Top-rated Battlestar Galactica finished off the night with its second season premiere, "Scattered." The episode delivered 3,053,000 total viewers, earning a 2.6 household rating. The show was cable's most-watched program that night for men 18 to 49 and men 25 to 54.
Michael Hinman wrote:
Battlestar Galactica Murders Competition
Author: Michael Hinman
Date: 07-18-2005
Source: SyFy Portal
The viewers have not only stuck around for more ... they've brought friends.
The final numbers are in, and SciFi Channel is still on top with its SciFi Friday, beating out competition all across cable with its one-two-three punch of "Stargate SG-1," "Stargate: Atlantis" and "Battlestar Galactica."
"Galactica" ended up the No. 1 show on cable in key demographics for its second season premiere Friday night, pulling in a 2.6 household rating, equating to just over 3 million viewers, according to SciFi Channel officials. That is 200,000 more viewers than last season's finale, which aired in early April.
When it came to coveted demographics like Men 18-49 and Men 25-54, "Galactica" was the top show of both cable and broadcast shows. The premiere, "Scattered," was the highest-rated episode to date, not counting 2003's miniseries.
"Galactica's" lead-in shows did quite well, too. "SG-1," with new stars Ben Browder and Beau Bridges, pulled in 2.6 million viewers with a 2.1 rating, which was slightly above last year's average rating of 2.0.
"Atlantis" was actually the second-most-watched show on the channel Friday night, pulling in a 2.2 ratings, or 2.8 million viewers. Its second season premiere was up almost 6 percent over its series premiere last year, and has shown significant audience growth going into its second season.
SciFi will show new episodes for the next nine weeks of all three series, and then picking up with the second half of these seasons in January. "SG-1" airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by "Atlantis" at 9 and "Galactica" at 10.
Let's hope it stays this way.
I have to say, SG-1 was good, but the Atlantis cliffhanger made it even more attractive; never mind the goodness that is BSG
I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season."
My mother, a woman who couldn't stand Star Trek or Babylon 5 in any incarnation, and merely tolerated Star Wars for the sake of my father is hooked on BSG. I mean hooked! Hell, my wife is even starting to warm up to it. It's a great fucking show, I'm glad it's doing so well.
"This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it.” -Tom Clancy
Do you guys think this just MIGHT influence other shows coming down the pike sci fi wise to emulate BSG and SG-1 in terms of quality storytelling and continuity? I don't want fucking clones I just mean no reset button one episode shows. Or will these shows continue to be the precious blips on our entertainment radar?
Wherever you go, there you are.
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Stravo wrote:Do you guys think this just MIGHT influence other shows coming down the pike sci fi wise to emulate BSG and SG-1 in terms of quality storytelling and continuity? I don't want fucking clones I just mean no reset button one episode shows. Or will these shows continue to be the precious blips on our entertainment radar?
Don't get me wrong, I like arcs and episodic continuity but I don't know that I need to have everything tie so closely together from one episode to another. I do like it that things in one episode are not essentially forgotten except for when a writer thinks it's "cool" to have one of the charcters mentioned what happened in a previous episode in some sort of off hand manner.
What I hope BSG does is encourage good character writing and production values and more importantly pushes a trend that not all Sci-Fi or fantasy needs to be kid friendly. In a way it's like television is getting a little closer to catching up to print in that regard and I hope it continues.
By the pricking of my thumb,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks.
Perhaps the new BSG is making such a splash in the ratings is also because the writers are making an effort to tie in real worlds troubles into the series.
P.S. Sci-fi fucking rocks. Now if they would start showing anime movies on saturday mornings again, and some other cartoon series during weekdays, they might be able to cut into CartoonNetwork's share of teenage viewers.
Stravo wrote:Do you guys think this just MIGHT influence other shows coming down the pike sci fi wise to emulate BSG and SG-1 in terms of quality storytelling and continuity? I don't want fucking clones I just mean no reset button one episode shows. Or will these shows continue to be the precious blips on our entertainment radar?
Its more then just BSG and Stargate. Look at the series that USA have going for them. The 4400 qualifies as Scifi and its a very good show. It mixes continuity with stand alone episodes. And then you have The Deadzone. While not scifi, it qualifies as a modern setting fantasy to a degree (the physchic angle) and its also very similar in respects to The 4400 when it comes to continuity and good story telling.
The concept has really begun to catch on. In the last 3 years there have been more good scifi/fantasy series then bad.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
Coming from the UK, I thought the whole problem with ST Enterprise was that 4million was not enough to justify it, yet sci-fi is happy with 3 ?
What qualifies as 'high viewing' totals in the usa? I remember once seeing that Star Trek TNG used to pull in 10 million or so, I realise that was in a different age, but still.
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Whats highest/most pop. program the sci-fi channel ever had please? just curious.
Calrissian wrote:3 million for BSG ?
That doesn't sound very many.
Coming from the UK, I thought the whole problem with ST Enterprise was that 4million was not enough to justify it, yet sci-fi is happy with 3 ?
What qualifies as 'high viewing' totals in the usa? I remember once seeing that Star Trek TNG used to pull in 10 million or so, I realise that was in a different age, but still.
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Whats highest/most pop. program the sci-fi channel ever had please? just curious.
Well, for one, BSG is on sci fi channel which is a cable channel which means you have to pay for it which means not every one has it. (In theory anyways). Star Trek has always been on broadcast, which means any one with a TV and rabbit ears could watch it.
So for Sci Fi to pull in 3 million viewers is a big deal.
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
Stravo wrote:Do you guys think this just MIGHT influence other shows coming down the pike sci fi wise to emulate BSG and SG-1 in terms of quality storytelling and continuity? I don't want fucking clones I just mean no reset button one episode shows. Or will these shows continue to be the precious blips on our entertainment radar?
I don't know, but I hope so. Problem is, is there are plenty of hacks out there willing to put shit on the air for the off chance it might pull in some cash. If they can crank out cheap and easy shows and get any sort of profit out of them, they will.
But yeah, I'm with you. Good writting and good characters would be awesome and a good change for sci fi/fantasy.
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
I don't remember the figures, but didn't neo-BSG which reached limited viewers on cable / satelite had more viewers than Enterprise which was on broadcast TV last season? If that was the case, then that's pretty impressive to me.
IIRC first season BSG ALWAYS got higher ratings then ENT. And even worse, the BSG timeslot was pit against ENT.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
thanks for replying.
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As a BSG fan, I'm delighted that it sounds like everything is above at least 'breakeven' in a cost/profit sense. So, at this rate...we're looking at a season 3 for sure Great stuff.
* I just hope they can gently keep up the current level of writing, which in my view would more than suffice. I don't want gimmicks, just more of the same will do for me !
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(because he's happy)
Great stuff.