Firefly/Dark Angel Ratings Comparison

[phoenix]

I wonder how long it will take for them actually to cancel it. ;D ;D

[Fee]

too long. Vermin's gonna drag it out, cos of course she can't admit defeat...

[Special_Agent_Scully]

Thought y'all might like to hear my little story. ;D

I dunno if any of you hang around the Television Without Pity (TWoP) MBs. They recently added a thing where individual people can buy text ads for $10 that are displayed on all of the diffrent shows' message boards.

Well I was heading over to the snark-tastic X-Files board (go figure ) when I saw the following ad:

Help fellow TWOPers
If you have a Nielsen box, watch FireFly this friday!
If you don't have a box watch it anyway, it's really improved!!

I nuts you not. This is true. I just laughed and thought "Getting a little desperate, are we?".

The sadness of the situation I tell ya.

[Hootie81]

hahahaha ;D

Excuse me while I laugh 'till my stomach aches:)

It couldn't happen to a better witch, uh.... I mean woman.

[phoenix]

I doubt that is what tv without pity say in their episode summaries. They bag every show... I'd love to see what they say about ff. I just haven't got around to reading it yet. ;D ;D

[UncleGordo]

Just a couple of things I wouldn't watch Fireflop if it was the last television series to be shown on earth, that just on principle.
On the SaveMyShow.com web site 55% want the Fireflop cancelled go figure.
Can you believe this garbage is still on the air Nov 1st the ratings were 2.8 with 4.28M viewers, and it drop from 90th place to 101st. At the rate its' going it won't show on the ratings list at all.

[phoenix]

I wouldn't watch it but I'm curious as to other people's opinions of it. I'm a principle person to.

[Dawn]

Damn! Fruitfly has already dropped below 100? That's good to hear. I'l sleep better tonight knowing this. ;D

I'm also one of those that hasn't and won't ever watch that show. I take lots of pride in that. I even talked a lot of people I work with & others into not giving the show (and in certain ways, FOX) a chance. In fact, I don't know a solitary person who actually watches FF.

I guess it wouldn't be that bad to get an unbiased POV about the show from someone. But, as they say, the truth hurts, and i have a feeling this is so with FF.

[houston]

The overnights are in for Fireflop at Zap2it:

Among adults 18-49, NBC led with a 4.2 rating, followed by ABC, 2.9, FOX, 2.7, and CBS, 2.2.

"Providence" started the night for NBC with an 8.0/14. CBS took second with "48 Hours Investigates," 6.7/12. "America's Funniest Home Videos" on ABC was third, with FOX's "Firefly" bringing up the rear at 2.9/5.

At 9 p.m., "Dateline" kept NBC in first place, while CBS stayed in second with "Hack," 6.7/12. FOX moved up to third with "John Doe," 4.1/7. "The Drew Carey Show" on ABC struggled in its Friday debut. Back-to-back episodes averaged 3.5/6.

[phoenix]

and once again ff has done brilliantly. Good job fox. ;D

[Web Warlock]

Here is a site that has FF ratings.

Not updated as quickly as I would like, but the numbers still look good (and low!)

home.insightbb.com/~wahoskem/firefly1.html

Warlock

[UncleGordo]

The following is a copy of a letter I have sent to VP Corporate Affairs at News Corp Andrew Butcher using the ratings analysis as my basis for my arguement it is quite long so I have to post it probably in four separate entries. I have also sent copies of the letter to Jessica, Berman, Sandy Grushow, Cameron, David Nevins the VP Programming, Here goes
Part 1
News Corporation Limited
1211 Avenue of Americas
8th Floor
New York City, New York
10036
Attn. Andrew Butcher
Vice President - Corporate Affairs and Communications
Gentlemen
VIEWER SATISFACTION – WHO NEEDS IT?
I have just completed an extensive and comprehensive review of the programming of the Fox Network since the beginning of the 2000-2001 television season and the actions of the Programming Department since May 2000, my review was primarily directed at the decisions affecting three series and they are THE DARK ANGEL, TWENTY-FOUR AND FIREFLY. Lets deal with the decision that affected THE DARK ANGEL, this series was shown Tuesday night in the time slot of 9:00 to10:00PM during the 2000-2001 season and attracted an average weekly audience of 10.24 million viewers and average weekly ratings/market share of 6.56/10.07 and according to The Futoncritic.com was the #9 valued series on the air, which most experts would agree made the series a rating success, and worthy of mention as one of Fox’s television top dramatic series of the 2000-2001 season in your Business Description of June 2001 on your web site.
But in the infinite wisdom of the powers to be at Fox THE DARK ANGEL was yanked from its’ Tuesday night time slot of 9.00-10.00PM at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season in favor of the new series TWENTY-FOUR which earned the average weekly viewing audience of 8.62 million and the average weekly ratings/market share of 5.42/8.17 a substantial reduction from the ratings of THE DARK ANGEL. The next questionable decision was made at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season when “THE SUITS” decided to move THE DARK ANGEL to the demographic graveyard of Friday night at 8.00-9.00PM and then eventually to 9.00-10.00PM an even worse demographic time slot, but even so it was able to attract an average weekly viewing audience of 6.02 million and ratings/market share of 3.83/6.86 and then to be dealt the final indignity of a pre-determined cancellation in favor of THE FIREFLY which in its’ initial seven episode could only attract an average viewing audience of 4.66 million and average weekly ratings/market share of 3.01/5.43 again substantially less than THE DARK ANGEL.

[UncleGordo]

News Corp Letter
Part 2
Members of THE SAVE THE DARK ANGEL CAMPAIGN are at a total loss to understand the programming policy of the Fox Television Network, a series that should have been cancelled without hesitation remains on the air, in fact additional episodes were requested, and a series that should have been renewed without question was cancelled, the two series that I am referring to are THE FIREFLY and THE DARK ANGEL, but obviously the ratings are not taken into consideration as the criteria for the decision making at the Programming Department at Fox.Network
I freely admit that I was and still am a devoted and loyal fan the of THE DARK ANGEL, a series whose
concept I consider to be truly original and unique, and vastly superior to much of the current Fox schedule. I have actively campaigned and will continue to campaign for the renewal of THE DARK ANGEL in some form, ideally I would like to see a third season and beyond, however if that is not possible a mini-
series, or a series of feature movies to provide closure to a number of storylines that were left dangling
PAGE 2

with the episode THE FREAK NATION, which was supposed to be the season’s finale episode and not as it turned out to be the series’ final episode.
The programming genius who was hired in May 2000 allegedly to save the FOX NETWORK from oblivion, however the viewing public doesn’t seem to be co-operating, the ratings for the new programming which your resident programming guru has introduced, and the existing schedule of the network are quite frankly pathetic. The Fox Network has once again become The Network of Shame or an even better description of THE FOX NETWORK is THE BOTTOM FEEDER of the MAJOR NETWORKS. The Fox Network has shown a total disregard and contempt for the general viewing public and in particular the devoted and loyal fans of the best series your network has had in years which is THE DARK ANGEL, a series created by one of the best director of our times James Cameron and his co-creator Charles Eglee, and in my view deserved a much better fate than the cancellation initiated by Berman.
As far as I am concerned THE DARK ANGEL was never given a chance, the incoming president Berman came to Fox with a pre-determined disposition for the series and that was dictated by a former associate who believed as rumor has it, that because of the similarity of the name THE DARK ANGEL and his series Angel that the DARK ANGEL was stealing his audience, however this should never have been a consideration for Berman, her responsibility was to the average weekly audience of 10.24 million fans of THE DARK ANGEL and the Fox Network, and certainly not to Joss Whedon or the WB network. In my opinion to compare the two series is to give Angel much more credence than it deserved.
It would seem that Berman’s method of programming management is questionable to say the least, why would she conspire with Rene Echevarra the Co-Executive of THE DARK ANGEL at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season to change the creative direction of the series by introducing an ever-growing batch of “Transgenics, half-human monsters, which was totally foreign to the concept of James Cameron and Charles Englee. Jessica Alba expressed her disappointment in a newspaper article which appeared in the Calgary Sun April 25, 2002 with the direction that Echevarra who was not the original creator of the show was taking the series thus turning it basically into a Freak Show. That change and the decision to move THE DARK ANGEL to the demographic graveyard of 8:00-9:00PM and eventually to 9:00-10:00PM Friday night, an even worse demographic time slot was the pre-requisite for the eventual cancellation of THE DARK ANGEL. Speaking of the cancellation I totally disagree with the statement attributed to Berman who said that the cancellation was the result of high production costs and low ratings, both of which were the responsibility of Berman and Echevarra who introduced additional characters which required substantial makeup ie half-human monsters, and the move to Friday night which resulted in lower ratings, and lets not forget about the fact that the production of THE DARK ANGEL took place in Vancouver B.C . which allowed much of the production costs to be paid in Canadian dollars which when converted to U.S. funds was worth 62-64 cents approximately a 35-40% savings if those same costs required payment in U.S. dollars which further discredits Berman’s statement.

[UncleGordo]

NEWS CORP LETTER
PART 3
That decision was to the benefit of Berman’s, new pet series TWENTY-FOUR and even with a substantial advertising and promotional budget the series could only attract an average weekly audience 8.62 million fans, which was substantially less than THE DARK ANGEL’S first season in the same time slot.. With reference to advertising and promotion I would be extremely interested in learning just how much of a budget was allocated to THE DARK ANGEL for the 1st season once a former associate made it known that he would dearly love to see the series cancelled, but of course that wasn’t for public consumption, but occasionally the walls do have ears.
And then we have another example of a questionable decision when Berman requested that her dear buddy Joss Whedon create a new science fiction series which was THE FIREFLY, unfortunately his effort was considerably less than fantastic. The original two hour pilot episode was rejected by Berman
due to the fact that it was and still is pure barnyard fodder and the re-submitted pilot wasn’t much better.
PAGE 3

Even with an enormous advertising and promotional budget this series after seven episodes could only attract an audience of 4.66 million viewers with a rating/market share of 3.01/5.43, and as we can see it’s on a slippery slope downwards much to the chagrin of Berman
THE DARK ANGEL with an non-existence advertising budget and which was quite frankly abandoned by Berman and the rest of the network’s brass was able to attract an average weekly audience for the entire 2001-2002 season of 6.02 million viewers, with ratings/market share of 3.83/6.86. These facts were available to Berman, however in her infinite wisdom she has made the decision not to cancel THE FIREFLY but instead to order an additional episodes, which is an example of decisions made for her personal gain or that of her friends, seeing she is listed as Co-Executive Producer along with her good buddy Joss Whedon. This decision is totally beyond belief, it is like whipping a dead horse to run the last quarter mile, and just proves that the decision making process at the Fox Network is totally devoid of reason or logic, and THE DARK ANGEL which is a much superior series not only by concept but potential should never of been cancelled.
Another factor which has me and many others totally baffled is that THE DARK ANGEL and JESSICA ALBA has an extensive international fan base and the fact that THE NEWS CORP LTD. is an international media and entertainment producer and supplier, wouldn’t it be in the best interest of your corporation to promote this series which has the potential to be a signature series with excellent developing storylines. This series has provided excellent entertainment for two years and if it had been allowed to follow the original concept as developed by James Cameron and Charles Eglee it would have provide at least three more years.
But I want to emphasize that if this series is put back in production as many of us hope, Jessica Alba who is “THE DARK ANGEL”, Michael Weatherly and as many of the original cast as possible must be included, and James Cameron as well as Charles Eglee must be involved in the writing and production and the eventual resurrection of this series, and it must be given a suitable demographic time slot which allows for the success of the series. I might add at this time there are some extremely strong feelings as to the future of this series, and if THE DARK ANGEL is not resurrected, there are a substantial number of people who are already BOYCOTTING THE FOX NETWORK and are prepared to continue that BOYCOTT indefinitely and I am one of them. I have not viewed any programming from FOX whether it appears on your network directly or on another network since the cancellation. I wonder if our BOYCOTT is affecting the pathetic ratings that the Fox Network is earning these days?
Copies To - Sandy Grushow-Chairman Fox Broadcasting Entertainment
Gail Berman-President Fox Broadcasting Entertainment
David Nevins-Executive Vice President, Programming Fox Broadcasting Company
James Cameron-Executive Producer, Co-Creator The Dark Angel
Jessica Marie Alba-Principal Lead Actor, “The Dark Angel”

-

[Esco]

nice stuff! but do you think berman will actually read this letter? considering that they completey screwed the postcards cause they thought it had something to do with anthrax. anyways, good luck! hope you get a reply.