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CANCELLATION ALERT: Alcatraz, The Finder

So far today, FOX has picked up five new shows and renewed Touch but you had to know some cancellations were coming and now they are here, starting with two freshman dramas - Alcatraz and The Finder.

Alcatraz got off to a great start with a two hour premiere in January garnering 10.1 million viewers and a 3.3 demo but the numbers went down from there, ending with a very disappointing 4.8 million viewers and 1.5 demo. This was one of the most talked about pilots at this time last year but even then, some were concerned about the show's broad appeal. When FOX renewed another JJ Abrams sci-fi show, Fringe, this show seemed doomed. I enjoyed it at first but lost interest after awhile.

Also cancelled was The Finder. The spinoff from Bones did not get off to a great start in January with its premiere pulling just 5.5 million viewers and a 1.7 demo. It improved its ratings when it started airing after American Idol but the retention was still terrible. When it moved to Fridays in April, it tanked from its Thursday numbers even though it was mildly surprising by Friday standards. Despite some positive feedback, this show could never capture the audience that Bones does.

With the news of the day, only a few shows have their fates undecided with some (Breaking In, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Q'Viva: The Chosen) not officially cancelled but with no chance at all and one (American Idol) a sure returner even without an official renewal. The only shows that are truly still on the bubble are animated shows Bob's Burgers and Napoleon Dynamite. Who knows what will happen here but Burgers has a lot of episodes still in the can which helps its chances while Dynamite probably has less of a chance.
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