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Enterprise kicked off its reruns with a strong performance yesterday, with figures almost up to the levels of October 2002.

"The Communicator" averaged a 3.2/5 rating, according to figures published at MediaWeek. This means approximately 3.2% of American households with television sets were tuned into Enterprise, while the episode was viewed by 5% of households watching television at the time. These figures come from overnight ratings based on the top markets, and final ratings will be available next week.

This puts it considerably higher than the last episode to be re-run — "The Seventh" — which scored 2.5/4 back in January. And it puts the show almost at the level last seen with "Shockwave, Part II" which scored a 3.4/5 rating back on October 23 2002.

Enterprise came fifth in the 8pm timeslot, beating the WB's repeat of Dawson's Creek on 2.0/3. Fox's American Idol won the hour with 12.4/18, followed by ABC with My Wife and Kids on 7.6/12 and George Lopez on 7.2/11, CBS with Star Search on 6.7/10 and NBC with Ed on 6.4/10.

In the 9pm slot, a rerun of Enterprise lead-out The Twilight Zone wilted in the face of a new episode of Angel. However, The Twilight Zone still faired reasonably well, with its 2.6/4 rating actually ahead of a 2.5/4 it received for an all-new episode a few weeks ago.

UPN once again played its rotating game with the WB, taking the fifth position from the frog network for the evening. Its 2.9/4 rating just edged out the WB's 2.8/4. Fox won the night with 9.3/14, followed by NBC with 8.4/13, ABC with 7.6/11 and CBS on 7.3/11.

The original article is available here at MediaWeek.

Final ratings figures for last week's "Canamar" show a sharp decline in viewing numbers.

According to Enterprise Nielsen Ratings, the episode scored a 2.8/4 final rating. Although that's in line with the recent 2.9/4 and 2.9/5 final ratings the show has been receiving, the viewership of 4,100,000 is down from the previous week's 4,620,000.

These final results continue the trend of being contrary to overnight ratings. Two weeks ago overnight ratings went up, yet final ratings showed a decline. And although "Canamar" held those same overnight figures, Enterprise has again seen a drop in the final numbers.

You can find the original figures here here at Enterprise Nielsen Ratings.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films yesterday announced the nominations for the 29th Annual Saturn Awards, with the Trek franchise recognised in 10 categories.

Enterprise scored four nods, including Best Network Television Series, according to the Saturn Awards web site. The series will face competition from Alias, Angel, Smallville, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and its Wednesday-night lead-out, The Twilight Zone, to take home the gong.

Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) was nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Television Series with the likes of Farscape's Ben Browder and Stargate SG-1's Richard D. Anderson, while Connor Trinneer (Charles 'Trip' Tucker) will face off with Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) and Victor Garber (Alias), among others, for Best Supporting Actor. Both actors were nominated in the same categories last year, but lost to Browder and Rosenbaum, respectively.

While her co-stars are competing for their first Saturn, Jolene Blalock (T'Pol) will be looking for her third, having taken home the Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series and Female Face of the Future awards last year. Blalock is once again nominated in the supporting actress category, with her competition including Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Michelle Trachtenberg.

The franchise's latest silver screen adventure didn't go unnoticed either, with Star Trek Nemesis scoring a nod in the category of Best Science Fiction Film. The other nominees were Men In Black 2, Minority Report, Signs, Solaris and Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Tom Hardy (Shinzon) was recognised for his performance in the Best Supporting Actor category, with the young thespian up against Max Von Sydow for Minority Report and Andy Serkis for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, among others. Trek's behind-the-scenes wizards didn't go unrecognised, with Bob Ringwood nominated for Best Costume and Michael Westmore honoured in the Best Make-up category.

Trek's resurgence on the DVD scene was also noticed by the academy, with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan nominated for Best DVD Classic Film Release, and all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation competing with Babylon 5, The X-Files and others for Best DVD TV Programming Release.

On the alumni front, Michael Piller's The Dead Zone was nominated in the category of Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, while the Carrie telefilm, written by former Voyager scribe Bryan Fuller, is up for Best Single Television Presentation. John Dykstra, who worked on the special effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, was recognised for his effects work on Spider-Man.

Fantasy epic The Two Towers and futuristic thriller Minority Report led the film nominations with ten nods each, followed by Attack of the Clones with six. The most-nominated television series were Buffy and Smallville, both recognised in five categories, followed by Enterprise, Angel and Taken with four nods.

Trek has won several Saturn Awards since their inception in 1973, with past winners including William Shatner (James T. Kirk), Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway) and Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine). The awards seek to honour the very best in genre entertainment, as science fiction and fantasy films and television series are often overlooked by major awards bodies.

The winners will be announced on May 18. The full list of nominations can be found here at the Saturn Awards web site. Thanks to Edward Curtis for this!

Enterprise network UPN is facing a legal battle after Fox TV stations filed a $108m lawsuit against the network for breach of contract. This altercation between the two powers could very well affect the future of UPN.

Although exact details aren't clear yet, it seems that the spiralling ratings of UPN — down around 23% on last year (story) — have triggered Fox into taking action, according to NY Daily News. "The Fox stations are pissed off," a source told the website. "They could do better as independents."

The Fox station group became affiliated with UPN two years ago, when the Chris-Craft station group was bought out by Fox parent News Corporation. Through this action, Fox gained control over eight key UPN affilliates, in top markets such as New York and Los Angeles. Fox thereby held the key to UPN's continued survival, and reportedly used this leverage to make UPN acquire the Fox-produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer at a cost of $2.3m per episode.

The Hollywood Reporter believes the action has been spurred on by UPN sharply reducing advertising and promotion during the past year, causing the affiliates to suffer from a ratings decline. But, Hollywood Reporter along with NY Daily News, concur that the legal action may just be a negotiating tactic.

Fox's affiliation contract runs through the 2003-4 season, but some speculate that Fox may be employing tactics early to secure the extension of the contract and to push UPN into investing into programming and promotion. "There's been a lot of buzz about UPN going away," the source told the NY Daily News. "The network is losing money. Sumner [Redstone, CEO of Viacom] has a low tolerance for losses."

UPN will probably want to appease its affiliates, but it isn't getting drawn into a fight - yet. "This is nothing more than a contract dispute that we hope to resolve privately and amicably," UPN said in a statement. "But if we have to go to court, we will clearly prevail."

But if Fox was to discontinue its association with UPN — the worse case scenario — the loss of key affiliates would diminish the network's reach within the US and would mean that many Trek fans could lose their weekly dose of Enterprise.

The original NY Daily News article can be found here, and the Hollywood Reporter article can be found here.

Dark Primus wrote: Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) was nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Television Series with the likes of Farscape's Ben Browder and Stargate SG-1's Richard D. Anderson,

Admiral Johnason wrote:The guy on Farscape should win.

Admiral Johnason wrote:Dude, chill.

I don't know where that came from. Maybe out of my random ass?

While her co-stars are competing for their first Saturn, Jolene Blalock (T'Pol) will be looking for her third, having taken home the Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series and Female Face of the Future awards last year. Blalock is once again nominated in the supporting actress category, with her competition including Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Michelle Trachtenberg.

Wicked Pilot wrote:

Admiral Johnason wrote:Dude, chill.

You will be the first to die, I know where you go to school!

And DON'T physically threaten me again.

Wicked Pilot wrote:You will be the first to die, I know where you go to school!

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:It was funny.

Lighten the fuck up, Narc.

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:I'm with Pilot, Richard Dean had better fucking win, if SCOTT BAKULA who play ARCHER on ENTERPRISE wins over RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON who plays O'NEIL on STARGATE SG-1 I will let the world feel the wrath of an enraged gnome, and they will no PAIN!!!

Bakula can't act worth my grandmas ass, he should've quit the buisness after Quantum Leap, AFTER he joined ENT I lost ALL respect for this man who was once part of my favorite sci-fi show.

Anderson is an EXCELLENT actor, part of a show that is UNTOLD times better than ENT, who can act well AND do action scenes in tandem without breaking a fucking sweat! If theres one guy int he sci-fi buisness who still has his dignity, its Richard Dean Ander-fucking-son.

[/rant]

Admiral Johnason wrote:You are going to keep holding that against me, aren't you? Pilot, I just meant that you must maintain focus in times like these. Though SG-1 deserves the best show award and I think Anderson is one hell of an actor. He should get it next year as this is Farscapes last season. He will get it than and every year it goes up against Ent.

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:I'm with Pilot, Richard Dean had better fucking win, if SCOTT BAKULA who play ARCHER on ENTERPRISE wins over RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON who plays O'NEIL on STARGATE SG-1 I will let the world feel the wrath of an enraged gnome, and they will no PAIN!!!