Why was "Enterprise" cancelled?

[Snowman37]

Why was Enterprise cancelled? The obvious answer is low ratings. Why? Before my mom passed, we used to watch Star Trek together on DVD. We were rotating between the four spin-off shows. Voyager was always her favorite, followed by The Next Generation which she simply referred to as the Picard show. hah DS9 took time to grow on her, and I think Quark made her laugh more than any other character (on DS9). With Enterprise, the first episode had her attention. After that, she was getting bored quick. She said the ship didn't feel like the Enterprise but rather a boring cargo freighter. The characters were boring, and she couldn't stand jumpy Hoshi. My mom was not a Trekkie, just someone who liked to watch Star Trek with her son.

I wonder, could this have been why the viewers tuned out? Boredom? If so, what made it boring? What could have brought it up to the TNG/DS9/VOY standard. Yes, DS9 and VOY had lower ratings than TNG, but they were still backed by the studio. What happened come Enterprise? I noticed there was heavy promotion when the show's series premiere approached. After the first season, it seemed as if UPN forgot to promote the show.

[jelgate]

franchise saturation. Its what killed most of Law & Order

[Snowman37]

Are you so sure about that? My mom was not going through franchise saturation. When we dove into Enterprise, she'd only seen 3 seasons of DS9, 3 of VOY, and we were only part way through TNG's 1st season. She wanted to continue watching Star Trek with me, just not Enterprise. I'm just curious if there was an audience appetite for more Star Trek, good Star Trek. Yes, Enterprise was badly timed, but if the show had been of far greater quality, do you think it would have pulled in the audience?

[jelgate]

You mother is only 1 person. Hardly an accurate representation of Trek's viewing audience

[maneth]

The general viewing public, as opposed to hard science-fiction fans who'll watch almost any adventures in space, simply got tired of more shows set in space. Also, while I enjoyed ENT a lot, the darker tone of the show also alienated a lot of hardcore Trek fans.

[Gatefan1976]

ENT screwed with the timeline of trek, and that was probably a factor for alot of "hardcore" fans.

[Starfist]

Low ratings as has been already mentioned was a factor. But I also understand it was moved around a lot in the schedules for transmission. Which also had an effect.

[Crazedwraith]

Because it was crap.

[Snowman37]

You mother is only 1 person. Hardly an accurate representation of Trek's viewing audience

I never said she represented the audience. You are jumping to conclusions. Do you not think she has a valid point, that the show was boring from the word go?

The general viewing public, as opposed to hard science-fiction fans who'll watch almost any adventures in space, simply got tired of more shows set in space.

Agreed.

Also, while I enjoyed ENT a lot, the darker tone of the show also alienated a lot of hardcore Trek fans.

The show didn't take on a darker tone until the third season. The show had lost most of it's casual viewers by that point.

ENT screwed with the timeline of trek, and that was probably a factor for alot of "hardcore" fans.

No one cares, except for the hardcore fans, and if all of the continuity-obsessed hardcore fans tuned out, I doubt it would have effected the show's ratings. It was aimed at the American audience, not the Star Trek fans audience.

[jelgate]

I never said she represented the audience. You are jumping to conclusions. Do you not think she has a valid point, that the show was boring from the word go?

No. Its wrong to gauge the failure of a show from a single source. Their are a multiple reasons a show does not succeed.

[Snowman37]

No. Its wrong to gauge the failure of a show from a single source.

I am not gauging the failure of the show from a single source. Are you going to focus on the issue my mom raised, that the show was boring? If you have a counterargument, please present it.

Their are a multiple reasons a show does not succeed.

Yes, always, but there is usually a leading factor. This thread is about identifying that leading factor.

[Gatefan1976]

except for the hardcore fans,[/B] and if all of the continuity-obsessed hardcore fans tuned out, I doubt it would have effected the show's ratings. It was aimed at the American audience, not the Star Trek fans audience.

Did you read what I wrote at all? I specified hardcore fans. (out of sheer curiosity however, I saw that it debut ep pulled around 12.8 mil, the second around 9.3, interesting eh?)
As for it being moved around, it stayed on Wednesday for S1-3, only moving in S4 to Fridays.
Ratings wise, it went from a S1 average of 5.9 mil to a S4 average of 2.81.
Make of that information what you will

[Snowman37]

Did you read what I wrote at all? I specified hardcore fans.

Perhaps I misunderstood. I took your comment about continuity as being a reason why the show was cancelled.

(out of sheer curiosity however, I saw that it debut ep pulled around 12.8 mil, the second around 9.3, interesting eh?)

People tuned in out of curiosity. They didn't like what they saw, so 1/4 of the audience dropped after one episode. Yikes.

As for it being moved around, it stayed on Wednesday for S1-3, only moving in S4 to Fridays.

The show wasn't moved around, UPN was consistent about Wednesday and later Friday nights. It may have been a local channel that moved the show around, or perhaps preempted Enterprise in favor of sports. I've read that a lot of local UPN affiliates did this.

Ratings wise, it went from a S1 average of 5.9 mil to a S4 average of 2.81.
Make of that information what you will

I already stated in my opening post that low ratings was obvious. We're here to discuss why they were low.

[Gatefan1976]

Perhaps I misunderstood. I took your comment about continuity as being a reason why the show was cancelled.

No probs dude.

People tuned in out of curiosity. They didn't like what they saw, so 1/4 of the audience dropped after one episode. Yikes.

I dunno about curiosity, it's not like it's a "new premise for a show" which would indicate interest in "checking out the new show", it's an obvious "new Trek"

The show wasn't moved around, UPN was consistent about Wednesday and later Friday nights. It may have been a local channel that moved the show around, or perhaps preempted Enterprise in favor of sports. I've read that a lot of local UPN affiliates did this.

Fair call.

I already stated in my opening post that low ratings was obvious. We're here to discuss why they were low.

I DO think that the timeline shifts did affect a segment of the viewing audience, as for the rest, well, I never thought ENT was that good, I sorta have to consider it "AU Trek" to even deal with it. Past that however, I just never really liked the characters, or the stories "as a whole" (I did find some individual eps cool though, such as the Romulan holo-cloak ship mini arc, and I did find the Xindi arc "ok").

[min min light]

She said the ship didn't feel like the Enterprise but rather a boring cargo freighter.

It's been years since I watched it but I always thought that steel gray ship was a mistake. It looked so cold and clinical, like people were going to be doing an autopsy in it instead of expoloring space. I also hated the whiny theme song with it's annoying lyrics. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a lot of people changed the channel because of that theme song alone.