Is it possible that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles could be cancelled before the season even ends? Sure, it's possible, but it doesn't seem likely, despite continued deteriorating ratings. But, what FOX does or doesn't do with the 8pm slot on Fridays may say more to how it feels about Dollhouse, than how it feels about Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
We already know how FOX feels about Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Sucky. The question is, does it feel just plain awful about it? My guess is no. Even with the latest ratings decline which included getting beat by an hour of Howie Do It (one original episode, one repeat), I'm thinking FOX lets it finish out its run.
That thinking is predicated on speculation which I merely think is true, rather than anything I know for certain is true. But I speculate that Warner Brother a.) made the show available to FOX very cheaply and b.) that when Terminator: Salvation comes out there will be a HUGE marketing spend promoting the movie, and that FOX will get a preferential share of the television advertising dollars allocated to promote the movie.
Speaking of the movie, now even James Hibberd likely motivated by crazed Terminator fanboys on the Internet throws out (and simultaneously, smacks down) the notion of well what if the movie is a hit in the summer and rubs off on the TV show. That's not happening!
Commitment to a two hour, big screen, action packed movie is very different than a television show. But moreover, even if it's the blockbuster hit of the summer (and I'll certainly go see it!), and even if it does create a Terminator frenzy that causes more people to check out the TV show, they'll check it out and think, "That's not anything like the movie, see ya!"
If it was one hour of pure Sarah and Cameron being badass chicks with stuff constantly blowing up? It would do better, for sure. But that approach would do better regardless of there being a movie. That isn't the show they are making. They've moved further and further away from that sort of thing (although it looks like they might be moving back towards more action) and it's not clear to me that Josh Friedman wants to make that kind of show.
It seems, Friedman is much more interested in exploring how people react and adapt to what's going on around them. I find that aspect similar to Battlestar Galactica, but that's easier to get away with on cable and it's not like BSG's ratings are catching fire, although with only 3 episodes left now, that doesn't matter.
But Battlestar Galactica doesn't have anybody whining about how its lead-in is tanking BSG's ratings which is semi-remarkable as its current lead-in is Moonlight. SciFi Friday nights right now has Moonlight sandwiched in-between reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica.
But TSCC is facing pressure, at least from fans of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Dollhouse fans are starting to get exasperated over the TSCC lead-in and wondering if FOX could do anything else. I'm not sure there's anything FOX could put on at 8pm that would measurably change how it's going for Dollhouse, but it seems a slam dunk that FOX could improve the night's performance overall at least a bit, simply by replacing TSCC with House reruns.
There's absolutely no way Dollhouse doesn't get to air all 13 episodes (they've already been shot!), and I don't see FOX pulling the plug on TSCC. But if it does, that to me says much more about how FOX feels about Dollhouse. If it improved Dollhouse's lead-in that would suggest that FOX cares more about Dollhouse than whatever deal it has with Warner Brothers that has kept TSCC on the air as long as it already has. I don't see that happening, but if it did I'd view it as a sign that FOX isn't completely in the space of "once all 13 episodes have aired, it's done."
Despite all the sales chatter, that's pretty much the conclusion we came to as soon as it was announced that Dollhouse and TSCC were going to be on Friday nights, where shows go to die. We speculated then, as now, that these shows were being sent there to die! But we figured they'd get to air all their episodes. I still do figure that. I haven't talked to Bill since Friday night's numbers came out, but I imagine he's in the same place. I don't see them pulling the plug on TSCC to benefit Dollhouse mostly because I don't think it winds up being any real benefit to Dollhouse.
But if FOX does pull the plug on TSCC, I will definitely adjust my mindset to think that perhaps all the sales chatter wasn't just, sales chatter.
I don’t want to TSCC-die. I want more and more TSCC. It’ my favourite show!!! Please fans! Save Sarah Connor Chronicles!
Prison Break is going to come back early. That is unless Warner sweetens the deal.
I can understand removing TSCC before the end of this season (although I still think it’s unlikely).
As for the potential of Warner Brothers sweetening (i.e. either paying more or accepting less money), why would they do it? To benefit the movie? How exactly does a barely alive TV show benefit the movie at this point? The show’s only got 6 more episodes to show, and unless the decision gets made *really* fast, they’re going to show one more by default. So the only thing that’s on the table is the airing of between 1-5 additional episodes. Why should WB spend even more money?
Do you think FOX might take a chance and renew it for a new season hoping that the movie in the summer might raise its ratings next year?
“Do you think FOX might take a chance and renew it for a new season hoping that the movie in the summer might raise its ratings next year?”
Not bad idea. I like it! I hope again
With 6 episodes left i think they will air the rest. They can’t start airing PB until it’s ready and they are shooting episode 23 right now
The show is not coming back. I think it will last the 6 remaining episodes, but its not coming back.
Once TSCC is over, won’t Prison Break be taking it’s spot? That might help, but I really think it should come on after American Idol.
Over/under 500 comments about they need to keep it because the movie is coming out? But the hardest core fans won’t be convinced to rationally think about what will actually happen. They will stick with wishing and hoping.
I don’t see any upside to WB sweetening the deal. I suppose there is some wiggle room for WB where they could say “$15 million in T4 advertising that we were going to spend with FOX now moves elsewhere!” But I don’t see the benefit of doing that.
But I don’t know that there’s really any benefit to FOX either. Is FOX already on the hook for paying whatever they agreed per episode for those final episodes? If so, maneuvering amounts to “so what?” If not, I could see them bailing, but won’t be surprised if they don’t.
The DVD/digital downloads will probably sell better if they include a few episodes that never aired on TV.
Will “Dullhouse?” Why would FOX pull the better show of the two? (And let me tell you, it takes a rare breed of bad show to be able to say such a thing about “Terminator.”)
I think common sense would suggest that if you’ve got two shows which are stinking it up in the ratings that they’d be more likely to yank the one which has more episodes in the can than the one which has fewer. Especially since the one which has fewer episodes in the can has some free promotion coming up in 3 months. They could also, hypothetically-speaking, yank both of them and bring back “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.” You know, those shows that get exactly the same ratings as “Terminator” and “Dullhouse” at a fraction of the price. But I guess such a novel concept would never cross the minds of those sporting the joss-coloured glasses.
TSCC sux anywaz… not be harsh sorry! But honestly, I watched it and it wasn’t really that good!
Riff, quality as always is extremely subjective. Over the last couple of episodes I’ve found Dollhouse to be the better show, and agree with the comments that the 2nd episode of Dollhouse was its best outing so far. But subjective opinions over quality matter not.
In any kind of an either/or scenario (rather than both), I give the edge to Dollhouse. Not because its numbers are better, but because the FOX mothership has incurred 100% of the cost of making the episodes already , which is not the case with TSCC.
From a FOX conglomerate perspective, it won’t save much/any money by not airing the episodes and what it replaces it with won’t do much/any better. Dollhouse outperforms the game shows in the demo, even with a 1.6.
Nick, is that confirmed? And how is it looking for the show to be picked up by SciFi or CW now? :/
I agree that the show needs to become more action-orientated. And definitely more Cameron, she is THE freakin’ Terminator for crying out loud! It’s not just “The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” It’s TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It needs to go back to its roots.
Love the pic of Summer and the lil endoskeleton up there, btw.
Riff, it’s called business. DOLLHOUSE makes more money than all the other options you mentioned. Since it makes FOX more money…
It doesn’t really matter what you think of Whedon.
TSCC is dead, and that 1.2 was horrible. FOX was expecting 1.5s at worst from the show, and it got a 1.3 last week and a 1.2 this week. They figure PRISON BREAK would be stronger (just as it was stronger on Mondays). All I know is PRISON BREAK can’t be any worse.
Don’t be surprised when PRISON BREAK gets moved up. Also it doesn’t matter if PRISON BREAK is shooting episode 23 right now. It isn’t like they’re going to air episode 23 first.
Isn’t it possible PB was slightly stronger on Mondays because it actually had another show leading into it? That was the case with TSCC in its first season.
Rachel, last week FOX was leaning towards keeping TSCC on the air, but a 1.2 is a 1.2. The people pushing for it to be kicked are going to be listened to more this week. It’s going to happen. Maybe not this week, but soon. As long as it is pulling 1.2s it’s not helping anyone defend it.
Rachel, my argument is that TSCC was better in its first season. Viewers are just showing their opinion. We’re talking about a show that once was viewed by 19 Million people. Now it gets 3 million viewers. That means 16 million people chose to stop watching for some reason or another. It doesn’t matter when you air it or how much you spend on promotion. It will never do well.
Which is why SCI FI will probably be interested. They saw FLASH GORDON and still put it on the air after all. The CW won’t be interested. The show has fallen too much. If say 5M viewers were still watching Dawn might not have an argument. She has one right now.
Theyre not pulling it. Terminator will air all of its episodes and so will Dollhouse. For a few episodes, Dollhouse will have Prison Break as a lead in but that won’t matter, Terminator, Prison Break, and highly likely Dollhouse are all gone when the seasons done.
They can’t possibly NOT pull it. A 1.2 is unacceptable, as is the show’s creative direction.
“We’re talking about a show that once was viewed by 19 Million people.”
It’s good to have the Superbowl as your lead-in, but it was down to 10 million the following week.
Nobody wants TSCC to have more seasons more than I. While the last couple episodes haven’t been my favorite, it is still one of the best shows on television IMHO. I just don’t understand why it loses to every other show out there.