After taking a week off for Thanksgiving, against the "Monk" series finale which broke records for a one hour cable scripted show, viewing for "Stargate Universe" dropped dramatically for the fall finale, from 1.891 million live+SD viewers on November 20, to 1.340 million on December 4. It had a .5 live+SD rating with adults 18-49.
While I have seen some live+7 numbers for SGU that suggest when it has been lower, it has made a lot of it up with Live+7 DVR viewing, there's no getting around the Live+SD series lows. I'm trying to get the full Live+7 DVR numbers through 11/20 out to 3 digits for good comparisons and will post them if I get them (so far I've only seen the rounded numbers).
What was Brad Wright saying about outlasting V?? I mean I think it will probably still get a season 2 given the extenuating circumstances surrounding this drop (a one week break and the Monk finale) but still it’s the fall “finale”. Plus I think the comments that it makes it up in DVR are interesting in that people seem to not deem it good enough to watch on the night and will just catchup when they get the chance (whereas before they were watching live). I think this shows the show doesn’t have really good long term prospects.
Wow, that is low. It’s too bad that the best episode of the season had the lowest ratings.
Expect the haters to come in with the usual “Bring back Atlantis” or “This show sucks”.
In your face Dollhouse haters! Sorry couldnt help myself but back in the days of now knowing if Dollhouse was cancelled we had to put with some aweful stuff from the so called SGU fans!
That was a great episode too. It will bounce back. Its way better then Atlantis.
It’s a poorly written show populated with unbelievable characters who generally behave like psychotic 8 year-olds.
Though I did enjoy the irony of Wray criticising Johansen as a military medic performing forensic analysis when they could have used the communication device to bring a forensics specialist on board.
Because I’m sure Wray, as a HR person, has conducted plenty of evidentiary hearings for murder cases….
Monk killed it
That’s because the lion’s share of viewers were tuning in for the series finale of MONK, no doubt
To compare some SGA and SGU numbers…
Well, First Contact which aired last year was SGA’s mid-season finale. They pulled a 1.1 HH rating with 1.4 Million viewers, and went up against the 2008 presidential debate. No episode of SGA in it’s final season fell this low from what I’ve read in my numbers. So it makes you think if Monk was the only factor to these poor numbers. Atlantis ended their 2nd season half with a 1.3 HH rating and 1.7 Million viewers for Live+SD, SGU is now at 1.9 Million viewers for their first half season on a live+SD basis.
I do really enjoy SGU, but I think they may have problems if they cannot get over 2 Million for live anymore. I think the episode “Life” also lost some viewers. They need more eps like the mid-season finale and Time. I heard the 2nd half is going to be faster paced and more action. So hopefully these lost viewers will give the 2nd half a shot.
Funny how Sci-fi was so keen on releasing press releases about beating Dollhouse but nothing now.
A lot of the same people that watch SGU also watch Sanctuary.
I would be watching both of these shows had the network not fired Emilie Ullerup.
I’m just sorry the numbers are this good.
Monk did it? LOL I’m really interested to see if the series finale helped the mid season finale of White Collar. That had a nice twist.
Sounds like it’s time to get out the Bingo Excuse cards for SGU.
I actually think Monk probably did do it to a certain extent. I don’t think there’s much audience overlap but SGU’s numbers are already so low that even a slight erosion brings it down to these levels.
That said I don’t think it matters. The real test will be when it comes back. The mid-season hiatus strategy has not been good to Sci Fi shows (even Lost can trace it’s fall in ratings back to that strategy).
@Cimmer
I’m with you. No one can say definitively whether Monk had an effect or not. But, you can bet your botton dollar that the few fans SGU still has are rushing all aboard the “SGU isn’t performing well because…” excuse train.
Atlantis was better.
The ratings drop is no surprise to me. Stargate Universe is, for all intents and purposes, nothing but a very bad daytime soap opera set on a space ship. I will be very glad to see it go when it is canceled and a better series brought in to take its place. Unfortunately, that won’t be for another year, because SyFy was dumb enough to give Brad Wright a contract for 2 seasons of this dren.
@Y
Yeah, and there’s almost no difference in live numbers from Sanctuary , which costs A LOT LESS to make:
Stargate Universe
- 1.340 million viewers
- 0.9/2 HH
- 0.5/2 A18-49
Sanctuary
- 1.328 million viewers
- 0.9/2 HH
- 0.4/1 A18-49
Marc said: “I heard the 2nd half is going to be faster paced and more action.”
Sadly those of us who were looking for fast paced action have already been ran off, it will be several months before the second half will be aired. The newness is gone and the show has already established itself as a soap opera.
For the claim that the show is trying to be more like real life with all the childish bickering and back stabbing, I don’t allow people like that into my real life, so why would I go out of my way to watch them on TV?
The only character I could have related to was Rush form a science/exploration perspective and he turns out to be as childish as the rest of the crew.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the 2nd half is canceled before it the planned air date which would be sad if it actually gets better. But I keep hearing claims that it will get better and have been disappointed. Sadly the best episode was ‘Time’ when they kill off all these losers which may be foreshadowing the fate of this soap opera.
I am totally disappointed in SGU. Whatever happened to the military motto “No man left behind”? I hated the Rush character, in fact, there isn’t anyone aboard Destiny that is worth mentioning. But, I just don’t understand Young leaving Rush on an isolated planet if he was a true leader of this expedition regardless of what Rush did. The writers have not written ethics and values into anyone on the show. There’s nothing but constant bickering between the entire cast. There is no depth. It’s the facts that I have found no way to connect with any of the characters. I am certain that each actor/actress is putting their heart and soul into being whoever they are supposed to represent in the show but they are not likable or identifiable. Each character is so hostile, self-centered, angry and self-absorbed that those viewers who once enjoyed Stargate and each and every charters personality and show production is being lost. There is no good or bad, they are all bad. I want to like this show because of my love of the Stargate Franchise, but I just can’t grasp the dark, shakey, back and forth to earth, inter-character hate and fighting, sex driven show. If I continue to watch, it is only with hope, dire hope that the owners, producers, writers, etc. will wake up and start developing a decent story line and dialog in the next session.
The advanced orders on DVD for SGU are being offered. I wouldn’t buy the set, and wonder how many of the viewers want to re-watch anything they have seen in the last 10 episodes.
The writers/owners/directors/producers have even changed RDA personality to make him into a non-caring person. Why?
The ratings will continue to drop unless someone changes the course of Destiny.
First episode of the season that wasn’t terrible and it got the lowest ratings? Figures. But I guess they’re answering the question of how much good will Stargate fans had towards the franchise.
Maybe a number of fans bugged out after “Life”? Who knows for sure.
I do know that “Justice” was the last one for me. Sorry to the SG folks, I tried.
“Whatever happened to the military motto “No man left behind”?”
Heather: that doesn’t apply to Rush for a couple of reasons. Rush was stabbing his team members in the back, and he wasn’t part of the fraternity of the military in the first place. Leaving Rush there was the only thing that anyone on the show has done at any point that made any sense .