S10: Critique & Contemplation

[ses110]

Good question. I'm not sure? Not to knock Farscape and it's Fans but did TPTB really expect Farscape Fans were going to keep SG-1 ratings high? Farscape was not exactly a long running hit show. I think the critics liked the show but did the show have a really big following? TPTB basically traded many SG-1 Fans from Season 1-8 for Farscape fans? TPTB should have known losing a large amount of SG-1 Fans would offset any Farscape fans. There were soo many reasons CB and BB were going to be a bad fit on SG-1 and SG-1 was going to be a bad fit for CB and BB. I though the last thing CB and BB should have done was another SciFi Show togehter right after SG-1.

[Jackie]

I have the impression that TPTB didn't expect the ratings to take such a sharp drop.

I don't know why TPTB would think the show would do fine with the loss of a lead character/producer and the intro of a whole new and badly written bad guy.

I have the impression TPTB fully expected the big names to keep the viewers in line. We got Beau Bridges--he's won awards and everyone knows Beau. Let's throw in Louis Gossett Jr. for a few eps and not mention Sam and Jack.

We will give the viewers such awe inspiring big names and spin the Ori to the point where they won't notice Jack and that blonde are gone.

[ses110]

I know it's work and this may have happended but I would have thought long and hard if I were CB and BB about going on SG-1. IMO there were too many things bound to go wrong. IMO it just never seemed like a good fit from the get go.

[Rogue]

I have the impression that TPTB didn't expect the ratings to take such a sharp drop.

I don't know why TPTB would think the show would do fine with the loss of a lead character/producer and the intro of a whole new and badly written bad guy.

I have the impression TPTB fully expected the big names to keep the viewers in line. We got Beau Bridges--he's won awards and everyone knows Beau. Let's throw in Louis Gossett Jr. for a few eps and not mention Sam and Jack.

We will give the viewers such awe inspiring big names and spin the Ori to the point where they won't notice Jack and that blonde are gone.

Big names might bring the fans in for a while, but the writing is what keeps the fans around. RDA is why we started watching SG-1, but the writing kept us comming back for more.

[ReganX]

I know it's work and this may have happended but I would have thought long and hard if I were CB and BB about going on SG-1. IMO there were too many things bound to go wrong. IMO it just never seemed like a good fit from the get go.

I think any new actor coming onboard is going to have an impact on a show; with two new actors from the same show, its possible that that impact is greater.

One big problem I can see with two actors from the same show is that the writers will either try to avoid rexreating the relationship the characters on their former show had, leaving them with two characters that cannot interact normally, or else they will go for the opposite extreme and play up their former connection, resulting in a split; new characters -v- established characters.

[ReganX]

Big names might bring the fans in for a while, but the writing is what keeps the fans around. RDA is why we started watching SG-1, but the writing kept us comming back for more.

And they also need to be careful that while they are winning over new viewers, they also work to keep the viewers they already have.

What's the point in making a change that will gain 500,000 viewers if that same change will also lose 1,000,000 viewers?

[Nolamom]

And they also need to be careful that while they are winning over new viewers, they also work to keep the viewers they already have.

What's the point in making a change that will gain 500,000 viewers if that same change will also lose 1,000,000 viewers?

they seemed to have forgotten that part of the equation. KEEPING viewers wasn't as important as attracting new viewers. Unfortunately, there are only so many folks in the world interested in scifi at all who are willing to try out a show because of names. The solid writing that was there for years and should have kept them coming back for more (and kept the original viewers) was sadly lacking.

[Rogue]

And they also need to be careful that while they are winning over new viewers, they also work to keep the viewers they already have.

What's the point in making a change that will gain 500,000 viewers if that same change will also lose 1,000,000 viewers?

Yeah, it seemed that the "classic" SG-1 fans were forgotten. If you didn't like what they were doing, you had issues with change.

[ReganX]

Yeah, it seemed that the "classic" SG-1 fans were forgotten. If you didn't like what they were doing, you had issues with change.

I think they took the classic SG-1 fans for granted and assumed that they'd keep watching as long as the show was still called "Stargate: SG-1", even if it was "Stargate Command" in all but name.

In a lot of cases, they were right but they managed to lose enough viewers to get the show cancelled.

[AGateFan]

I'm sure most folks have already seen and visited this site, but I thought I'd post the link for any who haven't.

Stargate SG-1's 'Jump The Shark' page

I love the way that one poster stated that Stargate SG-1 didn't *jump* the shark,
but was instead *FORCEFED* to the shark!

Force fed and pooped out the other side.

[Jackie]

I think they took the classic SG-1 fans for granted and assumed that they'd keep watching as long as the show was still called "Stargate: SG-1", even if it was "Stargate Command" in all but name.

In a lot of cases, they were right but they managed to lose enough viewers to get the show cancelled.

Mark Stern reported it wasn't the ratings that got them canceled...it was the money.

My personal opinion is Skiffy planed on canning SG-1 after season 8. But, Season's 8 ratings were the best on record sooo they renewed. Then soon realized the new and improved show was going over like a lead balloon and decided to can the show again. But, the record carrot was dangled before them and they said, "What's another 22 million dollars for another year of SG-1" (I'm improving with the quote FYI) "We got the record...who cares if it sucks."

[ses110]

The ratings did not get them cancelled. I'll buy that. I think it was the way the Planets were aligned that got then show cancelled.

[ReganX]

Mark Stern reported it wasn't the ratings that got them canceled...it was the money.

Hence TPTB's efforts before the beginning of Season Ten to encourage fans to watch live and boost the ratings?

Ratings and money are connected; the better the ratings, the more attractive a prospect the ad time during the show is, the more money the Sci-Fi Channel makes. I doubt that the show would have been cancelled if the ratings had been along the lines of Season Eight's.

They wanted the record, yes, but if the show had still been doing well enough to earn them a decent profit, why cancel it?

[ReganX]

The ratings did not get them cancelled. I'll buy that. I think it was the way the Planets were aligned that got then show cancelled.

I thought it was the magnets.

[ses110]

There you go making sense again ReganX. You know TPTB do not like when we make sense or question them.