From serious critics to casual bloggers, no one on the Internet can believe that "The Firm" is still on the air. While the show does have a fan base, "The Firm" still keeps popping up in articles about shows in trouble. And it should be noted that the latter article is from a source who previously gone six-for-six in show cancellation predictions.
Still, despite low viewership and negative reviews, the show hasn't been axed yet. In fact, it seems like the program may be immune from cancellation at this rate. As Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed out last month, the show is unlikely to be canceled before the entire 22-episode run has been completed. In her words, "Because of an international financing deal, NBC is getting the series at a bargain price and has ordered 22 episodes, all of which are likely to air."
Still, TV bloggers are gleefully taking potshots at the series. For example, the bloggers of Warming Glow recently brought up the series in their article "12 Reasons NBC is a Last-Place Network," where "The Firm" was ranked as reason number 10. As they so succinctly put it, "it's a perfect example of why NBC has occasionally fallen behind Univision, ratings-wise: it's a boring-looking drama about lawyers with no stars, based on a movie that came out 19 years ago, based on a book that came out 21 years ago. Its series premiere was watched by 46% fewer people than last season's big midseason bust, 'The Cape.'"
Those low viewership numbers could be the show's fatal flaw, as fewer eyeballs on screens means fewer happier sponsors. Low ratings may force NBC to cancel the series and burn off the remaining episodes outside of primetime, especially given the show's lack of appeal to the crucial 18-49 age bracket.
Yet here we are. The show will air its sixth episode on February 2, and it seems like if NBC was going to cancel the show, they would have done so by now. After all, this is the network that killed "The Playboy Club" after only three episodes and pulled the plug on "Free Agents" after four episodes had aired. While the show has the potential to be pulse-pounding and suspenseful, it has yet to find its rhythm. And let's face it: "The Firm" doesn't seem to be doing much to grow its small base of fans.
Still, it's always worth remembering that many shows that had a poor first season went on to become beloved TV institutions. The real question NBC will have come renewal time may not be one of viewership or finances, but rather a question of substance. Does the concept that drives "The Firm" have the staying power to be interesting after a single season? If the answer is no, then this seemingly uncancellable program may finally get booted off the air.
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