, it is possible that 'Rob!' gets axed to make room for new comedies next season. However solely based on its ratings, the show should be renewed.
Update: Not being among CBS's renewal fest on March 14th, 'Rob!' might just get canceled.
Update (05/14): It doesn't come as a surprise that on May 13th CBS announced to cancel Rob!.
Napoleon Dynamite (FOX)
Programmed after an NFL game, 'Napoleon Dynamite' drew the expected huge numbers for its premiere. While approximately 8.7 million people tuned in, the animated show rated 4.4 in the 18-49 demographic. Just before the premiere, 'The Simpsons' aired right after football and was 269% (not a typo) up versus last week. The second episode of 'Napoleon Dynamite', which was aired an hour later, still got a 3.3 in the demo and 6.8 million viewers. However, with such a lead-in, about any show can do well in the ratings. What FOX did achieve this Sunday night is sampling, so the important question is how many people will return next week.
Update (01/30): In its second week, 'Napoleon Dynamite' rates a 2.1 in the demo, with 4.4 million viewers. This is both less than half what the premiere rated.
Update (02/24): This week, 'Napoleon Dynamite' rated a 2.0 in adults 18-49 and got 4.41 million people to tune in. That's steady with the last four weeks, and it seems that the show has found a home in FOX's animation domination Sunday night.
UPDATE (05/13): Today, FOX announced the cancellation of 'Napoleon Dynamite', alongside the renewal of 'Bob's Burgers'.
The River (ABC)
The highly anticipated sci-fi show 'The River' on ABC premiered a lot lower than some expected, rating only a 2.5 and a 2.2 in its first and second episode, respectively. Moreover, in each consecutive half hour, the rating dropped a little, indicating that more and more people (in adults 18-49) tuned out. During the first episode, 8.2 million people were watching, while the second got 6.8 million viewers. One could call it modest, or just plain bad; either way, I'm wondering how many of these people were just finishing the premiere out of politeness and won't tune in next week.
Update (02/15): I can answer my own question with "almost two million people"; last night's episode of 'The River' drew just under 5 million viewers. In the all-important demographic, it rated a 1.7, which is 32% down from the first episode and 22% down from the second. I think that is enough to say that it is positively crashing. I can imagine that watching 'The River' is not the perfect Valentine's Day date, but does that really explain this plunge?
Update (02/24): Perfectly stabilizing just one week later, 'The River' rated another 1.7 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. 4.8 million people tuned in, but will they all return next week?
Update (02/10): 'The River' dropped another 12% last week, to a 1.5 in the demo. This week's airing was even with that, and both episodes drew about 4.2 million viewers. These really aren't good numbers, and with only a couple of episodes left for the first season, 'The River' might just dry up fairly soon.
Update (03/14): Yesterday's episode of 'The River' gets a 1.3 in the demo, which is 13% lower than last week's. Just over 4.1 million people tuned in. With just one week left, these ratings are bad news.
Update (02/21): The season finale of 'The River' got exactly 4 million viewers, and rated a 1.4 in the all-important demographic. It is quite ambitious to put a horror series in prime time broadcast TV, though I think too little people liked it to give the show a second season. Rumors are that Netflix is trying to save the show. But then again, that's what they're saying about 'Terra Nova' as well.
UPDATE (05/12): No surprises here, but 'The River' got cancelled too.
Missing (ABC)
ABC's action adventure drama 'Missing' premiered on Thursday, March 15, to 10.6 million people. However it rated only a 2.1 in the 18-49 demographic, indicating that many of those viewers were over 50. Given the premise of the series, a mother looking for her missing son who is in his late teens, that is not really that surprising. However, will it be enough to keep the show alive?
Update (03/23): In its second week, 'Missing' drops almost 25% to a 1.6 in adults 18-49. Apparently, the show is not really catching on in that demographic. Total viewers were 8.7 million, which also is a drop of 18%. I guess it won't be long before 'Missing' is missing from ABC's schedule.
Update (04/02): This week's 'Missing' episode rated a 1.5. That is quite steady versus last week, though still really bad. Still 7.8 million people tuned in.
Update (04/23): Dropping even lower, the last episode of 'Missing' rated a 1.3 in adults 18-49. The show is still skewing old, with little over 7 million total viewers.
Update (05/06): 'Missing' was down to a 1.2 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic. 6.3 million people tuned in. All in all, things aren't looking that good for 'Missing'.
UPDATE (05/11): Another one that doesn't surprise, 'Missing' got cancelled by ABC.
GCB (ABC)
'GCB' premiered with a 2.2 in adults 18-49 while 7.6 million people tuned in. That is a lot better than its predecessors final numbers; 'Pan Am's finale got a 1.2 and 3.77 million viewers. On the other hand, it is a lot worse than 'Pan Am's premiere, that got a 3.1 and more than 11 million viewers. NBC points out that it is a 3% rise versus a year ago, when 'Brothers & Sisters' was still on. The second episode of 'GCB' rated a 2.3 in the demo and got 7.1 million viewers. That is a growth of one tenth or 4.5%. Not much, but most second episodes of new series go down. Is that a good sign?
Update (03/21): 'GCB's third episode rated a 2.0 in the all-important demo, and attracted little over 6 million viewers. These are not really impressive numbers, but they're not horrible either.
Update (05/06): While dropping to a series low of 1.5 in the middle of April, 'GCB' is now up again to a 1.8 in adults 18-49. Total viewers now lie around 5.5 million. With these numbers, 'GCB' is still a toss up for renewal.
UPDATE (05/11): While still a toss up for renewal, ABC decided to cancel 'GCB'. This comes just before the upfronts, where networks announce their Fall schedules. Many other shows were renewed or cancelled today and yesterday. Check this and other hubs for more info on that. What do you think of 'GCB's cancellation?
Awake (NBC)
Thursday's premiere of NBC's new supernatural drama 'Awake' did pretty good, for NBC standards anyway. It rated a 2.0 in the all-important 18-49 demographic, which is pretty good considering its NBC and in the 10pm hour. In total, 6.4 million people tuned in to the first episode of the Jason Isaacs show.
Update (03/16): In its second and third week, 'Awake' rated a 1.6, which is 20% down from the premiere. Last week drew 4.3 million viewers, while this week 5.1 million people tuned in. It did stabilize this week, though a 1.6 is quite low, even for NBC.
Update (03/23): Yesterday's new episode of 'Awake' lost an enormous 25% in the demo, going down to a 1.2 rating. That immediately moves the show to the danger zone, so stay awake for next weeks ratings if you care about this show. Everyone says they love 'Awake', yet nobody is watching it anymore? What's going on?
Update (04/02): 'Awake' is down to a 1.0 in the all-important demo this week and 3.18 million people tuned in. Therefore, I have no choice but to move the show to the certain cancellations.
Update (04/24): The latest episode of 'Awake' rated an 0.8, while the previous one rated an 0.9. Total viewers were down to 2.7 million, which makes it extremely unlikely to get renewed.
Update (05/06): This week's 'Awake' was again down, now to an 0.7 rating in adults 18-49. In terms of total viewers the episode rated 2.15 million. The little chance the show had of getting renewed is now getting even smaller.
UPDATE (05/11): As predicted, NBC cancelled 'Awake' today, even though yesterday's episode went two tenths up in the ratings. But that wasn't enough for the show to get saved. For me personally, that is a real bummer (though expected), what do you think? Let me know in the comments section!
Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC)
'Are You There, Chelsea?'s debut drew 6.18 million viewers and a rating of 2.3 among adults 18-49. On NBC, those are quite pleasing numbers. The question is how much of that remains in next week's head-to-head with 'American Idol'.
Update (01/19): As expected, the ratings for 'Are You There, Chelsea?' went quite a bit down for its second episode. Among adults 18-49, it rated 1.7, which is a loss of 26%. Losing almost a third (32%) in total viewers, 4.2 million people tuned in.
Update (01/27): This week, 'Chelsea' fell another 18% to a 1.4 rating. With an audience of only 3.8 million, the show is positively tumbling in the ratings. While not horrible yet, the axe is always waiting around the corner for shows that can't maintain their audience.
Update (02/11): Not unexpected, 'Chelsea' was down to a 1.5 from last week's 1.7, with more competition. Also, only 3.6 million viewers tuned in; things are not looking good for 'Chelsea'..
Update (03/10): 'Are You There, Chelsea?' rated another 1.5 in the demo this week. Even though this is NBC, those aren't good ratings so Chelsea might just not be there anymore next season.
Update (02/23): This week's episode of 'Chelsea' lost a tenth versus earlier episodes to a 1.4 in adults 18-49. The show is positively struggling and it's getting more and more likely that it will get canceled.
Update (03/29): 'Chelsea's season, and probably series, finale dropped to a 1.2 in the ratings. With 3.1 million people tuning in to this episode, only a miracle (and the horrible state NBC is in) could still save the show.
UPDATE (05/11): As expected, NBC cancelled 'Are You There, Chelsea?' today. That shouldn't come as a shock to anyone following the ratings.
Alcatraz (FOX)
The premiere of 'Alcatraz' over on FOX topped 'Terra Nova's premiere in September by 0.2 with a 3.3 in the adults 18-49 demographic. The double episode drew just over 10 million viewers. Also, it tied 'Revenge' as second best drama premiere of the season ('Once Upon A Time' keeping its title).
Update (01/25): Losing 9%, 'Alcatraz' rated pretty decent in its second week, with a 3.0 in the 18-49 demographic and a total of 8.95 million viewers. If it manages to retain these kinds of numbers, we might be stuck on that island for a while. (Wow, did I just refer to that other J.J. Abrams show, 'Lost'?)
Update (01/31): In its third week, 'Alcatraz' loses another 7% to a 2.8 in the coveted 18-49 demographic, while attracting 8.4 million viewers. And that was opposite repeats; what will happen if CBS starts airing all-new 'Two And A Half Men' and 'Mike & Molly' episodes next week, and 'The Voice' premieres over on NBC?
Update (02/07): Opposite 'The Voice', 'Alcatraz' fifth episode rated a 2.3 in the all-important demo. That is 18% down from last week, and even though this isn't really surprising ('The Voice' rated a 6.7), it is still quite worrying.
Update (02/14): Unstoppable in its decline, 'Alcatraz' rates a 1.7 this week, which is another 17% down from last week.
Update (03/09): With a double episode, 'Alcatraz' was steady at a 1.9 and a 1.8 in the 8/7c and 9/8c hours, respectively. Little over 5.5 million people tuned in. Still, these ratings aren't great at all, so keep your fingers crossed if you want to get to know all the 63s.
Update (03/21): Opposite the second hours of both 'The Voice' and 'Dancing With The Stars', 'Alcatraz' dropped to a series low of 1.6 in the demo. Just over 5 million people tuned in, and with only one week left, the future looks grim for 'Alcatraz'.
UPDATE (05/09): Just a week before the upfronts, where the networks announce their Fall 2012 schedules, FOX has canceled 'Alcatraz'. Now, we'll never get to know what exactly happened to the 63's. Unless,.. Netflix? Not that I want to start a rumor, of course..
The Finder (FOX)
Over on FOX, 'Bones' spin-off 'The Finder' had a hard time. Led in by an episode of 'Bones' the show only found 5.45 million people watching and a 1.7 rating among 18-49 year-olds. However, where 'Rob!' will probably suffer next week from 'American Idol', 'The Finder' could benefit from its lead in.
Update (01/21): 'The Finder' was up to a 2.2 rating in the demo, which is an increase of 29%. Lead in by 'American Idol', the show drew 1.3 million extra viewers compared to its premiere, totalling 6.77 million.
Update (01/27): Getting another boost from 'Idol', 'The Finder' won another 27% to a 2.8 rating in the demo. Total viewers were up to 8.4 million, which is 3 million more than its premiere, only two weeks ago. Superfluously, these are great results and as long as its coupled with 'Idol', expect 'The Finder' to keep finding an audience.
Update (02/05): Back down to a 2.4 in the all-important demographic, 'The Finder' loses 14% versus last week. It also lost roughly 1.5 million viewers, drawing an audience of almost 6.9 million people.
Update (02/11): Losing another 8% in the demo, 'The Finder' rated a 2.2 this week. 6.2 million people tuned in to the 'Bones' spin-off, and I'm wondering how long it's going to last, because a show that has a 5.8 lead-in and retains only a 2.2 is quite bad news.
Update (04/02): Starting this week, on April 6th, 'The Finder' will return from its hiatus and air on Fridays. FOX moving the show to a death slot means it will certainly get cancelled after this burn-off.
UPDATE (05/10): It took FOX another month to announce it, but today they finally cancelled 'The Finder'. I'm sorry for the few people that were still watching.
The Firm (NBC)
'The Firm' premiered weakly on January 8th to 6.3 million viewers, rating an average 1.4 in the all-important demographic. This makes it the lowest rating in-season drama debut on NBC ever. Even worse, 'The Firm' rated 1.0 in its first run in its original timeslot on Thursdays, falling 29% from its premiere, while only 4.24 million people tuned in. NBC has already ordered 22 episodes for this series, so a quick cancellation would be surprising. A move to, say, Saturday night would definitely be in the picture if ratings won't go up quickly, though.
Update (01/21): 10% down from last week, 'The Firm' now rated a 0.9 in the demo, with only 3.4 million viewers.
Update (01/27): Inching up, 'The Firm' is back to its 1.0 ratings in the 18-49 demographic. 3.77 million people tuned in. However, these are still horrible numbers and an intervention from NBC is still needed, will even become inevitable in the near future if nothing changes.
Update (02/05): After this week's 0.8 in the demo and not even 3 million viewers, NBC has moved 'The Firm' to Saturday nights at 9/8c, starting on February 11th. In network jargon, this means that the show is effectively canceled, but that the remaining episodes will be aired, simply because the network has already paid for them.
The Thursday 10/9c timeslot will be filled with repeats of 'Grimm', until March 1st, when 'Awake' will premiere.
Breaking In (FOX)
Even though this is the second season for 'Breaking In', I think it's worth mentioning here since it was cancelled after its first season, but resurrected after all. Some changes have been made; only Christian Slater, Bret Harrison and Alphonso McAuley return as regular cast members, and Megan Mullally ('Will & Grace') and Erin Richards ('Being Human') are added to the main cast. Though it not really attracted the viewers in its first season, FOX hopes that 'Breaking In' will be breaking out the second time around.
While the first season of 'Breaking In' premiered to almost 10 million viewers, with a 3.5 in the 18-49 demographic, its penultimate episode drew almost 7 million viewers and got a 2.3 rating. Its final episode, which was the only one not lead in by 'American Idol', tumbled to a 1.4 in the demo and 3.1 million viewers.
The second season premiere rated a 1.7, and drew 3.6 million viewers. This is higher than the first season's finale, though not really great at all. Stay tuned.
Update (03/14): 12% down, 'Breaking In' rated a 1.5 in its second sophomore episode, while almost 3.5 million people were watching. How much lower can it go before it will be canceled yet again?
UPDATE (04/12): Just a month later, FOX has decided to cancel 'Breaking In' once again. The episodes in between rated a 1.4 and a 1.3 and little more than 2.5 million people were still watching.The show was supposed to be on hiatus until April 24th, but FOX decided not to wait it out anymore. 'New Girl' repeats will air in the timeslot starting April 24th.
Luck (HBO)
The series premiere of 'Luck' drew 1.1 million viewers last Sunday, and its repeat later on the same evening raked in another 1.4 million viewers. While these numbers are not particularly great, they weren't bad either. And keep in mind that this episode was aired in December already, so possibly, there were folks not watching because to them, this was a repeat. As HBO tends to do when the critics are not too negative, it renewed 'Luck' for a second 10-episode season right after the ratings for the first season came in.
Update (03/15): After a third accident resulting in the death of a horse, the 'Luck' crew and HBO decided to halt the show's production immediately and permanently. Here are some passages from HBO's press statement:
“We maintained the highest safety standards, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horse racing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures.
“While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.”
Update (03/16): Rumors are that 'Luck's cancellation is not (exclusively) the result of the horse accidents, but that it's rather the disappointing follow-up ratings; all subsequent episodes rated more than 50% lower than the pilot. Also, according to the owner of the race track where filming took place, he wanted to end the agreement because the show puts the horse racing business in a bad light. Of course, these are just rumors and they have come out only after the show was cancelled, but it's still food for thought. The truth? That's something we'll never know.
ReModeled (The CW)
Even though a reality show, the premiere of 'ReModeled' over on The CW was a drama. It rated only a 0.3 in the all-important 18-49 demographic. Also (prepare yourselves) only 670,000 people watched the show. With these ratings, it's 50% down from The CW's last disaster reality show 'H8R', which was pulled after airing only four episodes. You can imagine what my prediction for 'ReModeled' will be.
Update (01/21): Interestingly, this Friday's repeat of 'ReModeled' equalled Tuesday's aring with a 0.3 rating. As for total viewers, it actually transcends it's original broadcast, with 100,000 viewers, to a total of 720,000. Hopefully some of these viewers will return next Tuesday to 'ReModeled's second original, to enable the show to save face just the slightest bit.
Update (01/25): In its second episode, 'ReModeled' won a third in the ratings. However, a third of 0.3 is only 0.1, so it rated a mere 0.4 in the 18-49 demographic. This time, the reality show drew a little more viewers than in its first airing, 0.89 million to be precise.
Update (02/11): A disaster as this show was, The CW finally decided to pull the plug and cancel 'ReModeled'. Or at least, that is what it looks like, because the network announced the premiere of 'America's Next Top Model' on February 29th in 'ReModeled's timeslot. What will happen with the two remaining episodes is still unclear, but then again, who cares?
Work It
ABC's new comedy series 'Work It' premiered to 6.1 million people, drawing a 2.0 rating in the adults 18-48 demographic. Thereby, it is rating 17% lower than the premiere of 'Man Up!', the cancelled show it is replacing. The second time around, 'Work It' lost 25% in the demo, rating only 1.5 while 4.9 million people tuned in. Already rumors of cancellation are buzzing around, and the be honest, that wouldn't surprise me at all.
Update (01/14): ABC has announced the cancellation of 'Work It', after airing only 2 episodes. For the rest of January, repeats of 'Last Man Standing' will fill the 8:30/7:30c timeslot on Tuesdays.
Renewed
Smash (NBC)
Following 'The Voice', 'Smash' premiered in quite a comfortable position. Its first episode rated a 3.8 in the coveted 18-49 demographic and 11.5 million people tuned in. This means it was only topped by 'The Voice' and CBS' comedy lineup (except 'Mike & Molly'). All in all, great result for NBC and so far, and I'm hearing only positive reactions to last night's show. Stay tuned.
Update (02/14): 'Smash' drops a quite unexpected 26% to a 2.8 in adults 18-49. That means it has lost a whole point from last weeks 3.8. It still was the #1 in its timeslot, though just a little ahead of 'Hawaii 5-0'.
Update (02/24): This week's episode of 'Smash' lost another 0.5 or 18% in the all-important 18-49 demographic. That means it rated a 2.3, and in total viewers it got 6.5 million.
Update (03/09): Last week's episode (Feb. 27th) was steady with the week before with a 2.3 in the demo. 6.6 million people tuned in, which is just a little higher than the previous episode. This week, however, 'Smash' starts rising again, winning 17% in the demo, to a 2.7. Also, the episode drew 7.7 million viewers. Stabilizing and growing, does that mean that 'Smash's future is safe?
Update (03/21): With 'The Voice' losing viewers to 'Dancing With The Stars', 'Smash' is losing too. This week's episode rated a 2.2 in the demo, with 6.5 million people watching.
UPDATE (03/23): As its highest rating scripted show, NBC unsurprisingly renewed 'Smash' for a second season. After 'Grimm', it is the second renweal by the peacock network. 'Smash' will get at least a 15 episode second season, and word is that a key player from the first season will step down. Who might that be? Do you have any idea? Let me know in the comments!
House Of Lies (Showtime)
'House Of Lies' over on Showtime premiered to 1.6 million viewers for the night, over three consecutive airings. The pilot episode had been available via On Demand since the day after Christmas, and including online views, that gathered another 1.2 million viewers. In total, the debut of 'House Of Lies' drew 2.8 million viewers, making the show another Showtime hit freshman series, after 'Episodes', 'The Borgias' and 'Homeland', among others.
Update (01/19): The second episode of 'House Of Lies' drew almost 900,000 viewers on its first airing. This may seem a disaster, but for Showtime, these are actually quite good numbers for a single airing.
Update (02/02): This Sunday's airing of 'House Of Lies' drew over a million viewers in its first airing, which is an uptick of over 10%. Clearly, Showtime is very happy with the ratings of this Don Cheadle show, as it renewed 'House Of Lies' for a second season. Also on Showtme, 'Shameless' gets a third season and 'Californication' can start filming its sixth season in the near future.
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'Work It's cancellation is indeed not really surprising. However, not all shows that are criticized for being offensive get cancelled so quickly. '2 Broke Girls' can be considered quite offensive, though ratings are good and it might even be going towards a second season. Also, 'Mike & Molly' has many fat-people jokes and the character Samuel, the African waiter in the diner, might be offending to people. I guess there is some line indicating how far a show can go, and 'Work It' crossed that line. Also, an important factor is of course how funny the show is, and 'Work It' wasn't at all.
On 'Rob', I think you are right. I cannot imagine these ratings not going down. On ABC or NBC, it might last, but over on CBS, it just won't compare (rating-wise) to their hit comedies such as 'How I Met Your Mother', 'The Big Bang Theory', '2 Broke Girls' and so on.
I'm glad you enjoyed!
You do have a great point on 2 Broke Girls and Mike and Molly but I think since the characters somewhat fit the stereotypes, it works better.
But I didn't even know what remodeled was even about so I didn't bother to watch. Interesting information.
I guess that is about right. And also, because in 'Work It' the cross-dressing was the main plot and that's where the most so-called jokes came from, while in 2 Broke Girls and Mike & Molly those parts are in between other subjects.
I don't know what it is with The CW's reality programming. I do know that it is really not good. Actually, that qualifies for all programming on The CW. By now, you'd expect them to have ratings a little higher than most cable shows get..
Rob is the funniest show i've seen in some time. CBS isn't dumb and they realize that Rob helps them control Thursday.
Hi Mike! I'm glad you like the show, and the way it seems now, you could get lucky and have Rob! around for quite some time. However, it's only three episodes in, and just about anything can still happen.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hey Robin,
I think I saw The Firm getting cancelled a mile away. The format alone sounded too grandiose for a one hour weekly drama. And I think the Chelsea Handler show might be getting the slip soon as well. Thanks for the information.
I agree, it wasn't really a surprise. The overall plot may be good but you have to have a compelling small story arc each and every week to keep the viewers interested.
Chelsea might be in the danger zone indeed, together with Whitney and Up All Night, though the latter is doing the best of all three.
Good info! I have watched Chelsea and Napoleon Dynamite. No surprise there, that is just terrible TV. I really do like Alcatraz though and hope they pick it up. At least its innovative. I like Terra Nova too but I am not sure where they can go now with the story and if I had to pick between the two, I think Alcatraz would be more interesting to follow. Do ratings account for DVRs? I record everything, I rarely watch live TV anymore. Does that skew the data?
Thanks, Glevitt, for reading and commenting! The Alcatraz/Terra Nova debate is quite an interesting one. Both have far from great ratings and the stories have some flaws in them as well (as far as I'm concerned), and they're competing for the same timeslot.
Interesting question about the ratings and DVRs! Your personal data can only affect the ratings if you're a Nielsen family. These families are a representative sample of the entire US population, and only their viewing habits are measured. However within these families, it does matter whether shows are watched Live or on DVR. The ratings I'm using are Live + Same Day, which means that the show is watched either live or at least before the daily cutoff point at 3AM local time. At that moment, data is sent to Nielsen (the company that analyzes the data).
There are also the Live + 7 Days ratings, which obviously measure how many people watch a show either live or at least in the 7 following days. Some shows traditionally have high 7 Days gains, such as Modern Family. Overall, though, these corrections do not make much of a difference (and if they do, I'll mention them!), they just increase the average ratings. Also, these increases are mostly not very interesting to the networks, because those are the people that skip the commercials, so they don't earn the networks any money. Therefore they don't have much influence on the renewal chances of a show anyway.
Of course, there are still other ways that people watch these shows, but the networks are traditionally oriented to the Live viewers, so Nielsen is too, so the rest of the world is too.
As you can see, this is a very extensive topic and not one of the easiest. I might write a Hub about this one day!
I watched the first 2 episodes of Alcatraz, and have three episodes saved, but I haven't been able to get myself to watch. I think the problem is they have kept the "bad guys" so secret, that I've lost interest. Maybe I'll get back to it, but honestly, I expect to be watching Awake and Touch, so I don't thing I have room for another drama.
On Rob, I sort of like it. I hope it comes back. It needs to broaden its landscape. We need to see where Rob works, and his wife too, to get a us some alternate characters and locations to get interested in. I suppose it was an effort to save money that led to the series beginning with just 5 characters (6 if you count Abuela).
Bukama, Alcatraz really needs to reveal more about what is actually going on, I agree. Now Touch has been moved to Thursdays, there is some more space on Mondays. Also, Alcatraz has only three epsiodes left (one on March 19th and two on March 26th). That only leaves Awake, with room to catch up on Alcatraz, presuming that it'll get better. The synopsis for the final episode sounds promising, though:
"Rebecca will stop at nothing in pursuit of the man who killed her partner while the secret of Alcatraz is finally revealed."
Fingers crossed for Alcatraz, good info.
Thundermama, that's the spirit! It seems like the creators of Alcatraz are aiming for a 7 season run, keeping us in the dark with all those filler episodes. However by not revealing anything, they might lose some viewers..
I cannot believe Luck was cancelled! Could not have put together a finer group of actors for the show. An accurate depiction of the horseracing game . HBO some of us are not twenty somethings!
Donna, You are totally right about the actors, they are excellent. However, the show wasn't officially cancelled because of bad ratings, but because it became too dangerous for the horses. A few horses already lost their lives, they decided the show wasn't worth more lives.
I feel for John Grisham, if I rememeber correctly this is the 3rd attempt at creating a show based on The Firm. Maybe the 4th time will be a charm.
I was torn between watching The Voice and DWTS this week. I went with DWTS since it was their season premiere and it was SUPERB. What the heck were FOX and ABC thinking when they aired these two fabulous shows at the same time on the same night!!! BTW did someone get booted from DWTS last night? I totally forgot to watch! I just remembered. I need to check that out. I never heard of Smash. I'll need to check that out also. You ROCK Robin!!
I meant NBC not FOX :)
Yeah, The Firm is a real disaster. Though I don't think Grisham should be worried about anything because he is still making millions off of his novels ;)
As for The Voice and DWTS, I guess the networks don't like those hit reality shows keeping the viewers away from their own scripted shows. So this is the only solution, then..
I think you could say Smash is the grown-up version of Glee, with a lot more serious drama, and the role of the music actually making sense. Don't forget to read my review on Smash!
If you're not wathing Bent...Shame on you. It's great. NBC is just stupid.
Hi Dan,
Though I wasn't that fond of the pilot episode (it was OK, but nothing more), I'm actually starting to like 'Bent' more and more. This show does have some potential, especially among women (I'm just assuming). But NBC really screwed this up, by not marketing and burning the show off like this.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Finally caught up on Alcatraz. I really hope they bring it back or maybe move it to FX. I really liked it and thought the finally was good, it reminded me a little of 24, just when you thought you had it figured out, you get to the next layer of the conspiracy. Also (at the risk of revealing my inner geekdom) great homage to the Bullitt car chase scene between Detective Madsen and Tommy right down to the Mustang and the Charger. At this point, I would have to say I am 100% behind Alcatraz and Terra Nova can go away.
As far as the rest of shows on the list, I don't really have an opinion one way or the other. I am just thrilled to death that Game of Thrones is back on and that the Ricky Gervais show will be back in a few short weeks.
*Finale* not *Finally*
Stupid auto-correct...
Hi Greg, I can relate to auto-correct troubles ;)
The car chase in Alcatraz' finale was great, though didn't fit the character of the show at all. A real problem for me is that they answered the questions raised with more questions. While that is a great way to keep your show interesting, you should give some real answers as well.
Oh and by the way, Terra Nova is gone. With FOX not having many promising pilots in the works, Alcatraz might just get a second chance. However, FOX is expanding comedy for next Fall which is a bad sign for the show. We'll have to wait and see!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Is American Horror Story going to be coming back to FX??? I sure hope so! That was a fantastic horror show for TV!! Leaps and bounds better than the other attempts at horror, i.e. The River.
Hi Cacko! It certainly is, though with a completely new setting and new characters (some of the actors will play a different role, others will be replaced). You can read more about this in my hub on cancellations and renewals of the Fall season!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Good information. I have not been following television series lately. I should get my thing together. But damn, FOX is really suffering low ratings. I like them a lot because they take the most risk out of all the networks. CBS has it so good, they are worried about a show that is bringing 9 million viewers. I do like their shows, but can they take some more risks.
Hi revben, there are some good shows on television you might want to watch. FOX is not really doing well, and CBS is indeed playing safe. That might be a little boring, but from their point of view quite understandable.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Awake, Missing, The Ringer, Touch, and Secret Circle should be renewed
Hi Jorge,
Some of those are in serious danger of cancellation, sadly enough. Stay tuned for the latest updates!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
If they cancel awake I will be very upset.. They need to start taking into account dvrs and on demand watches because I guarantee you the ratings shoot way up!
Missing is an excellent show and so is Awake....give Awake another shot...! Love them both!
I really like Awake as well. Why put it on crowded Thurs. night! I guess there is always a hit they would have run against any night of the week, but I liked what they did with Alcatrz, running each episode twice. Unfortunately the second swowing was opposite SNL - and I lost interest in Alcatraz after about episode 4.
Ryan, there actually are DVR and on demand numbers available. For Awake, the Live + 7 Days numbers are about 0.5 higher than the Live + Same Day numbers (the ones I use in my hubs).
For the week of April 2nd through 8th: Awake +0.5, Grimm +1.0, Smash +1.3, 30 Rock +0.6, Up All Night +0.6, Community +0.6.
As you can see, most other shows go up more than Awake does. However, Awake does have the highest percentage increase.
The reason why networks don't really look at Live + 7 Days is that people who watch shows on their DVR don't tend to watch the commercials. Advertisers pay a rate that is relative to the number of 18-49 year old live viewers. Therefore, it isn't really interesting for networks (and therefore me) to look at the Live + 7 Days ratings. They simply don't matter.
Thanks for reading and commenting! And if you have any more questions, don't hesitate!
Shp, I totally agree with you, Awake should definitely get another chance. With the current ratings, it is not very likely that that is going to happen, but let's hope there is an executive at NBC who likes the show as much as we do!
Bukama, the only night without real competition would be Saturday, but premiering a show on Saturday gives the sign that you don't have any confidence in the show, so nobody will be watching no matter what. I see two clear reasons why NBC might have put Awake on Thursdays.
The first: They were so confident the show would do good that they put it on Thursdays. Showing your confidence might convince people that the series is great and make them start watching.
The second: NBC wanted people to think that the above explanation was the case. They wanted to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Of course I'm not sure if either one is true, but they seem plausible to me. Whatever the idea behind it was, it sadly hasn't worked very well. But moving the show now that it is suffering is a sign of weakness and a reason for even more people to stop watching ("Now that they're moving it around, it'll probably get cancelled anyway").
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Work It seems like Adam Sandler let loose on television now. Just awful from what I've seen of it. Off course, terrible television is always going to get through the net. Sometimes the bigger shows which may not be critically fantastic, may instead be cheap and have a big return, which makes smaller, more niche programming possible.
Work It was a horrible show indeed. Luckily it got cancelled after a couple of episodes. There are always going to be bad shows and better shows. We'll just have to make a selection which shows to watch and which to avoid. And if everyone does so, the horrible shows will eventually get cancelled.
I believe the standards by which networks track ratings is no longer an accurate representation of who watches what. Many viewers (including myself) rely on watching their favorite shows via On Demand, online or both.
It's a shame, really, that networks are more apt to keep the mindless "reality" shows going, rather than making the effort to keep better quality shows on the air.
Hi Heather,
In a sense, you are right. However, it is not the number of viewers (on TV, online and on demand) that decide whether a show has a future on a network, but the number of people who see the surrounding advertisements. Since advertisers mostly focus on live TV, other ways of watching (DVR, on demand, online, ..) have a lot less or even no advertisements, and thus don't earn the network anything. In that sense, the networks don't care about those viewers; they don't bring in any money.
When advertisers start to discover the online viewers, they'll start targeting those people. And that is when these viewers will start to matter.
Also, the networks obviously keep the shows on the air that earn them the most money. So if everyone keeps watching they'll keep the 'mindless reality shows' going.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Missing is an awesome show. Really well acted, great settings, CIA stuff which I love and great action sequences. It would be a shame to lose this show.
Hi Keith,
I hear you, though I also see that the ratings aren't great. However, not all is lost yet, and Missing might just be lucky.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
If they cancel GCB something bad is gonna go down
Really love GCB. It is lol hilarious. I'll be so disappointed if it is cancelled.
I started to watch The Firm and every few weeks I would have to search for it. No wonder the ratings were so low. NBC did not give it a chance to build a following. Cheers was on the road to be taken off but the president of NBC, CBS, or ABC was told by his wife to let it stay on. Stayed on for 15 years. Think about I love Lucy....it is still being played some place all over the world every day. How smart the presidents of these major companies were back whem comman sence
was needed. I really love The Firm....it plays like reading a good book. Who the heck is running NBC?
Hi Alexa and Allie,
I have to say that I'm not following GCB myself. The ratings are rebounding from a series low in the middle of April. Though that doesn't mean certain renewal it definitely is a good sign.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi Julie,
As you can read above, The Firm dropped so much in the ratings over 5 episodes that virtually nobody was watching it anymore (from the network's point of view). Only then NBC decided to move it to Saturdays where it has been somewhat steady at almost The CW-level ratings.
I understand that you like the series and I'm not criticizing you for that. However, I think NBC had no choice but to move it to Saturdays, because keeping such a low rated show on the best day of the prime time schedule is pretty much admitting your incompetence.
You are right that some shows get cancelled too quick, but this one is actually quite a no-brainer. I'm sorry! It is always a shame having a show cancelled that you like.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I've never seen any of these shows. Maybe if I did I could help save some of them!:)
You really should check some of them out!
And by the way, you could only help save some of them if you're a Nielsen family. Those are the only viewers that actually influence the ratings ;)
You did fantastic job of researching these shows. Perhaps Nielsen should give you a job! I am guilty of not watching any of them so I really can't make an intelligent comment on the shows, just your hub. Voted up and interesting.
Thanks, tillsontitan! If Nielsen (or any other company) wants to offer me a job, I'll certainly be available ;) Just don't see that happening anytime soon, but still!
As usual, some of the shows are great and others not so much. You could read some of my reviews to find out which ones you should watch! ;)
Missing needs to be renewed,
The River needs to be renewed.
Those are the only 2 shows I watched this year besides Once Upon A Time.
Hi TheMissingRiver, (wow, now I think of it, wouldn't THAT be a great premise for a TV show!)
The bad news I've got for you is that it is not very likely that either of those shows will get renewed. Once Upon a Time, however, will almost certainly be renewed next week (during the upfronts, when networks announce their Fall 2012 schedules).
That is also when you'll know the fate of most (if not all) other shows. Stay tuned!
its a shame about Awake. I really liked the show!
OMG I can't believe they've cancelled The Finder and Alcatraz. Both are really good shows. Let me guess, they are going to replace them with something stupid like 'Dancing with the Idols' or 'The Smallest Loser'?? And Once Upon a Time should stay in books not TV.
I guess we're pretty much down to watching news, or DIY shows?
I can't believe they canceled The Finder. I loved that show.
MISSING IS AN AMAZING SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awake and Alcatraz are our favorite shows. We record them so we don't miss anything. I'm sure there are another couple million people doing the same thing. How do we get those viewers to count?
Awake was a spectacular show. THE best acting I've EVER seen on TV. Period. The depth of this show was unparalleled. I'm incredibly disappointed, but I suppose it's to be expected. Similar to shows like Firefly, the American audience just can't seem to handle sophistication. This is a tremendous loss.
Totally agree Chris on awake AND Firefly, Jason Isaacs should have an Emmy nomination for the latest episode. First time in my long life that I've written to a network after a cancellation. I'm finally done with series' on network TV, it's like getting into books and having someone rip out the last half of the book almost every time. The low odds of a experiencing a complete story are just not worth the expenditure of time.
Awake has been really amazing. When I first heard of the premise I was wary of what they would do with it, but I have really grown to love it and everywhere it has been taken. It's the great psychological shows that can draw a very committed following (As evidenced by the comments here) but which don't appeal to the vast majority. It's unfortunate that it is just these shows that interest me...and then end up getting cancelled after one or two seasons tops.
It's rather sad, actually. I wish HBO or someone would pick it up and run with it.
@Awake, Chris, Josh and Patrick: I think Awake is amazing, too! I'm really bummed that it is cancelled, even though the ratings were bad.
It does seem like the American audience isn't interested in the more profound series. Apparently they rather watch a more easy going show in their down time.
Also, it is always very disappointing when a series doesn't get a proper finish. Especially when it is a show this great.
Even with this unusual but interesting premise, many things could have gone wrong. However I feel that (almost) everything is done right in Awake. Amazing casting and the places the show is taking us are amazing.
I guess we have to start petitioning at Netflix or HBO or TNT or whatever to revive Awake? Who's in? ;)
@Avid TV Watcher: I feel like they had a lot of potentially great shows this season that got cancelled because of bad ratings. I just wish sometimes that they give shows more time to grow. Also, I'm hoping they won't fill up the slots with Dancing with the Stars and shows like that. We'll know next week at the upfronts.
@Rai: Unfortunately the ratings of The Finder were really bad, so FOX didn't have a lot of choice at that point.
@Katie: I enjoy Missing too! Sadly, it got cancelled too.
@Deputydad: DVR views will probably never count. Advertisers, and therefore networks, are afraid that DVR'ing people skip the commercials. This means a network doesn't make money from DVR views. Also, you as a person will only influence the ratings if you are a Nielsen family. Nielsen families are a sample of the US population and only they influence the ratings.
To all of you: Thanks for reading and commenting!
I was interested but skeptical when I first read about Awake, it sounded more like the sort of story you put into a movie, not a TV series. But I was very happy to be proven wrong; it was easily the best show I had seen since the first season of Heroes.
I was hoping they wouldn't cancel it (especially after the most recent episode revealed to Britten that his accident was attempted murder), but the signs didn't look good.
I find it really sad that fresh, thought-provoking shows like Awake can't even get a true season on the air and swill like the Kardashians and derivative cop shows like Rookie Cop seem to show no signs of stopping. It also doesn't say much about our intelligence.
Hi T Stamler,
I can imagine that you were skeptical, the chances that this would have gone wrong were so high. Jason Isaacs is just amazing as Michael Britten, especially in the latest episode. I keep hearing from everyone how great Awake is, yet so little people were actually watching it. I wonder if many people DVR'ed it, because they don't matter for the networks/advertisers. (In fact, only Nielsen families matter anyway).
And yeah, it really bums me out too that the Kardashians keep getting all those shows and that a great show like Awake gets canned so soon.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
"Awake" is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time & awesome acting! This is so disappointing :( I agree with Josh's analogy of reading a good book & having someone rip out the last half of the pages!!!!!!
I hope they do not cancel the show Missing on ABC. It has a very interesting plot line and is far above many of the situation comedies that seem to be so popular.
Tricia,
Disappointing it is! I really hope we get to know more in the two episodes that are left, so that we won't be left without any answers. It would be even greater if Awake got picked up by some other (cable?) network or for instance Netflix. I'm afraid that that is wishful thinking, however.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Moira,
Unfortunately Missing's fate is already sealed. On May 11th ABC announced to cancel the show.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Please Fox renew The Finder. I am sure it has to be time slot. So many people love it. We do record it so wasn't aware of it being moved around etc. It is a fabulous show with a terrific cast. It seems like a show, unlike Touch, that can grow, change, amuse, and intrigue us for many years.
Hi Lucie,
I'm sorry to tell you, but as you can read in my hub, The Finder has been cancelled two days ago. I was actually moved to Fridays because of the low ratings the show got. After that, the cancellation was almost inevitable.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
How can any show have a chance of being renewed in this environment? I really liked Awake and Missing they were pretty much the only shows I watched. There has just been too many new shows and then cancellations, and just when you think a show may finally be here for awhile its gone! Really pathetic!
Hi Dee,
I know, that is what it seems like, especially looking at the table above. Most of the time, cancellation is the fate of shows that premiere in Midseason. That is simply because they are meant as place holders for Fall shows that don't get picked up for a full season. For shows that premiere in the Fall, chances of renewal are much bigger to start with.
But that aside, I agree that some shows get canned way too quickly, sadly enough.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I am disappointed in NBC and FOX for canceling The Firm and Missing. In a series it takes a bit of time to set the stage. They were both good shows. We seem to keep reality and throw away pretty good drama
Now to Alcatraz and The Finder quirky yes but still worth saving!!!
There are actually people who watch the shows during their given time slot? Who are these Nielsen families and why are they considered a representative sample? I'm bummed about awake, the firm, and missing. And I'm hoping they don't cancel any of the csi shows or unforgettable.
I am so disappointed that 'GCB' got cancelled. I loved the show. It was hilarious. I really don't think it was given a fair shot. Ten episodes is not to decide in my opinion. :(
Hi Pat,
Missing was actually on ABC! But yes, in general I agree with you that shows get cancelled way too quickly sometimes. However if really nobody is watching these shows, what other choice does a network have? After all, they have to make money. The viewers are not the (only) ones to blame, however, because the networks have to bring shows that people want to watch and give the shows the promotion they need to get noticed by the viewers.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi Bummed,
Yes, those people still exist! Nielsen families are people that have a Nielsen box in their homes. The Nielsen box registers the TV watching habits of all the family members seperately. Since they are (assumed to be) a representative sample of the US population, the overall ratings are determined every night at 3AM, when the boxes send their information to the Nielsen company.
If they actually are a representative sample and how they are picked, I'm not sure of. However I am planning to look into this sometime in the next couple of weeks. Follow me on Hubpages, Facebook or Twitter to be the first one to find out!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi Melody,
As said before, some shows really get too little time to grow and/or too little advertising. I hope for you that the Summer and Fall seasons will bring you some new shows to like.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Missing isnt cancelled...go to abc website
When Ashley Judd was on The View she said that she only did the show since it was a 13 or 15 week run like Harper's Island. I really like Awake & Alcatraz. The problem in the US is toooo many "reality shows"! I HATE them! Ther are not REAL people! I want shows I can just sit back and laugh with like Modern Family and shows that peak my interest & my mind like the above mentioned. Foe me the BEST show EVER is DEXTER. I have basic cable so I have to wait & get the discs but it is sooo worth the wait. I tell people that Dexter is like crack & I'm addicted. I'll watch the entire disc & Need more. How do we get the networks to keep Good shows when it seems like everyone (except us few) wants CRAP?
Hi Mike,
I'm not sure where I should look on the ABC website, but it is not unusual that the network's website doesn't mention the cancellation immediately. On May 11th ABC announced all his cancellations and renewals. I'm sorry to tell you that Missing was officially cancelled.
Hi Jennie,
I agree, most (I like to have a little fate in humanity) reality shows cast actors and models to be on their show. That's something to keep in the back of your mind when watching shows like this.
A lot of people like reality shows and that's fine. I just wish they would produce less dating and talent shows. This would give shows like Awake and Alcatraz a chance.
Ill be honest, I am very upset to see this show cancelled. My wife and I have always said we hate how there's no show that we get into, we are 34 and 29, and I think this show reflects a certain population that we all watch and can laugh at, we are average middle class and actually witness this life style and it's good to finally laugh at it
Dam Awake was th best new show and NBC cancels it and keeps on Parks and Recreation which is childless garbage.
Why is it Canadians don't get to vote? Lord knows we pay the cable. I liked Missing and GCB, heres a thought, don' t like it, change the channel.
nbc cancalled awake i now cancalled nbc
I am BUMMED about Awake! Especially since I only came across it this week (5/10) due to a friend having a bit part in it- but I loved it! Smart and engaging compared to what's on these days- uhg, another well written, well cast, interesting show down the flippin' drain. America, please stop watching crap and pay attention to the smart stuff, please!!!
Hi GCB cancelled,
I have only seen the pilot episode of GCB, I wasn't a huge fan. I can, however, see why people can relate to it. It's fun to be able to laugh at it for once.
Hi Gary D.
I think NBC choose Parks & Recreation over Awake, because Parks & Rec has been around longer. They probably feel like Parks & Rec is going to make them more money. Too bad because I would have loved to see another Awake season!
Hi Sal and Rebecca,
I'm amazed how many people hate to see Awake being cancelled. Maybe NBC should reconsider their decision!
Hi Sherri,
Do you mean why Canadians can't vote for shows they like? The amount of viewers that watch a show is determined via Nielsen families. These people have a box in their home that registers every program they watch.
I believe there are no Nielsen families based in Canada. A network from the USA can't make money of off commercials in Canada. For a network it therefore doesn't matter how many viewers there are in Canada.
Boo! I am so sad that both Alcatraz and Finder got cancelled. Oh well fingers crossed for next falls crop of shows. Love this hub, it's my go to hub for TV info.
Hi Thundermama,
Alcatraz is one of those series everybody seems to love but somehow doesn't pull in the viewers. I'm sad to see it go. As for The Finder; spin-offs are always a risky business. Much too often these shows have a booming start, only to drop in the ratings a few weeks after that.
I really liked the Finder, Missing and The Firm...When they cancel shows like this it makes me not want to get invested in any show...especially when they leave it the way they have on the Finder. Disappointed:(
I'm really frustrated at NBC for the cancellation of "Awake." Just pathetic how American culture can't handle the slightest bit of sophistication and NON-realism. Such a damn shame that a show, as riveting as this show is has, gets the boot because no one can "get it."
@Disappointed: I share your feelings, I hate it when you really like a show and it get's cancelled. It's the worst.
@Will: I suppose a lot of American citizens just don't want to take the effort of trying to understand a TV series. Perhaps they just want something easy to look at after work. Either way, it's a shame.
So sad about Awake! It gaves me chills every time I watched it. I thought it was amazing. I also was really loving Missing, so disappointing news for me.
I hate that people are too dumb to understand Awake!! NBC sucks as they cancelled an AMAZING show!! Urghhh!! This is the first show I have liked in a long time.. Soooooooo mad!!!!!
Suzanne and Seriously,
Awake is indeed an amazing show and it really bums me out that it is cancelled, too.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
No way they should be cancelling "Awake". Great show...I hope they reconsider.
I am very upset and disappointed about the cancellations of Awake, The Firm, and Missing. Looked forward to watching these shows week to week. Thought they were very well made and written. Considering all the viewers who are unhappy about these cancellations, any chance they'd reconsider?
Hi DSKERR and my1358,
I'm afraid there is no chance of reconsideration. The five major broadcast networks are announcing their Fall 2012 schedules during the upfronts that are taking place this week. When that is over, there won't be any more major changes, such as picking up new (or old) shows or pulling shows from the schedule.
The only possibility is that Netflix or Hulu or maybe a cable network picks up the show. However, I haven't heard anything that even hints to something like that, so no good news there either.
For now, I'm afraid that neither of those shows will return to our TV's anytime soon. If any news comes through, I'll certainly let you know.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I am so sad to see Awake has been cancelled. I actually liked the show and was thrilled to see the lead continually juggle his realities. This is the millionth time that a show I loved and was truly enjoying is cancelled. GCB was a fun show and I liked it. Not as sad to see that one cancelled.
Awake awake awake - you can't cancel this show.
It is some of the best tv out there.
I watch it on Hulu. Someone please step it up and keep this show on the air. I promise to watch live even sit through the commercials!!!
MISSING IS A GREAT SHOW. lOTS OF ACTION KEEPS YOUR ADRENALIN UP.
PLEASE RENEW
I watch alot of TV and hands down MISSING has been one of my favourite shows in a very long time and fav shows of all time. I dont understand how more ppl are not watching it is a shame for it to be cancelled
Gemini Devi and Martin, Awake is one of the best new shows in many years, if you ask me. It's a real shame it got cancelled. The only thing we can still do is try and give Awake the proper sendoff it deserves and all watch the last two episodes live (May 17 and May 24, 10/9c on NBC). Especially the people with Nielsen boxes at home. That way, the final ratings might surprise. And that might lead to something. I guess this is wishful thinking, but who knows..
Connie, I'm sorry to tell you but Missing already got cancelled by ABC a couple of days ago.
Len F, Missing is a great action-packed series and in that respect it is indeed a shame that it's gone. Enjoy the final episode! According to the producers, the season will be completely wrapped up and all answers will be given.
Im so devastated over Awake and Missing. There isn't too much adult viewing shows that i can get into. Why are all the teenagers getting every thing they want with shows but us adults have to stick to crap like days of our lives, home and away, neighbours or the bold and the beautiful? they only get viewings because most house holds leave they're channels on that station but don't actually watch the shows and we go without our good viewing adult shows for all the teeniboppers who want they're crap! i wish t.v shows that want to cancell would at least play 1 season out and give it an ending rather than giving us a few episodes and leaving us with a hole! I'm really tired of getting into shows and having them ripped away from me :(
Tanya, I'm sure not every teenager likes Gossip Girl, either. Otherwise it wouldn't have the dramatic ratings it does. The daytime soaps you are mentioning are another thing entirely than the prime time shows that are discussed here. The ratings of those cannot be compared with each other, since they are not competing with each other at all.
Most shows that get cancelled do actually complete their first season runs. Also, good shows (including Awake and Missing, according to their producers) wrap up their seasons in the finale. In that way, viewers can be content with it even if the show doesn't get another season. Of course, the writers cannot wrap up the entire story, because if it DOES get renewed, they need something to go with.
Apart from this, I do understand how bummed you can be over the cancellation of a show you love. Personally, I am a big fan of Awake as well. I really hope the finale is going to be great and shows all those people what they've been missing.
GCB was my favorite show! Bring it back!
Really enjoyed watching GCB. The finale was so awsome and it ended on a cliffhanger. They cant leave it like that ! Is their a way for another channel to pick it up?
Hi Alicis and Rocina,
I'm sorry that your favorite show got cancelled. As I said in another, more elaborate, comment just yesterday, chances that another network picks a cancelled show up are very low. The five major broadcast networks are announcing their Fall schedules this week, meaning they have no room left for additional shows. Also, the show's weren't cancelled for their good ratings, another reason to think twice before doing something like this.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Awake is a classy show and Jason Isaacs is awesome!! It is beyond belief that it could be cancelled. Watching each week has been such a treat because it is so original and refreshing; not like most of the other offerings on network TV. I only hope that it will be picked up by PBS or perhaps HBO. What a loss, but Isaacs will go on to greatness.
Awake was one of the best shows I have seen in a long time, was my new favourite. I can't believe it's been cancelled. How do they know how many people are watching when everyone PVR's everything now??
Hi RG and Katie,
Unfortunately, chances that PBS or HBO or TNT or Netflix or .. will pick up Awake are not very high. But, as they say, never say never.
They know how many people are watching through Nielsen families, who are supposedly a representative sample of all US citizens. Several ratings are determined, such as Live + Same Day and Live + 7 Days. These ratings also comprise PVR'ed shows. All shows go a little up in their ratings if the following 7 days are counted. However, advertisers are afraid that people who record shows don't watch ads. Therefore, the networks only get paid for live viewers. As a result of this, the networks don't care about the Live + 7 Days ratings. Only the Live + Same Day ratings count, because those bring in the money for the networks.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Well, of course NBC cancelled "Awake". Anything of quality that requires an attention span beyond that of a six year old can't possibly make it on network t.v., home of all those stupid reality shows. Jason Isaacs is fantastic in this series, as he was on "Brotherhood", another great show that was cancelled. At least that was picked up by cable. He was also in the three episode "Case Histories" as part of PBS's Mystery series, which hopefully has more episodes which will be broadcast in the future. Unfortunately, you can pretty much predict that anything really excellent won't be around for long on network, which is why most of what we watch is on cable. (Hopefully "Person of Interest" will be around for a while.)
Awake was one of the best written and acted new shows I've seen in years. Fascinating.
Way to go NBC.
Awake has been wonderfully written and casted, and is suprisingly original. I'm not sure why the low ratings. Crowded Thursday nights? Lack of promos? I watch it via Hulu, since I don't have DVR, but I try to add one measley count when I can.
Mary Jane, Grayghost and Amelia,
I love Awake as well and I have no idea why the ratings are so low either. The ratings for Thursday's episode were even down to an 0.7 again. How about we all watch the series finale live, and show NBC that Awake CAN get good ratings? Especially the people who have Nielsen ratings boxes at home!
We also love Awake. We generally watch in On Demand, where you can't fast forward through the commercials. I wish NBC would take a longer view. I think Awake is the kind of show that builds its word of mouth slowly and would do really well on DVD, like Rome. By the time the DVD of the first season of Rome came out, it had been cancelled; but interest in it grew tremendously from people who'd seen it on DVD. I think there are people who don't want to jump in on Awake after having missed the beginning, but who would get into it after watching the first season on DVD. With a show of this quality, having a little faith could pay off in the end. Is there any word of it being picked up on cable?
Hi Amy Mary,
You're probably right, Awake is one of those shows that take time to develop an audience. I think that is was a show that belonged more on cable from the very start. However there is no word yet on cable networks wanting to pick up Awake. For Unforgettable, there IS such news, though: http://robinoatley.hubpages.com/hub/Fall-2011-TV-S
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I also really enjoyed Unforgettable. Here's hoping it does get picked up by a cable network. Thanks for the update.
My husband and I so enjoy Awake, Missing and The Firm. They have become our favorite shows, especially The Firm. Does good writing, acting, and editing mean nothing to the powers that be. These shows have NOT been a fair chance!
AWAKE is the best quality show on TV period. God forbid, we have entertainment that rises above the "Boob Tube."
Shame on you, NBC.
Literally heartbroken Awake is cancelled. It's the only good show on! Ugh
Hi my1359,
I really hope Unforgettable will get picked up again. But to be fair, the chances are slim.
Hi KC, Bhh and Anon,
It does seem like the shows that are a bit more difficult to understand are all getting cancelled. It's a shame because these shows tend to be really good.
We can only hope that next season brings us good shows, that won't be cancelled after the first season.
I don't understand the following. 1) Why they exclude people over 49 yrs. of age~~we have lots of $$$. 2)They put a new show on opposite an already popular show. 3.)They don't give show a chance to catch on! NBC did this with the show, SOUTHLAND. TNT picked it up and it is a big hit on that channel. Awake would be a good detective show without the story line of the accident, etc. I am sick of NBC. I am sick of all these sophmoric shows and reality shows. A good drama comes along and it gets cancelled. I HATE NBC!
It's an absolute joke that Awake has been axed!! I'm from the UK, and the show has only recently started to air, in fact we're 3 episodes in, and I've really got into it...to be disappointed once again that it's going to be cancelled!! Think the ratings criteria used is pretty pathetic...no disrespect but some of you Yanks really do not understand good, quality, innovative, thought provoking shows!! Same thing happened when The Event was shown, and then it got pulled!
Will not be watching the remainder of the series as its pointless.
How can we get the network to change thier mind about Awake?
OMG!!! Cannot believe Awake has been cancelled! I looked forward to Thursday nights and if I worked I caught it on demand or recorded it!! :(:(:(:( AHHH!
I love Awake please bring it back!!!!!!!
They don't TV the idiot box for nothing. No really good shows seem to ever make it these days. The "majority" of viewers seem to want junk.
Hi M.A. Wheeler,
I see that you are very upset with Awake's cancellation. I'll adress your points one by one. The reason that people over 50 are exclusief is that they traditionally didn't have that much money. Of course, that has changed now. Shows are put in time slots that are free, and somtimes that is opposite annother show that is on an opposite network. All in all it is a shame that Awake got cancelled.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi SJ,
I understand why you do not want to watch the rest of the episodes. However, there are a lot of things in the following episodes that are worth watching, even if the show is cancelled. So I would advise you to reconsider. Unless, of course, you fear watching the other episodes will make it harder for you to accept that there will be no more. In that case; stopping now is probably the best thing to do.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi Nancy, Frannie Q, Brenda and Wendy,
I loved it as well, it's a real shame they cancelled Awake. I don't think they had a lot of choice though, the ratings were dropping very fast. Perhaps it had been better off with another network.
Just sent this to NBC. :)
Dear NBC,
As someone right in the middle of your "all-important" 18-49 demographic (34 y.o. male) I would urge you to reconsider the cancellation of Awake. I strongly believe the decline in ratings has more to do with the way people watch a series like this than a loss of interest in the show.
This series immediately impressed me with its quality writing, acting, filming, and directing and I resolved to follow the series. Unfortunately, it's not always obvious with a new series how important it is to watch the episodes in order. I missed the third episode and decided to wait until several episodes were available (either online or on DVD) and watch them sequentially to maximize my enjoyment of the series. Sadly, Nielsen ratings don't tell the story behind the numbers. They would lead you to believe I was no longer interested in the show when this couldn't be further from the truth.
Look at a show like Lost and you can see the spikes in ratings at the beginning of each season as people have caught up on the previous season on DVD and are now excited to follow the show live again. Awake is this type of show and if you give it the chance to return, you'll see the ratings return as well.
You know this is a good show, in fact, an excellent show. It's cancellation is drawing more attention than that of ANY other show because people KNOW it's good and they want to see it continue. (http://robinoatley.hubpages.com/hub/Midseason-TV-C
Have faith in your viewers opinions, and stick with this series. With the failure rate for new series at over 80%, why replace something you KNOW is good with a show that has an even lower chance of success? Viewers will follow your lead when you commit to high-quality programming like Awake.
Sincerely,
Matthew
You can contact NBC yourself by going to this page and choosing Awake from the dropdown menu of new shows. Ironically, it's still listed under "Upcoming" shows.
I want Alcatraz, Missing, the Finders, Terra Nova back. They base their decision on what viewers watch. What viewers are they basing their decision on. No one is asking me. Also do these network realize that not everyone may not watch at the time it is air but later. I am also at the point where I do not want to watch anything new on the television. I do not want to get "hook" on it to have it cancel. What is even worse these network do not tell you their planning on canceling a show, they just do it. I feel degraded when they do this.
i loved gcb. it was a great show. abc sucks.
Hi Matthew,
It is great to see how passionate you are about Awake! I hope that someone at NBC has the time to give you a response. If you get one, I'd love to read it too, if that's all right with you.
Hi Earl,
Ratings are based on Nielsen Families. I've explained what a Nielsen family is in other comments, so if you want to know more you can read those. I've also explained why a network usually doesn't count DVR views.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Awake has been one of my wife's top shows to watch. Please let me know who I can complain too about this. Maybe the late showing is the reasons the ratings went down. What an amazing show!
Cancelling "Awake" makes zero sense. Moving its time slot would be a much smarter decision! Not to mention, that if reviews like this are being spread all over the Internet about it "possibly" being cancelled, people are a lot less inclined to get interested in a show that's gonna waste their time. Not saying that your review was the deciding factor but your reviews and other alike definitely didn't boost the new shows ratings!
Hi Rafa,
The time slot is probably the reason Awake had lower ratings than other shows. However, networks use to take into account when a show airs when less people watch TV, such as a Friday or a 10pm time slot. Also, since Awake was a midseason replacement, when NBC moved The Firm out of Thursdays 10/9c, Awake was put in that slot.
You can contact NBC trough the form that Matthew has linked in his comment on this page. Also, you could sign any (or several) of the petitions that are circulating online. While I'm not sure if that will be enough to convince NBC to revive the show, it might help to get the show under the attention of a cable network or maybe even Netflix or Amazon. After all, if everybody loved the show so much, why did so little people tune in? And who can guarantee that that will change if they would revive it?
NBC just needs bigger numbers than this. Awake is much more a show that could thrive on cable, where ratings are a little less important and nobody cares about the adults 18-49 demographic. Fingers crossed!
Hi Ilea,
From a fan of the show's perspective, it makes no sense at all to end Awake so soon. However from NBC's perspective, I can understand it. While I love the show, I get why NBC couldn't keep a show with such low ratings on the air.
However, by far the most comments on here since before all cancellations and renewals were announced are about Awake and how everyone is so bummed that it got cancelled. On other websites, that is just the same. Wouldn't it be a smart move for a cable network or an aspiring source of original programming (Netflix, Amazon, ..) to pick up Awake? They could create so much goodwill by reviving a show that really can't be that expensive. But maybe that is just wishful thinking.
Then on to your other remark. I believe that I have been nothing but positive on the show itself (you can also read my review here: http://robinoatley.hubpages.com/hub/Awake-Series-P ). The ratings were bad, but if I didn't tell you, somebody else would have. And even if nobody did, losing almost a quarter of the viewers each week in the first four weeks, the show would have gotten cancelled anyway.
Also, why is it a waste of time to watch a great show you know is going to get cancelled? It'll still be great. And don't all shows get cancelled sooner or later? I can tell you right now that the ending of Awake is great and even though I knew it was the series finale, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. This is not one of those shows that end with much more questions and no answers. Surely, not everything is wrapped up (then what would a second season be about?), but it is certainly satisfying.
I'll be crawling the internet for any good news at all concerning Awake (or any other show for that matter) and I'll update this page right away if I find something, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I need to see more awake it was the best new show on tv
I think it is a shame that "Awake" was canceled. It was so deep and enthralling... Maybe another network could pick it up??? ABC, FOX, Showtime, HBO?
I'm kind of disappointed the canceled the finder. It was a good show. Missing was good as well as Alcatraz. i hate it when they cancel shows you're just getting into. Also syfy canceled most of their shows as well. Like Sanctuary(was an AWESOME show. Guess the networks believe we're stupid and have short attention spans.
"Awake was one of the best shows I've ever watched. Can't believe it didn't get renewed
After firefly my viewing habits changed. I now don;t watch any Tv shows first year. I wait until they get at least a second one then go to hulu and watch the first season. I refuse to get invested in a show that gets axed by greedy tv execs. Now I only watch TV online...screw em!
Alecia Murphy Level 7 Commenter 4 months ago
I'm not surprised. Work It was panned before it premiered because of protests from groups like GLAAD but to me it was also just plain bad television. Rob, I don't think will last either. You made a good point about it being CBS and everyone CBS demands the best out of their shows. The Finder to me just looks bad. I like Bones but I draw the line somewhere and I really don't think this show'll get off the ground. Good job Robin, I enjoyed reading this!