NBC’s new crime series headlined by a former Manifest star is not a hit with critics, debuting with a rare 0% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Peacock Network’s drama lineup continues to be anchored by Thursday night stalwart Law & Order (now in season 24) and its off-shoot Law & Order: SVU (now in season 26).

While Law & Order dominates Thursday’s primetime slate, NBC has slotted in the crime show The Irrational season 2 on Tuesdays at 10 PM, capping off a night otherwise filled with comedy (St. Denis Medical and Night Court) and reality competition (Deal Or No Deal Island). Wednesday night, meanwhile, is all about the hit One Chicago franchise, with dramas Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. stretched across the entirety of primetime.

NBC’s New Crime Show The Hunting Party Debuts With A 0% Rating On Rotten Tomatoes

Only A Handful Of Critics’ Reviews Have Been Counted So Far

NBC had high hopes for new Monday night crime offering The Hunting Party, headlined by one-time Manifest star Melissa Roxburgh. They even gave the show’s premiere a big lead-in, dropping it right after the highly-rated January 19 NFC Divisional Playoff Game, before placing the show at its new home at 10 PM Monday after two hours of The Voice.

The Hunting Party may indeed find its audience before it’s over, but critics thus far aren’t giving the show much chance, as it just debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a rare 0% fresh rating. Only seven critics' reviews were included in the site’s count as of this publishing, so there’s still a chance the series could rebound, and climb its way to a more respectable rating.

Our Take On The Hunting Party’s 0% Rotten Tomatoes Rating

NBC May Have A Turkey On Its Hands

The Peacock Network’s primetime fortunes rest upon the sturdy shoulders of established franchises, with only a few programming windows left open for new shows to get a try. During the fall, NBC handed the 10 PM Monday night slot to the offbeat medical drama Brilliant Minds, which fared well with critics, as reflected in its 92% fresh rating on RT, but saw its ratings slowly tail off over the course of its 13-week run.

Winter replacement series The Hunting Party debuted with 3.05 million viewers, a number similar to what Brilliant Minds was pulling early in its season. That’s the good news for NBC. The bad news is that, while critics were positive about the Zachary Quinto-led Brilliant Minds, they have thus far savaged the new show.

Final returns are not yet in, but it looks like NBC may have a turkey holding down Monday night at 10 PM. It may be too early to make any final determinations, but it’s safe to bet The Hunting Party will not be ing Law & Order or the One Chicago trio as one of the network’s bedrock offerings.

Is There Still A Chance For NBC To Save The Hunting Party?

Maybe Being On Streaming Can Help It Get Its Footing

The fact that NBC even moved the show's premiere to get more people to check it out suggests that the network was banking on its success. For what it's worth, having notable actors in the procedural sandbox like Homeland's Patrick Sabongui, Chicago PD's Nick Wechsler, and La Brea's Josh McKenzie ing Roxburgh makes for a strong ensemble. Unfortunately, The Hunting Party's downfall appears to be rooted in the way that the show is executed. Its premise, while not entirely new is still interesting, if done correctly.

Due to the influx of all kinds of crime procedurals, viewers tend to be more discerning when something new comes around. Additionally, there are also several long-running shows that people would rather stick with. Perhaps moving The Hunting Party to Peacock so it can be a streaming show with more focus on a single case can help its cause. For now, however, it will have to work really hard to get some goodwill from broadcast viewers with a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

How Hunting Party's Poor Rotten Tomatoes Emphasizes NBC's Need For Brilliant Minds Season 2

The Hunting Party's Struggles Shine A Light On NBC's Overlooked Success

Only time will tell what NBC decides to do with The Hunting Party. It's safe to say that it will all boil down to how it will fare in the next few weeks during its incredibly competitive timeslot with NCIS: Origins on CBS. That said, the network should also use this opportunity to revisit Brilliant Minds, which still doesn't have a second-season renewal. The Hunting Party's struggle should highlight how Quinto's medical drama defied the odds and put up decent numbers during its run.

ABC and CBS are ramping up their output in the procedural sub-genre with high-concept shows like Watson and Doctor Odyssey — both freshman shows.

Beyond that, NBC could also use a medical drama right now. ABC and CBS are ramping up their output in the procedural sub-genre with high-concept shows like Watson and Doctor Odyssey — both freshman shows. St. Denis Medical, NBC's new workplace mockumentary, should be further proof that the concept of medical-centered stories remains popular. The Hunting Party can work its way to better critics and audience scores, but its struggles should convince the network that there are other series that it can focus on.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes