New Joe Mallozzi Interview

[GateAngel]

Hot Topics – Cooler Comments: Joe Mallozzi Addresses Ratings, Stargate Movies and Season Breaks.
By M R Reed

Following on the ratings news, comments about STARGATE movies and rumors of possible longer breaks between the first and second halves of the current Stargate series seasons, Stargate: SG-1 and Atlantis Executive Producer/Writer Joe Mallozzi takes a moment out of his down time while the series are on mini hiatus from production to discuss these issues.

Read the article at
http://blogs.delphiforums.com/mrreedwriter

[Willow'sCat]

Hot Topics – Cooler Comments: Joe Mallozzi Addresses Ratings, Stargate Movies and Season Breaks.
By M R Reed

Following on the ratings news, comments about STARGATE movies and rumors of possible longer breaks between the first and second halves of the current Stargate series seasons, Stargate: SG-1 and Atlantis Executive Producer/Writer Joe Mallozzi takes a moment out of his down time while the series are on mini hiatus from production to discuss these issues.

Read the article at
http://blogs.delphiforums.com/mrreedwriter

Thanks for the link, it is just a pity it tells us zero about anything. Just adds to the talk.

[Uber]

So the ratings were down because of USA Network, the movies, the alignment of the stars...etc. So it's not because people took a look at the new product delivered last season and were simply not inclined to return?

Well at least they're taking to heart the concerns of fans who want to see more of the team they've loved for a decade and a better integration of the new folks and themes. /sarcasm

[majorsal]

Thanks for the link, it is just a pity it tells us zero about anything. Just adds to the talk.

and that's joe.

*if stargate is canceled, he could always work in politics*






sally

[chocdoc]

So the ratings were down because of USA Network, the movies, the alignment of the stars...etc. So it's not because people took a look at the new product delivered last season and were simply not inclined to return?

Well at least they're taking to heart the concerns of fans who want to see more of the team they've loved for a decade and a better integration of the new folks and themes. /sarcasm

Thanks for the interview, GateAngel.


I think JM and the rest of TPTB really think that those fans who don't like the new direction are few and far between.

[Dream-a-Little]

Sounds like the DD movie deal and the six month hiatus kind of blind sided him.

He does have a point about the lack of promotion particularly since there is more competition in the market. Sci fi responded with an increase in advertising last year for SG-1 when the series took a dip and it proved to be effective. The show worked its way back up to earlier season levels to win the night on the season finales.

The advertising going into season 10 seemed lighter than usual. And the advertising campaign that spotlighted AT, CJ and JF was I think particularly ill advised and ultimately ineffective. It was far too "inside joke" in nature. They should have run a campaign with broader audience appeal that was geared more toward the casual or potentially new viewer. That's always the group more likely to be swayed by advertising.

[chocdoc]

Sounds like the DD movie deal and the six month hiatus kind of blind sided him.

He does have a point about the lack of promotion particularly since there is more competition in the market. Sci fi responded with an increase in advertising last year for SG-1 when the series took a dip and it proved to be effective. The show worked its way back up to earlier season levels to win the night on the season finales.

The advertising going into season 10 seemed lighter than usual. And the advertising campaign that spotlighted AT, CJ and JF was I think particularly ill advised and ultimately ineffective. It was far too "inside joke" in nature. They should have run a campaign with broader audience appeal that was geared more toward the casual or potentially new viewer. That's always the group more likely to be swayed by advertising.

The SG-1 Season 10 promos that had clips from the show, including quite a bit of Vala and Mitchell, were shown more than those very short ads with AT, CJ, JF, and DH. Last year they showed car commercials to advertise the Stargates and that did not hurt it at all (and these did not necessarily have broad appeal nor gave any info about the show).

JM is comparing the advertising for the Stargates compared to Eureka. Of course Eureka is going to have more ads for it---it is a new show. I haven't seen many BSG ads yet---I'm sure it will get more though because the critics like it.

I don't see that season 10 has been advertised any less than season 9. They had three promos that included clips from the first three episodes; the very short ads with four cast members. And they also had those stargate Monday interviews on this year with ALL the cast members. In fact, when I think about it, they've had way more TV Guide coverage all throughout season 9 and now in season 10---way more than season 7 or 8 ever had.

[Nolamom]

Thanks so much for the interview GateAngel. I just wish it told us more.

[Willow'sCat]

and that's joe.

Bless him. He can spin with the best of them. *complement*

[Dream-a-Little]

The SG-1 Season 10 promos that had clips from the show, including quite a bit of Vala and Mitchell, were shown more than those very short ads with AT, CJ, JF, and DH. Last year they showed car commercials to advertise the Stargates and that did not hurt it at all (and these did not necessarily have broad appeal nor gave any info about the show).

JM is comparing the advertising for the Stargates compared to Eureka. Of course Eureka is going to have more ads for it---it is a new show. I haven't seen many BSG ads yet---I'm sure it will get more though because the critics like it.

I don't see that season 10 has been advertised any less than season 9. They had three promos that included clips from the first three episodes; the very short ads with four cast members. And they also had those stargate Monday interviews on this year with ALL the cast members. In fact, when I think about it, they've had way more TV Guide coverage all throughout season 9 and now in season 10---way more than season 7 or 8 ever had.

The point of creating an advertising campaign is to have a positive effect and sell the product. The AT, CJ, JF and DH spots quite clearly did not drive audiences to the show premiers. In advertising that is the definition of a failure. They were an extra investment of money by the network that failed to score results. In large part I think because you have to have a certain level of familiarity with the specific idiosyncrasies of those characters in order to “get” the ads. If you don’t have that level of familiarity they just would have elicited a very big huh? You’re limiting the opportunity for payoff on your investment right there. The clips running during the Monday night stack were seen by fewer people than ever before since those episodes have also experienced rating erosion. Less eyes = less effect.

In general it helps to actually give information about the product that you are trying to sell. Even when scifi runs clips of the actual shows they tend to like to use high speed flashes of scenes. You almost have to replay them in slow motion just to figure out exactly who actually was in them and what they were actually doing.

[the fifth man]

I think JM and the rest of TPTB really think that those fans who don't like the new direction are few and far between.

Overall, so do I.

As for the interview with JM, it was an interesting read. Nice to see he doesn't like the idea of a 6-month hiatus any more than a lot of people here, including myself, do.

[Mister Oragahn]

“Actually, no. If you read the article, it's quite clear that he signed a multi-picture deal with MGM and that he would like to do a Stargate sequel. He even discusses how his little baby has grown, of course being very careful not to give anyone involved with the TV show any credit for this wonderful evolution.”

Bitter? Would be right to, safe if Children of the Gods had NO credits for Devlin and Emmerich. You know, author rights & property.

He believes this couldn't happen.

Well, I think it can, and if it does, and if it succeeds, then maybe Mallozzi will understand why ratings are not getting as high as he'd hope for.
People will tell him "watch the movies!"

Stargate is an epic mix of myths, adventure and action. Only the great screen can really do full justice to that kind of stories.

I guess many people want to see Devlin's films done not only because they think they deserve to be done, or because they're tired to see ol' SG-1 saving the day on and on, but because it's been ten ****ing years that there has been no decent Stargate movie at all.

Wait and see, but I suspect this is all going to amuse me a lot.

The other reason for that is that to several fans, TPTB seem to be living a high pink cloud, with no worry about fan concerns, with a nice flag floating in the wind, where you can read ***** OFF! in caps written on it. I'm pointing at Gero's latest interview at GW, largely showing that there are people in the higher spheres of the show's production who should get their bum kicked, severely.
Based on that, I suspect those fans trying to get some kind of revenge through Devlin's plans.

[PG15]

And sometimes I think there are plenty-a-fan who needs their bum kicked (not you, but there are some).

I mean, what the hell did we do that make us so deserving of a reward? Every Friday we plop our butts down on the couch and get an hour of entertainment, and now the writers owe us?! It's like Bart Simpsons said, "if anything, you owe them!"

[prion]

And sometimes I think there are plenty-a-fan who needs their bum kicked (not you, but there are some).

I mean, what the hell did we do that make us so deserving of a reward? Every Friday we plop our butts down on the couch and get an hour of entertainment, and now the writers owe us?! It's like Bart Simpsons said, "if anything, you owe them!"

The writers owe the viewers one thing: a quality product. ALthough some fans think that the writers owe them (fill in wishfulfillment of ship, etc. etc. etc.) to the point that if fans don't get what they feel they are entitled, they wail about being 'betrayed."

[PG15]

Actually, they don't even owe us that.

This may sound cliche, but if the product sucks in your eyes, then stop watching. They don't owe you anything since you have free will to use their product or not.