Is anyone tracking the UK ratings?

[MediaSavant]

I'm from the U.S. I've noticed that Stargate SG-1 is running with Battlestar Galactica on Sky.

This presents a good opportunity to test one of the hypotheses for why the U.S ratings were down--that SG-1 wasn't running with Galactica anymore.

If SG-1 is running with Galactica in the UK and its ratings didn't go down in Season 10, then you have some evidence that running with Galactica is key to success. If not...back to the drawing board.

The other thing that can be tested with the UK ratings is the infamous "hiatus is going to hurt" theory. With the UK not having an extensive hiatus between the two halves of the season, it provides a benchmark to compare whatever happens in April in the U.S.

So, is anyone tracking the UK ratings?

[Raj_2006]

I'm from the U.S. I've noticed that Stargate SG-1 is running with Battlestar Galactica on Sky.

This presents a good opportunity to test one of the hypotheses for why the U.S ratings were down--that SG-1 wasn't running with Galactica anymore.

If SG-1 is running with Galactica in the UK and its ratings didn't go down in Season 10, then you have some evidence that running with Galactica is key to success. If not...back to the drawing board.

The other thing that can be tested with the UK ratings is the infamous "hiatus is going to hurt" theory. With the UK not having an extensive hiatus between the two halves of the season, it provides a benchmark to compare whatever happens in April in the U.S.

So, is anython tracking the UK ratings?

thts a good idea.

[Franklyn Blaze]

I did a search for tv ratings in the uk and only found articles on tv violence... not the right "ratings" I was looking for. I don't know where they get them from.

[MediaSavant]

BARB publishes top tens:

http://www.barb.co.uk/viewingsummary...viewingsummary

I was just wondering if any of the hardcore fans have been tracking it. I'd be surprised if someone hasn't given how much scrutiny the U.S. ratings get.

[J_B]

Digitalspy.co.uk always publishes regular ratings for big Sky One shows.

SG-1 usually averages around 500,000 per ep. Some low ones can go down into the low 400's, however some bigger ones can go 600 +. I think it was Lost City that got something like 750 or whatever when it aired.

However they have showed Atlantis back to back with SG-1 a few times, so that could be the reason for higher & lower figures if it's shown with
& without another one of the big 2 alongside it.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whatsoever. Even if it proved to be a huge success, Sci-Fi would never go back on it anyhow. They would never publicly admit to screwing up! So SG-1 will only continue in movie format.

The only positive thing them knowing they screwed up with SG-1 eould be that they may not be so quick to jump the gun with Atlantis this season or next (should it get that far).

However the parent company has made it clear that it only eventually wants original programming on Sci-Fi channel. The Gates are owned by MGM, so it's not original. Therefore doesn't have a long term future on Sci-Fi anyways. That's why I think they're mad to even think about showing a second spin-off on that channel.

[smurf]

Well, tonight is the season premiere of BSG so you'll have to track the SG1/BSG pairing from here on in.
I'm not entirely sure BSG has been paired with SG1 previously, it's normally SG1/SGA. (or I think it was SG1/Bones last year)

That said, the ratings are already down (bar what I guess is episode 200, and Quest part 1). It ended last season at roughly 560,000 viewers. It's now not regularly making the top ten even when #10 on the list garners a mere 520,000.
And very bad news for SGA which hasn't appeared at all.

Edit: At the start of S9 SG-1 got 780,000.

[bcfc]

I think the reason Atlantis figures are low is because of the lack of Advertising, on Sky One's half. To me people tune in for SG1 and Atlantis is just an after thought, which does worry some people after SG1 finishes.

Which I wonder the reason for sky one moving Atlantis to wednesdays, maybe to try and make it stand alone.

[smurf]

SGA was on a different day last year also. It was paired with SG-1 during S1 and did quite well, so they thought it could go it alone during S2. It didn't do quite as well last year.

When they put it back with SG1 this year I think the intention was to try and build off SG1 ratings. I wonder if they always intended to move it back on it's own, or just think it's not worth having SGA blocking the 9pm slot with its relatively low ratings.
Alternatively, an 8pm slot may be quite good for it since it is after The Simpsons and the kids probably aren't in bed yet.

[Unamed]

what i find so annoying is that skyone have had a massive advertising campagin for battlestar, with adverts every break and no mention of sg1

[Carl]

what i find so annoying is that skyone have had a massive advertising campagin for battlestar, with adverts every break and no mention of sg1

I can understand them not advertising SG-1. After all, why waste money and time advertising something that is ending soon and is pretty stable anyway? What's worrying is that they've never really bothered to advertise Atlantis much. Even when there were Stargate adverts, the majority were SG-1.

[immhotep]

Its true i really get annoyed that they dont advertise SG1, they used too, and T4 even did, Channel 5 advertised atlantis. but there has been very few if any SG adverts in the UK. I really want to know the ratings for quest, but seeings that our ratings are 500k, which is 1 in every 120 UK citizen, i would say that its pretty good and were a much smaller population that in the US, with 1/4 of the population, actually the rating are pretty consistant on both sides of the pond, we have 1/4 of the popualtion and 1/4 of the viewing figures..makes sense.

[Pitry]

Isn't the common arguement that all three shows should be put together, adn that any two show combination is lowering the ratings? Sio the claim can't exactly be tested, not the full one - because Sky 1 don't air SG1, SGA and bSG at the same night.

[immhotep]

They used too, and so did sci fi and that was when Sg1 was at its best, everyone knows it, my cat know it! but having Sg1 on any day wont actually help, we know its over, as long as the episode are actually shown i dont really care. If MGM gets it relaunched elsewhere then great but i just want to see the end of the show in any form at the moment.

[MediaSavant]

I can understand them not advertising SG-1. After all, why waste money and time advertising something that is ending soon and is pretty stable anyway? What's worrying is that they've never really bothered to advertise Atlantis much. Even when there were Stargate adverts, the majority were SG-1.

In marketing, new products almost always get advertised more than older ones. That applies to a lot of advertising categories, not just TV shows.

Glancing at some of the BARB numbers, it would appear that SG-1 ratings have declined in Season 10 there just like they declined in the U.S.

To those who think the shows' ratings declined because of the show itself losing appeal, that certainly supports their opinion.

To those who always think it's the network carrying the show's fault, I suppose they will always bring up the standard excuses--lack of advertising, not running with the hit shows, etc. However, it's hard to prove how much advertising the show did or didn't get just based on your own observation. You'd have to quantify that somehow, showing the exact number of ads it used to get vs. what it got now.

[MediaSavant]

Isn't the common arguement that all three shows should be put together, adn that any two show combination is lowering the ratings? Sio the claim can't exactly be tested, not the full one - because Sky 1 don't air SG1, SGA and bSG at the same night.

But, if all three shows never were together in the UK and SG-1 got fine ratings, isn't that evidence that you don't have to have all three shows together to get good ratings?