Season Two: Ratings Predictions/Discussion

[Deevil]

I agree, it won't.

the most that could happen is sgu gets canned, and they come up with an idea for a 4th incarnation and mgm says 'ook, sure, but not with these guys, i want new producers/writers'

And that really depends on whether or not BW and Co have investments, or have contacts for investments into the show. If that's the case they are going to be less likely to get rid of them.

[Sami_]

And that really depends on whether or not BW and Co have investments, or have contacts for investments into the show. If that's the case they are going to be less likely to get rid of them.

MGM are the ones bankrolling the show - why would anyone else have investment, MGM is a huge company and having other investors just means they have to split the profits.

Do you have any evidence that anyone other than MGM finances the show? if so I'm all for reading it.

[Deevil]

MGM are the ones bankrolling the show - why would anyone else have investment, MGM is a huge company and having other investors just means they have to split the profits.

Do you have any evidence that anyone other than MGM finances the show? if so I'm all for reading it.

Do you honestly believe that a single studio bankrolls movies and television shows in their entirety? There are always other investors, those are generally advertised at the end of the program/movie. These other investors are other production companies for example. Watch the end credits, there are other production companies noted. One of them is Brad Wright's if I remember correctly.

You're right though, it does mean that they do get a portion of the profit.

[Sami_]

Do you honestly believe that a single studio bankrolls movies and television shows in their entirety? There are always other investors, those are generally advertised at the end of the program/movie. These other investors are other production companies for example. Watch the end credits, there are other production companies noted. One of them is Brad Wright's if I remember correctly.

You're right though, it does mean that they do get a portion of the profit.

Yes single studios do bankroll movies and television in their entirety, if there is multiple investors its usually because they have some rights whether it be distribution, production, merchandising etc..

I wouldn't read too much into the ending credits, in SG-1 Wright/Glassner had Double Secret Productions and RDA/Glassner had Gecko..something - neither of which I ever heard referred to as investors during the shows 10 years.

You shouldn't just assert things you can't back up, until there is something to suggest they are contributing finances to the show they aren't - thats the default position.

[Deevil]

Yes single studios do bankroll movies and television in their entirety, if there is multiple investors its usually because they have some rights whether it be distribution, production, merchandising etc..

Single studio's do bankroll in its entirety movies and TV? Yeah, so not worth arguing.

I wouldn't read too much into the ending credits, in SG-1 Wright/Glassner had Double Secret Productions and RDA/Glassner had Gecko..something - neither of which I ever heard referred to as investors during the shows 10 years.

Production Companies don't end up in the end credits just because it looks pretty, they end up in it because they are investors of some kind. It's pretty standard. Believe what you want mate, it's no bother to me if ya believe me or not.

[Sami_]

Single studio's do bankroll in its entirety movies and TV? Yeah, so not worth arguing.



Production Companies don't end up in the end credits just because it looks pretty, they end up in it because they are investors of some kind. It's pretty standard. Believe what you want mate, it's no bother to me if ya believe me or not.

Production companies are in the credits because they are production companies - its standard in television.

[Deevil]

Production companies are in the credits because they are production companies - its standard in television.

It's standard they are in the credits because they have invested in the production in some way. Not just because it's fun. Whatever, this has nothing to do with ratings... perhaps we should just move on.

[katikatnik]

I think SGU problem is that SGA fans ran a successful hate campagn.

Ah, another person jumping on Brad Wright's band wagon. As has been discussed here to death - SGA fans do not have such power as to force 1.2 mil. people to turn off their TVs. Brad Wright himself had said in the past that disgruntled SGA fans made up only a tiny amount of SG fans in general. And now that his show's tanking, it's suddenly their fault. What's ridiculous is that there are people buying his spiel.

SGU simply doesn't attract casual viewers and that's one of the reasons it's tanking. S2.0 has proven that SGU is a 1.1 mil. and 0.5 demo show - at the moment.

[BloomGate]

Syndication has long since been a declining market. Especially for serialized shows.

True, but it still exists.

A 40 episode show's profits are profit from season 1 and season 2

A 100 episode show's profit are profit from season 1 - season 5 PLUS syndication money

So they would pick up a 2 year old series that is expensive to make in the *hopes* it'll improve? You do recognize cost go up with each season a show is on the air because of union rules.

As Deevil pointed out, the cost to make doesn't matter to a network as they only pay a licensing fee.

My major problem with Syfy is that they NEVER run promos anywhere but on their own network. They've diluted their SciFi roots with all the reality stuff so merely advertising on their own channel is far less effective than it used to be.

Another issue is the timeslot. Syfy set the time for the show before they even knew what they were up against in that timeslot. They thought (wrongly in hindsight) that SGU and Caprica would make a nice combination and the shows would feed off each other for ratings. Also, at first they thought they were going to be up against DWTS results show instead of DWTS itself - a ratings juggernaut.

A network that thinks SGU can do better would 1. advertise - like during other SCi-Fi shows on other networks and 2. not put it up against 2 of the top shows period.

Again, some keep saying "people aren't watching" but in reality "people aren't watching Live+SD" because if the Live+7 numbers were the Live+SD numbers, there would be no question about renewal.

[Derocalypse]

Ah, another person jumping on Brad Wright's band wagon. As has been discussed here to death - SGA fans do not have such power as to force 1.2 mil. people to turn off their TVs. Brad Wright himself had said in the past that disgruntled SGA fans made up only a tiny amount of SG fans in general. And now that his show's tanking, it's suddenly their fault. What's ridiculous is that there are people buying his spiel.

SGU simply doesn't attract casual viewers and that's one of the reasons it's tanking. S2.0 has proven that SGU is a 1.1 mil. and 0.5 demo show - at the moment.

Agreed. SGU is suppose to stand on its own merits.

[BloomGate]

Ah, another person jumping on Brad Wright's band wagon. As has been discussed here to death - SGA fans do not have such power as to force 1.2 mil. people to turn off their TVs. Brad Wright himself had said in the past that disgruntled SGA fans made up only a tiny amount of SG fans in general. And now that his show's tanking, it's suddenly their fault. What's ridiculous is that there are people buying his spiel.

SGU simply doesn't attract casual viewers and that's one of the reasons it's tanking. S2.0 has proven that SGU is a 1.1 mil. and 0.5 demo show - at the moment.

I don't buy Brad's spiel 100%, but saying there is nothing to it is sticking your head in the sand.

I agree that Syfy (in general) doesn't attract casual viewers and I think it goes back to their rebranding. The changed from Sci-Fi to Syfy in an effort to reduce the "geek" stigma and justify the reality programing. But, they still fail to advertise on other networks to bring in casual viewers despite diluting their strong, (previously) nightly sci-fi fan base where having only in-network advertising worked better.

I look at it like a store that's on a major highway and does good business. Then a major interstate highway gets built and fewer people stop in from just driving by. So, they have to change where they put their billboards because fewer people are already there. They have to actually tell people what they are all about and how to find them now that they don't have a constant stream of customers.

I think that Syfy has to take a decent amount of the responsibility for the current ratings due to their lack of outside promotion and thinking they could compete with 2 (at the time) top 10 shows.

[Derocalypse]

I don't buy Brad's spiel 100%, but saying there is nothing to it is sticking your head in the sand.

I agree that Syfy (in general) doesn't attract casual viewers and I think it goes back to their rebranding. The changed from Sci-Fi to Syfy in an effort to reduce the "geek" stigma and justify the reality programing. But, they still fail to advertise on other networks to bring in casual viewers despite diluting their strong, (previously) nightly sci-fi fan base where having only in-network advertising worked better.

I look at it like a store that's on a major highway and does good business. Then a major interstate highway gets built and fewer people stop in from just driving by. So, they have to change where they put their billboards because fewer people are already there. They have to actually tell people what they are all about and how to find them now that they don't have a constant stream of customers.

I think that Syfy has to take a decent amount of the responsibility for the current ratings due to their lack of outside promotion and thinking they could compete with 2 (at the time) top 10 shows.

I think SYFY did all they could for SGU. I remember early last season the spin SYFY( and from TPTB as well ) used to release about how SGU beat out DollHouse on Fox or how SGU' early season 1 numbers were better than SGA's season 5 numbers. Well the comparison to SGA's season 5 numbers suddenly stopped as well as the spin as SGU's first season numbers started seeing a downward trend. This is when SGU was on Friday. They moved SGU to Tuesday where their is more eyeballs watching TV. What more can SYFY do for SGU except for renewing it for a season 3??

[myhelix]

{mod snip}
I personally do not want a thing to be change on SGU, it a far better show than SGA an SG1 ever was.

{mod snip} I love all three for their own misses and hits.

And IMO it´s not the "Brad Wright" bandwagon to say that some people hold a grudge against this show since the beginning and only increased their negative and sometimes childlike behaviour towards the show with every single forum they can be heard. That is fact not fiction.

Maybe it has nothing to to with the ratings, but you can´t deny that it´s also a factor under many others that gives SGU and fans of the show a hard time to just enjoy it and discuss the good and bad´s without the constant nagging of the "I told you it´s crap" attitude from certain people.

To say, "bad publicity is still publicity" or the so often called upon "freedom of speech" is bs when things get disrespectful and fanatic.

[BloomGate]

I think SYFY did all they could for SGU.

What is it that you think they did for SGU? They moved SGU FROM Friday because of wrestling. I think the idea that "there are more eyeballs watching TV on Tuesdays" came AFTER the move had been made. Also, they didn't know they would be up against DWTS at the time either.

What more can SYFY do for SGU except for renewing it for a season 3??

After they renew season 3, they can:

1. Wait to pick a timeslot until after the major networks announce theirs. On the current schedule, I'd put it on Wednesday nights at 10.

2. Advertise on other networks: An ad here or there on G4 wouldn't be too expensive, and it wouldn't hurt to run promo's during Smallville, Supernatural, Chuck, The Big Bang Theory, No Ordinary Family, and $#*! my Dad says.

3. Shorten the hiatus from 4 months to 1 - or at least do #2 to announce it's return

Those are the things a REAL network would do to support a show.

[Briangate78]

Well, it looks like "Stargate: Universe" is having two issues. Even though people are actually watching, they are not viewing the show live when it counts for advertising and funding. Second, MGM studios filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; thus, sending fear and uncertainty behind scenes.

We pretty much know that already. The decision will need to be made in the coming weeks. They can push it to Jan, but that is about it. It seems SGU is just down to their core audience. Shows like SGA and Sanctuary may have dipped to the bowels of 1.3 Million viewers or even a little less, but have always managed to uptick. For an example Atlantis for episode 510 to 511 went from 1.3 Million viewers to 2.0 Million viewers, and stayed around 1.7 million for the rest of the season. SGU, even with lessened competition could not manage a nice uptick. It shows that the potential viewers for SGU are nearly depleted and they are stuck with their core audience which is hovering between 1.0 to 1.1 million viewers. DVR has also been pretty flat.

Wow this place is awfully quiet today.

Yeah, things will likely change next week. For the good or bad.

I agree, it won't.

the most that could happen is sgu gets canned, and they come up with an idea for a 4th incarnation and mgm says 'ook, sure, but not with these guys, i want new producers/writers'

I think a 4th series is very likely, but it will likely go back to the old format and with new producers and writers. But don't be surprised if we see maybe old cast members taking the reigns as executive producer, like AT did for Sanctuary. Love to see Joe Flanigan behind the scenes. He seemed always interested in producing.

I think SGU problem is that SGA fans ran a successful hate campagn.

No, the problem with SGU is not everyone is finding it appealing or they are finding something better to watch to their liking than SGU.