‘Last Resort’ goes out with a whimper, drawing 5.4 million viewers

The action was rapid fire — and at times explosive — during the Thursday series finale of ABC’s "Last Resort," but the political drama that shot in Hawaii once again drew a small audience.

"Last Resort" attracted 5.39 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings released by the network.

Among adults 18-49, the audience cited as the key advertising demo­graphic, the show drew 1.2 percent of the total viewing audience and 3 percent of those watching TV at the time, ABC said.

"Last Resort" was the story of a U.S. ballistic missile submarine under attack by its own government. The captain, played by Andre Braugher, orders his crew to take over a small island, and they declare themselves the world’s newest nuclear power.

Produced by Sony Pictures Television, "Last Resort" started the season relatively strong, riding a wave of critical acclaim. It premiered in September with 9.1 million viewers but never got close to that again.

TV critics urged fans to tune in, and the network often cited the bump in ratings when it factored in those who recorded the show and watched it on a later date. But the show never caught on, and the ratings sank a little lower nearly every week.

Sony produced a pilot and 12 episodes for ABC, all shot in Hawaii at the state film studio at Diamond Head, Kua­loa Ranch and locations around Oahu.

The series averaged 6.27 million viewers.

It was the third series ABC shot in Hawaii since the final season of "Lost" in 2010.

The CBS cop drama "Hawaii Five-0," which uses the old Hono­lulu Advertiser building for offices and a soundstage, will move into the state film studio complex used by "Last Resort." That will likely happen this summer, according to state film commissioner Donne Dawson.