BBC America’s fantasy series The Watch is headed into its first season finale this Sunday, and there is a fair amount of doubt over whether this show will be returning for a second year. Across its first seven episodes, the show has only averaged a 0.04 rating (four one-hundredths of a ratings point) based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with about 220K total viewers per ep. It has not seen much in the way of delayed-viewing gains either, nor has the show developed much buzz among fans and critics. I currently have the show On the Bubble, and its prospects do not look good beyond its first season.
This series, which is based on the Terry Pratchett Discworld novels, was already facing some bad press before it even debuted. It was criticized for veering too far from the books and for making some significant changes to the characters. The look and feel of the show also differed notably from the fantasy origins of its source material. It currently holds only a 50% Fresh Rating and 32% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes which does little to inspire confidence in the show’s viability. The feedback that I have seen has been mostly negative, and I have not seen much in the way of a fanbase rallying around the show.
Currently, The Watch has aired only in America from what I understand, though I expect it will show up on the BBC in Britain at some point. It may also have international syndication deals and/or financing that could keep it afloat, but that may not be enough to offset its poor performance on BBC America during its initial run. The basic cable channels are having trouble attracting viewers to their scripted programming, and shows that are only pulling a fraction of a fraction of a ratings point are certainly not attracting much in the way of ad revenue.
I will not be moving this to Cancellation Likely status because the cable nets sometimes have deals behind the scenes with the syndication market and/or streaming services that can keep a show going even though the ratings are bad. But consider this one right at the edge of Bubble status and likely cancellation. If there are any fans out there, now is the time to make a Call to Action on the social networks. If they make some noise and bring some attention to the show, perhaps that will convince BBC America to keep this one around and give it the chance to hit its stride. Because as of now, I’m thinking that a second season is a longshot for this show.
Are you watching The Watch? Should it be renewed for a second season?
Road Rage: Alex and her brother must ride the apocalypse highway to meet up with their family, otherwise they will find themselves cast with the savages. Buy now in eBook and print format
--
Cyber Knight & the Hand Puppet Commandos: One woman, seven hand puppets, and the solution to the Fermi Paradox will determine the fate of the Earth. Buy now in eBook and print format
--
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.