# The Firm



## majikmarker (Feb 28, 2005)

Based on the ratings, I guess I already know the answer to this question but....Did anyone else watch this? It was awful!

I'm wondering because during the opening on-foot chase around the Lincoln Memorial, I could have sworn I saw two dimentional cutouts (or Photoshop-type additions) instead of actual "extras".

Did anyone else notice this? or was it just me/my TV, or how it was shot.

It seemed like it was made on the cheap but I have never noticed something like this on other pilots.

Just curious...


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## cdc101 (Jan 9, 2007)

I didn't notice any cut outs but I liked the show.

I did, however, see a couple of Cylons though. I'll keep it on the Series Link for a while I think.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

I strongly dislike ending the opening scene with the jump back six weeks. 

The rest was just OK IMO. I'll keep it on the recording schedule for now but no telling when I will get around to watching any more. I read somewhere that NBC ordered a full 22 episodes so it will likely be around for awhile.

Do like the ex-Cylons though.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

majikmarker said:


> I'm wondering because during the opening on-foot chase around the Lincoln Memorial, I could have sworn I saw two dimentional cutouts (or Photoshop-type additions) instead of actual "extras".


Since I haven't watched it yet, I'll check.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

OK, picked up the "cutouts" effect - my wife saw it faster than I did. I believe it was the result of the deliberate overexposure of that scene as when I froze it and advanced it in slomo the people were clearly extras.

We enjoyed the premier. The show has a solid story, good writing and superb acting. The ongoing plot is likely to be complex while weekly stories I'm sure will be like any other criminal law practice procedural.

As I noted in my ratings thread, if you didn't see the premier with all the backstory I don't know how you're going to pick everything that's going on. Whoever at NBC bought this show deserves congratulations. Whoever set up the schedule is an idiot.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

NBC just can't catch a break. The overnight ratings were a disaster, maybe in part because of the OT in the Denver/Pittsburgh football game. But you'd think they could get more people to sample such a high-profile show with a well-known story. 

I'm beginning to think NBC could put on nekkid supermodels and everybody would still watch an NCIS rerun on CBS


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

For some perspective on the ratings, it was NBCs lowest rated regular season drama premiere ever, and 46% lower than the premiere of The Cape.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

mreposter said:


> I'm beginning to think NBC could put on nekkid supermodels and everybody would still watch an NCIS rerun on CBS


You may be right about that! 

We watched _The Firm_ last night and enjoyed it. But we also enjoyed _Prime Suspect_, _Life_ and _Studio 60_, so I'm not getting my hopes up.


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## makaiguy (Sep 24, 2007)

Rats. I missed recording the premier due to an uncaught schedule conflict (I could easily have removed the conflict by cancelling a cable-channel program that would be repeated later). No problem, I'll just grab it from NBC VOD -- except, at least as of last night, it wasn't available there. :nono2:

They just continue to shoot themselves in the foot.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

Watched about 30 minutes........it's a no go for me.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

makaiguy said:


> Rats. I missed recording the premier due to an uncaught schedule conflict (I could easily have removed the conflict by cancelling a cable-channel program that would be repeated later). No problem, I'll just grab it from NBC VOD -- except, at least as of last night, it wasn't available there.


Full reair Saturday night of both hours.


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## shuye (Oct 20, 2008)

We missed the premier also, but noticed that it is ariing again this weekend. The second episode and future episodes are now on Thursday nights starting this week.


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

My wife liked it, but I thought it was oppressively dark and foreboding. Of course, it was the pilot, so there was no room for character development. Without it, I can see the potential for the same traps that befell "V" and "Flash Forward" -- an overinsistence on a relentlessly dark story arc without interesting characters.


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## photostudent (Nov 8, 2007)

I think it would have made a better one hour show. Did anyone notice Josh Lucas is a ringer for Grisham? Surprised it did not have the Southern nuance seen in his books.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

cdc101 said:


> I did, however, see a couple of Cylons though.


Need I be interested?


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## cdc101 (Jan 9, 2007)

armophob said:


> Need I be interested?


It's worth a look with these two involved (IMO of course).



Spoiler



Callum Keith Rennie & Tricia Helfer - both Cylons


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Bad news, the ratings for the Thursday episode were down to a 1.0 - even lower than Prime Suspect got in that time slot before it was cancelled. 

Is that the sound of an axe about to swing?


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Watched the pilot and the first episode today (snowy weather here, so it's a stay-at-home saturday...) Yeah, the pilot was slow, especially the first hour and the double flash-back at the beginning was a bit annoying. But I'd say the show improved in the second hour and in the first one-hour episode.

It's difficult to judge the show without thinking of the movie. The show doesn't have the exhilarating tension of the movie and in some ways the visual references to the movie only make it worse. I also think the actress playing Abby, the wife, is fairly weak here, with no real definition. 

And as much as I like Callum Keith Rennie, his Ray is nothing like the Ray in the movie - hapless bumbler vs. smart and streetwise. In several scenes I thought he upstaged Josh Lucas, which a supporting character shouldn't do.

Sounds like a hate the show, but I don't really, it's not half bad, but it just doesn't stand up to what was a roller-coaster ride fun time of a movie.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Looks like The Firm is being sent to Saturday night to die quietly. Link

I've only seen the pilot, have the rest recorded. Is it worth bothering with?


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Personally I don't think so. It's one thing for a great series that just can't get the ratings, but The Firm just isn't one of them.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

klang said:


> Looks like The Firm is being sent to Saturday night to die quietly. Link
> 
> I've only seen the pilot, have the rest recorded. Is it worth bothering with?





dpeters11 said:


> Personally I don't think so. It's one thing for a great series that just can't get the ratings, but The Firm just isn't one of them.


On that note...Deleted all episodes.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

photostudent said:


> I think it would have made a better one hour show. Did anyone notice Josh Lucas is a ringer for Grisham? Surprised it did not have the Southern nuance seen in his books.


My wife mentioned it both times that we watched the show. She is quite the Grisham fan.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

klang said:


> Looks like The Firm is being sent to Saturday night to die quietly. Link


As I noted in the ratings thread, "The Firm" pulled 62% fewer in the demo and 31% fewer in total viewers than the two half-hour comedies averaged last year. And one of those comedies was "Outsourced."


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## spaul (Jul 19, 2009)

So far my wife and I are still watching and find it worth the time. Hopefully if it doesn't last that NBC at least shows remaining episodes they have in the can.I,m still don't understand why NBC gave an even better show Prime Suspect in same time slot a quick hook.They will never build any following for their network at this rate.NBC gets the worst ratings on a whole so, they should just bite the bullet and let some shows gain a audience. Instead of rapidly replacing or even as Harry's Law keep moving it all over the schedule which hasn't worked either.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

I know this show is cancelled and the end (or cliffhanger) is near, but this is one of the best shows I've watched in a while. It's almost on par with how I felt when Journeyman died. Probably the only difference is that I expected it this time whereas with Journeyman I somewhat expected it to continue.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

I didn't think to pad Saturday night's scheduled recording of _Chapter 19_, which got pushed back by the _U.S. Open_. Guess we'll have to watch it on-line.

The Mrs. and I watched the first 18 episodes over the course of a week and really got into it. Too bad the show couldn't find an audience. Like _Awake_, I enjoyed watching interesting cases each week, along with a suspenseful back story. I'd love to see it continue on TBS, e.g. I hope Grisham doesn't give up on this.


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## balboadave (Mar 3, 2010)

Steve said:


> I didn't think to pad Saturday night's scheduled recording of _Chapter 19_, which got pushed back by the _U.S. Open_. Guess we'll have to watch it on-line.
> 
> The Mrs. and I watched the first 18 episodes over the course of a week and really got into it. Too bad the show couldn't find an audience. Like _Awake_, I enjoyed watching interesting cases each week, along with a suspenseful back story. I'd love to see it continue on TBS, e.g. I hope Grisham doesn't give up on this.


I don't think it aired at all. _Chapter 19 _has been rescheduled for next Saturday, bumping the rest of the episodes by another week. It is available now on NBC and HULU for free. I agree this show is much better than the ratings suggest.


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## LOCODUDE (Aug 8, 2007)

balboadave said:


> I don't think it aired at all. _Chapter 19 _has been rescheduled for next Saturday, bumping the rest of the episodes by another week. It is available now on NBC and HULU for free. I agree this show is much better than the ratings suggest.


I agree, really like this show....


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## mfeinstein (Sep 1, 2007)

Hulu and NBC pulled Episode 19 from their web sites. I imagine that they'll wait to post it again after the show airs on the new schedule.


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## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

My DVR recorded some stupid Betty White comedy show but the title still showed The Firm episode 19. I checked next weeks schedule and it still shows episode 20.


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## balboadave (Mar 3, 2010)

mfeinstein said:


> Hulu and NBC pulled Episode 19 from their web sites. I imagine that they'll wait to post it again after the show airs on the new schedule.


I guess I caught it just in time. It was a really good episode.


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## John Strk (Oct 16, 2009)

I really like this show and have seen every episode so far until now. I go to watch my recording from Saturday night and I see golf and some other stupid crap. Golf at 9pm? Really? Why can't nbc just re-air the episode at another time? Pisses me off!!!


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## kenmoo (Oct 3, 2006)

I'm in the Sacramento DNA and my NBC is showing episode #19 on Saturday June 23 per my onscreen DirecTV Guide info. Bumped #20 to the next Saturday. Maybe all of you that missed the episode and saw Betty White instead (I deleted it within 30 seconds) need to call your local NBC and complain.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

My HR34 GUIDE data is now showing _Episode 19_ for Saturday night. Even though I have a Series Link for _The Firm_, my To Do List isn't showing it as scheduled to record, tho. That's probably because it thinks it _already _recorded that episode last Saturday night.

I just manually selected it to record from the GUIDE. Others with SLs or Timers who recorded golf and _Betty White_ last Saturday may want to check their TDLs as well.


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## hoophead (Feb 10, 2008)

Either I fell asleep during the ending of the series finale this wknd or it was the strangest ending to any show I've seen.....help


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## makaiguy (Sep 24, 2007)

Steve said:


> My HR34 GUIDE data is now showing _Episode 19_ for Saturday night. Even though I have a Series Link for _The Firm_, my To Do List isn't showing it as scheduled to record, tho. That's probably because it thinks it _already _recorded that episode last Saturday night.


Yeah, even the episode numbers on NBC On Demand seemed to be screwed up. Eventually I just downloaded everything they had and was able to figure out which ones I needed.



hoophead said:


> Either I fell asleep during the ending of the series finale this wknd or it was the strangest ending to any show I've seen.....help


Very disappointed that things weren't wrapped up -- the trial string was left up in the air and the final episode ended with a teaser scene for "Six weeks later". Sure looks like everything was already in the can before word of its non-renewal came through.

I thought the mafia partner trial string at the end was some of the best parts of the season, then they junked it up with all that lame Russian stuff.

This was being shown elsewhere than the US, though. Does NBC's cancellation necessarily mean it's dead everywhere? If it continues in another market, maybe we can eventually find it on Netflix or somewhere.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

makaiguy said:


> This was being shown elsewhere than the US, though. Does NBC's cancellation necessarily mean it's dead everywhere? If it continues in another market, maybe we can eventually find it on Netflix or somewhere.


Fingers-crossed, but I've been unable to Google even a hint of new episodes in the works.


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