I think if audiences didn't have the original 24 to compare against, this show might get higher ratings. I found it entertaining enough to continue watching despite some of the negatives that others have pointed out.
I hear that Fox is still deliberating about whether to go forward with season 2. I think it should be a "no brainer" for Fox if they consider the LONG-TERM consequences of canceling instead of just the short-term. Here are some of the long-term factors they should consider:
1) Further damage to their brand
They already suffer from a reputation of canceling shows prematurely, leaving the audience hanging mid-plot.
2) The genre of the show
This isn't just a sitcom what provides relative closure after each weekly episode, it has an ongoing, intrigue-building, multi-faceted, conspiratorial plot. Because of this, audiences have invested a lot of their time having their curiosity piqued and intensified week-after-week. The reaction when a show like this is ended without closure (or with obviously-contrived and rushed faux closure after they decide to cancel) is not just disappointment (as in, "shoot, I'm going to miss that show"); it is frustration and anger; it is visceral. The audience feels cheated and manipulated. And they will hold a grudge.
3) The new watching habits of audiences--especially for series like this one
Because audiences have already been burned by networks canceling shows mid-plot, many of them have learned not to commit to one. Rather than joining in with the week-by-week audience, they simply wait until a season completes and ensure the show isn't being abandoned before they commit to it. And often, at that point, they binge watch it.
This new audience behavior pattern should not, however, be interpreted as being proof that the genre is no longer valid. In fact, audiences LOVE it. And they love it especially because they now have the liberty to queue up and binge watch rather than being held in suspense every week. The networks just need to create a strategy and business model that takes in to account the audiences' likely viewing behavior for this genre so that they can monetize it profitably. And one indispensable component of profitable strategy is to provide their audience assurances that they when they commit to a series like this, they will see it through to a satisfying closure. If they don't provide that, they'll find public excitement for this "keep-me-in-suspense-each-week" genre will continue to dwindle.
I hear that Fox is still deliberating about whether to go forward with season 2. I think it should be a "no brainer" for Fox if they consider the LONG-TERM consequences of canceling instead of just the short-term. Here are some of the long-term factors they should consider:
1) Further damage to their brand
They already suffer from a reputation of canceling shows prematurely, leaving the audience hanging mid-plot.
2) The genre of the show
This isn't just a sitcom what provides relative closure after each weekly episode, it has an ongoing, intrigue-building, multi-faceted, conspiratorial plot. Because of this, audiences have invested a lot of their time having their curiosity piqued and intensified week-after-week. The reaction when a show like this is ended without closure (or with obviously-contrived and rushed faux closure after they decide to cancel) is not just disappointment (as in, "shoot, I'm going to miss that show"); it is frustration and anger; it is visceral. The audience feels cheated and manipulated. And they will hold a grudge.
3) The new watching habits of audiences--especially for series like this one
Because audiences have already been burned by networks canceling shows mid-plot, many of them have learned not to commit to one. Rather than joining in with the week-by-week audience, they simply wait until a season completes and ensure the show isn't being abandoned before they commit to it. And often, at that point, they binge watch it.
This new audience behavior pattern should not, however, be interpreted as being proof that the genre is no longer valid. In fact, audiences LOVE it. And they love it especially because they now have the liberty to queue up and binge watch rather than being held in suspense every week. The networks just need to create a strategy and business model that takes in to account the audiences' likely viewing behavior for this genre so that they can monetize it profitably. And one indispensable component of profitable strategy is to provide their audience assurances that they when they commit to a series like this, they will see it through to a satisfying closure. If they don't provide that, they'll find public excitement for this "keep-me-in-suspense-each-week" genre will continue to dwindle.