Critics Loved This Crime Drama From Justified's Creator, But Audiences Ignored It

"Justified" creator Graham Yost's show "Boomtown" was a critical hit, but when it came to ratings, it was a total bust. Instead of being remembered as one of TV's greatest crime dramas, the series met a premature cancellation due to low viewership. 

Premiering on NBC on September 29, 2002, the Donnie Wahlberg-led "Boomtown" was a police procedural set in Los Angeles that focused on a different criminal investigation each week. That premise describes any number of shows, but "Boomtown" distinguished itself by employing non-linear storytelling and multiple perspectives. LAPD detectives might have one idea of what happened, but paramedics, reporters, and even the alleged criminals could have totally different points of view. It was a multifaceted, nuanced approach.

Critics made comparisons to Akira Kurosawa's essential 1950 samurai film "Rashomon" and showered the show with praise. It won awards, too, including a Peabody.

General audiences, however, were less enthralled. In its first season, the series ranked just 56th with an average of 10 million viewers an episode. Creatives worried that the non-linear storytelling that made the show unique was confusing and alienated audiences, and Yost admitted to TV Guide that that "shifting points of view can stop the action." Attempts to make "Boomtown" more audience friendly for the second season included adding Vanessa Williams to the cast and easing up on the non-traditional narrative devices.

Following the 18-episode first season, NBC made six more episodes of the retooled "Boomtown" and moved it from the more-prestigious Sunday night slot to Friday, a "more crime-friendly spot," as Graham Yost put it. TV Guide wondered if "Boomtown" would face stiff competition from other crime shows airing at this time, and it might have been right. Fewer than 8 million viewers watched the Season 2 premiere on September 27, 2003, and the numbers for the second episode were even worse. NBC pulled the show from the schedule and aired "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" reruns instead.

A month went by before NBC officially confirmed that the series had been canceled. The network dumped the final four episodes of the show over the weekend after Christmas, airing three on Saturday night and the impromptu series finale on Sunday. 

Fortunately for Yost, he went on to create hit shows in "Justified" and "Silo." Unfortunately for any modern audiences who want to see what critics were raving about back then, watching "Boomtown" is difficult. As of this writing, it is not officially available to stream anywhere, nor can you buy it on demand.