SciFi Wire: Official SciFi Channel ratings for season three

[vaberella]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed but here I go.

Okay, I was just reading the news on SGA on the homepage of GW, and I noticed that the ratings for Sateda was a 1.4. I doubt it's from bad writing, it's pretty much a given that the majority of people found Sateda an excellent episode and the way that SGA should write...and yet they had the lowest ratings probably ever because of this episode.

I can't understand what's going on. I've been told that it's probably advertisement and this could be right. Don't get me wrong, I realize that SG1 made the writers and was a huge sucess for the stargate writers and Scifi. But I don't know why they spend so much time on SG1 promotion when SGA has actually proven to be a better show, ratings wise in S2 rather than SG1's S9.

Further more, I would hate to see a show that's just started with excellent potential overshadowed in such a way, when the cast is fantastic and as of late providing excellent storyline.

I was informed that there was some discussion that if the ratings for SGA fall below 1.7, that the show is pretty much on the brink of cancellation, and the show opened at 1.5, and has stayed at a relatively steady 1.4.

I wanted to know what some of the other fans think and what's going on?! Was Sateda that bad? Was it seriously poor advertising? And/or do you think that Scifi has an agenda to cancel SGA and will use the lack of advertising and this 'possible' rumored hiatus as a way to end it?!

And if anyone out there knows, is there anyway we the fans can bloody well stop the cancellation of a damn great show?! I still haven't seen all of Atlantis---

Sateda's Low Ratings

VB

[npattis]

I love Stargates, have been a fan since the movie and SG-1 1997 premiere. But I would be surprised if they survive another season the way the ratings are going.

[[SGC_ReplicÅtors]]

if they cancel it.... Hate mail to sony and the likes to them...i really dont care for the ratings....they can go rate themselves for all i care...i dont want SGA/SG1 cancelled

[npattis]

It's been discussed already, but SciFi has basically left it out to dry. Little to no advertising, no outside advertising, little to no word on the 200 episode, etc, etc. I mean, SciFi is basically killing the franchise.

[Agent_Dark]

Hate mail to sony and the likes to them...i really dont care for the ratings....they can go rate themselves for all i care...

You willing to fork out the millions of dollars per episode it costs to make the shows then?

[Esquin]

A 1.4 isn't that bad. It's not what we're used to sure but plenty of shows have survived on less. I think if they upped the advertising it would help. But if this 6 month hiatus thing proves to be true the Stargate is dead.

If not, well then i'd say we have a shot at at least 1 more season of each show.

[Jackie]

The ratings are fallen because of a few factors. First they have changed SG-1 to Val and SG-1. Second they changed the time slots and third they don't have Galatica on after words.

I would be surpirsed if both shows get renewed. The ratings may increase for the second half of season ten, now slated to be shown in March. Sci-fi is jugling the schedual i bit and I hope the people holding the ax will give the shows extra time for the viewrs to adjust.

Another thought on why they are pushing back the second half of the season is there may be another stargate show in the works and perhaps they want to try and lead into the new one...if it's a go.

I fully expect this summers ratings to be bad, RDA may bring in a few viewrs for 200, but I still think there is just too many changes all at once.

[KadeCarrion]

It's been discussed already, but SciFi has basically left it out to dry. Little to no advertising, no outside advertising, little to no word on the 200 episode, etc, etc. I mean, SciFi is basically killing the franchise.

I agree - all issues of the writing/show direction aside, SciFi obviously no longer wants the Stargates. Now that production has reached that record-breaking tenth season on SG1, they no longer have any interest in the franchise or what happens to it. SciFi has a long history of abandoning tried-and-true hits for their (often crappier) new lineup: just ask any fan of Invisible Man, Farscape, the list goes on.

But if they are stupid enough to cancel Stargate, I will sure as **** stop watching their crappy channel anyway, as the Stargates are the only reason I tune in at all.

[Kliggins]

Could be the fact that Monk and Psych over on USA at the same time as SG1/SGA is not helping the ratings either.

[Ivegottheskill]

Too many people downloading?

Stargate is easily the most downloade show around, but I don't think it should cause poor US ratings (someone has to tape the show in the US for it to be on the net, since its released there first)

The ratings should not be that bad IMO, and a well established show (with an incredibly strong fanbase) should not need much advertising (maybe this is SciFi's angle?)

Maybe it should go back to Showtime?

[Ouroboros]

Like I said in the other rating thread. What we're seeing now is, IMO, the result of the less than stellar quality of the last seasons of the show 9 and 2.

Basically people who were left feeling less than impressed following the finale's last year never went to the trouble to find out when the new seasons were going to start this year and thus haven't been watching them.

In the past when I've stopped watching a show it's usually gone down this way. I'll watch it till the end of the current season almost out of habit then over the break lose interest in it entirely and never bother to tune in again. Because last season has left me with no anticipation for next season I'm not sitting there ready to watch on premiere night.

[Osiris-RA]

As Nem might say, What fate Stargate? Theories abound as to why the two shows have lost some 25 percent of their audience since the March season finales, and whether lack of advertising, SCI FI Channel's scheduling choices, competition from other networks (USA's Monk continues to perform well in its new time slot, now opposite Stargate SG-1), or simple viewer dissatisfaction is to blame

I must admit, I watch Monk first on Fridays. But fortunately, I don't miss any SG1 or SGA because they show them twice at night. I don't see why the ratings could be so low. My Friday night goes, Monk at 9:00, SGA at 10:00 and SG1 at 11:00. Works great for me!

It couldn't be veiwer dissastisfaction. Sateda kicked arse. SG1 is another story however...maybe the 200th ep will pep things up. (hopes)

[npattis]

Well there are other factors as well. The characters that made the franchise as what it is were put in the backseat really. Teal'C a supporting character at best, and what the hell are they doing with Sam? While they are focusing on the annoying character of Vala that should be sight for only God knows why they brought her on. Cam, I mean what the hell? He got the medal of honor for something little compared what SG-1 has done and Sam and O'Neill with nothing? The whole situation with Jack and Sam, left it hanging, as with other storylines they conveniently have forgotten. They pretty much kicked Corin Nemec out and remember who Jonas Quinn even is? Then all of season 9 and mostly season 10 appears we have this big back enemy that is so abstract can we even imagine them? For the Gou'ald we had the system lords and special ones theat stood out such as Apophis and Anubis. The Ori are pretty much nothing but Ghosts.

And Atlantis, don't get me started on that. They pretty much abandoned the whole reason why we went. Remember that huge city that supposedly had all this technology and knowledge that could bring mankind into a new gold age? Oh yeah, forgot about that too!

[ToasterOnFire]

The poor ratings this season for both shows is probably due to lots of things - no BSG anchor, more competition from other networks, more outside competition like movies or whatever, and/or viewers that are either unhappy or simply lost interest in SG1 and Atlantis after watching last season. Whatever the reason, a decent chunk of the Stargate viewing audience that was present last season is actively choosing to not watch the shows now.

The quality of an ep really doesn't affect ratings, since viewers can't tell if an ep is good or bad without watching it. Previews and advertising for eps may bring in or lose viewers and the previous week's ep may also have an effect on ratings. For example, if casual viewers really didn't like Irresistable they're probably more likely to tune out next week, thus missing Sateda. It's hard to verify those statements, though.

I highly doubt that downloading has any real effect on ratings, certainly nothing significant enough to cause these plummeting numbers.

[vaberella]

The ratings are fallen because of a few factors. First they have changed SG-1 to Val and SG-1. Second they changed the time slots and third they don't have Galatica on after words.

I would be surpirsed if both shows get renewed. The ratings may increase for the second half of season ten, now slated to be shown in March. Sci-fi is jugling the schedual i bit and I hope the people holding the ax will give the shows extra time for the viewrs to adjust.

Another thought on why they are pushing back the second half of the season is there may be another stargate show in the works and perhaps they want to try and lead into the new one...if it's a go.

I fully expect this summers ratings to be bad, RDA may bring in a few viewrs for 200, but I still think there is just too many changes all at once.

I don't care about SG1, nor does my post care about SG1, I'm talking about SGA and why SGA maybe canceling. From the friends I do have who are die hards they would knwo better why SG1 is the verge, but why SGA!!

And as a matter of fact, there is serious massive self promotion of SG1 compared to SGA. After I'm done watching Eureka, I have to deal with an SG1 200 episode caption---where's the talk about SGA. And we all know around late August and September there will be huge push for BSG...who has scored less in the ratings department than SGA in many of the eps or at the same level.

So that would mean SGA is a better show, but it's the one on the verge of cancellation but BSG is sitting pretty!

The poor ratings this season for both shows is probably due to lots of things - no BSG anchor, more competition from other networks, more outside competition like movies or whatever, and/or viewers that are either unhappy or simply lost interest in SG1 and Atlantis after watching last season. Whatever the reason, a decent chunk of the Stargate viewing audience that was present last season is actively choosing to not watch the shows now.

The quality of an ep really doesn't affect ratings, since viewers can't tell if an ep is good or bad without watching it. Previews and advertising for eps may bring in or lose viewers and the previous week's ep may also have an effect on ratings. For example, if casual viewers really didn't like Irresistable they're probably more likely to tune out next week, thus missing Sateda. It's hard to verify those statements, though.

I highly doubt that downloading has any real effect on ratings, certainly nothing significant enough to cause these plummeting numbers.

I agree with you on a certain level Toaster. I think people got really cosy with space action back to back on fridays from SG1, to SGA, to BSG. But again BSG didn't look like an anchor for SGA, because again I've seen the ratings posted and SGA had been fairly consistent in S2 and have again beaten BSG. From what I gathered BSG has been living on hype, over sexualized sensationalism, and of course the curtails of SG1 and SGA fans.

And I agree with your last statement. I felt that because Sateda has so much fan promotion and probably many people didn't see it, they might tune in for Progeny, but ifi Progeny doesn't hold up, we're right back where we started. I have to say based on the minimal commercials I've seen, Progeny is almost another The Eye/Storm.


VB