DISQUS

Jack · 1 year ago

I'm hoping FOX will keep Terminator: TSCC although it lost more than 10 million viewers from its playoff fueled Giants vs Cowboys game premiere in January. Even if that means canceling Prison Break , which has become more of a Sci-Fi show than Terminator.


Please be gentle Prison Break fans :-)

Ike · 1 year ago

Jack, I think Fox will renew both of them due to strong ratings among adults 18-34 (note: 18-34, not 18-49), although Terminator: TSCC is on more of a downward trajectory than Prison Break in seemingly all age groups and actually got LOWER 18-34s than PB on Jan. 21. (Not sure about subsequent weeks, because this site has not reported any more recent 18-34s yet, and they're nearly impossible to find elsewhere.) 18-34s are crucial, because advertisers are incredibly ageist.

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

Ike, for the last couple of weeks Nielsen has not provided us with the data necessary to do the 18-34 and 25-54 breakouts, or we'd have certainly included it.

I can't speculate whether they stopped because we were the ONLY publication (web or otherwise) actually doing anything with it or whether it's just another data posting glitch. We hope it will start up again soon.

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

Ike and let me add: advertisers SHOULD be ageist. It makes a ton of sense. Ageism in this case is NOT akin to racism or other isms.

I still have a 4+ years in the 18-49 demo, we'll see how I feel after that! ;)

Angie · 1 year ago

It pisses me off that advertisers determine what shows I get to watch based on peoples' ages. It's the dumbest set up ever. The fact of the matter is that the majority of people sitting at home are older, not younger. They're targeting a moving demographic! Why has no been smart enough to figure this out yet?!

That said, the premiere of Pussycat Dolls? Funniest ratings EVER. 1.7mil! Ha! Oh, CW, you suck.

Ike · 1 year ago

The strange thing about Pussycat Dolls is that, last year, it got better ratings for same-week reruns (after Next Top Model) than for new episodes. Shouldn't the CW simply put the new episodes after ANTM? Very, very peculiar. Of course, for people who are playing the TVBigShot game, this makes Pussycat Dolls a very bad investment, because only the ratings only count in the game for new episodes, not reruns.

Angie, advertisers have done all kinds of research that convinces them that older audiences don't switch brands or try new things very often. Plus, BECAUSE older viewers watch a lot more TV, they're easier to capture -- especially DURING THE DAY when ad rates are much lower, and during the news, and on cable channels like CNBC or CNN etc. etc. etc. Why pay prime-time rates for the same viewers? So, yeah, I guess Robert's right, and it does makes sense. But, on the other hand, I wonder if there isn't an underserved affluent audience of older viewers who DON'T watch daytime TV or very much cable.

Jon V · 1 year ago

As a change os subject, I have recently re-watched 'Welcome to the Captain' and the 2nd and 3rd episodes are really quite good.

Considering the lead in was a re-run of HIMYM (and not one of the better ones), 'Captain' held 88% of the viewers, 84% of the 18/49 and 91% of the HH.

You folks should give this show a chance. It's got good connections (John Hamburg -Along Came Polly, Something About Mary, etc., Jeffrey Tambor - who's surprisingly good in this, Raquel Welch -admittedly cameos, and the cutest girl on TV - Joanna Garcia). There is also an off-the-wall bellman named Jesus (with a 'J', mind you) and it is very well-written in an understated, wry, TV-insider kind of way.

Check it out... I have it listed on my tv.com site as a 'guilty pleasure'.

Liberty · 1 year ago

How reliable are the Nielsens? Seriously, if no one else provides this type of ratings service how does anyone know if in fact the Nielsens are anywhere near correct? How can we or anyone challenge them? Personally, I doubt the reliability of ratings based on so small a sampling. They may have had some merit in the 50s when there were only 3 choices and a less youth obsessed/ethnically diverse population but not in 2008. How can Nielsen or any other organization possibly claim to have reliable data? Is that their best guess is the only game in town? I have heard of Arbitron but do they get any input in the ratings? If so wouldn't they have the same problem in validating their data? I am so tired of investing in a show that the Nielsen says too few are watching especially when I can go to the internet and all the buzz is on these shows. Something is wrong!!!

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

what's wrong is "buzz on the internet". It doesn't mean anything. Trust me, I love Stargate: SG1, Stargate Atlantis, BSG, you name it -- all shows with HUGE buzz on the Internet that relative to say Two and a Half Men, hardly anyone watches.

Jon V · 1 year ago

P.S. 'The Captain' did better holding viewers (percentage-wise) coming out of HIMYM than 'Old Christine' did coming after 2.5 Men. If that means anything...

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

It shouldn't mean much. 9.38 mil vs. 5.45 mil should mean more. Disclaimer: as remote controls are ubiquitous and have been for a long while and as MANY shows lose a massive amount of their lead in or build massively on their lead-ins, I don't buy into any of that meaning much anymore. I may be wrong, but that's my bias.

Liberty · 1 year ago

But that goes back to my point. I don't know anyone who watches 2 1/2 men but I know many who watch SG1, Atlantis and BSG. Why should we believe the ratings as stated by Nielsen?

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

you shouldn't believe them to be exact representations but you should believe they are relatively correct. the ratings may be TOO LOW for Jericho, but then they're too low for 60 Minutes, Two and a Half Men and CSI as well.

Just because you don't know anyone who watches those shows or American Idol doesn't mean more people aren't watching those shows than SG1.

I love Stargate Atlantis more, but whether I believe the ratings are exact I definitely believe MANY, MANY millions more people watch American Idol and 2.5 Men.

Liberty · 1 year ago

Again, I am not trying to be difficult but WHY should I believe them to be reletively correct? What evidence do we have that they are even remotely correct? They could be factual or just smoke and mirrors because there is no way to validate their numbers. Nor will there be until everyone is counted and then and only then will they be accurate or meaningful. On a side note, I am no more willling for Big Brother to be peering over my shoulder to validate my viewing habits or anything else than I am to accept the "because I said so argument".

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

I agree "because they said so" is a flimsy argument. My evidence is circumstantial, so probably flimsy too, but here goes anyway:

I have to believe that they are relatively correct because all the broadcast networks buy and obsess over the Nielsen data.

From that I conclude that if it wasn't at least a reasonably "fair" proxy, nobody would buy the data and the nets would have forced some other counting system by now. They haven't.

I'd actually be OK with big brother tracking my habits if I got full-on free cable in exchange for it! :)

Maria · 1 year ago

If networks want to look at ratings for the younger demographic DONT look at Nielsen ratings. They should be focusin more on DVR ratings and the amount of downloads the show gets online, streaming, and itunes. Seriously, very few young ppl watch television live anymore...

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

Maria, they do look at DVR ratings, but unfortunately MORE people watching via DVR isn't necessarily better.

Internet downloads wouldn't even rate as high as The CW ;) That's all just PR spin. It will matter someday, today it doesn't.

exrightwing · 1 year ago

Got to say, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles would have done better if the machine was a super Arnold dude and not a pout face little girl. Who thinks this stupid stuff up? Why a little girl?

I just can't buy it. So long Fox, hello termination.

Pati · 1 year ago

I don't know what Prison Break's ratings have been throughout season three. But I do know that the season finale was at about 7.4 million viewers. If that was the average throughout the season, is there a good chance that the show will be brought back for a fourth season?

Robert Seidman · 1 year ago

Pati, Prison Break has reportedly been picked up and will air new episodes in the Fall.

Ike · 1 year ago

7.4 million total viewers doesn't matter. What matters is that the show performs very well in the adults 18-34 demographic which is extremely lucrative. Particularly the male 18-34 demo which makes advertisers salivate like wild dogs. There is absolutely no doubt that Prison Break will be renewed, because it still does well in that demo -- so well that it could charge $200,000 for ads at the beginning of the fall 2007 season, about 4/5ths of what CSI charged at that time.

Pati · 1 year ago

Thank you Robert and Ike. I had been hearing rumors on other boards that since the show wasn't doing as well in the third season, as it did in the first and second seasons, that Fox wasn't so sure that they wanted to bring the show back for a fourth season. I am really hoping that you guys are right, as I have been really into the story since the first season, and would like to see a finish to the story. Thank you again for the info.

Pati · 1 year ago

I just read on another board that Dominic Purcell confirmed in an interview in Ireland that "Prison Break" was coming back in the Fall for a fourth season. Also, Robert Knepper confirmed it in an interview in France. Stating that they were due to start filming for the fourth season some time in May.