Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/featured
featuredNewsTV

'Do No Harm' Cancelled After Making History

Posted byBy Sarah Roper | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

After just two weeks on air, NBC proved that Do No Harm could be harmed, by pulling the plug on the new drama.    Do No Harm, which filled the 10pm time spot on NBC, was cancelled immediately following the show’s second episode. The network announced for the next two weeks Law and Order: SVU reruns will run in the spot.  Possibly long-term could be Rock Center with Brian Williams or a new drama waiting in the wings such as ‘Hannibal‘.

Why was the show cancelled? Do No Harm received the lowest-rated scripted premiere in the history of the Big Four networks, receiving 0.9 rating in adults 18-49 demo and 3.1 million total viewers in the first week.  Subsequently, dropping even further in the second week with a 0.7 demo rating.

Starring Steven Pasquale, who is best known for his role on the Golden Globe nominated Rescue Me, Do No Harm was a medical drama with a twist, in which Pasquale played a surgeon who battled an alter ego. Creator David Schulner described the show as a modern update of the 2006 film Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Many negative things have been said about the show that could have contributed to it succumbing to such a dismal rating.  Numerous people have criticized the poor marketing campaign and lack of promos for the show before the premiere. Recently, NBC has been having a tough time keeping their dramas afloat, so laying another one to rest certainly isn’t helping.

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top