Supernatural's Ratings PLUMMET - AICN

[Tulin]

Just read on AICN that Supernatural scored a miserable 1.2 this week!

That is APPALLING for a returning show. Does anybody know how this stacks up against past seasons? I am sure that if the producers had not announced this was the last season, it might be cancelled anyway.

How do people here feel about the ratings?

 

[Aragorn]

Last year it went up against CSI and Grey's Anatomy. This year it goes up against CSI, Grey's Anatomy and Fringe.

 

[sidious618]

It got 2.8 million which isn't all that bad for the CW.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Last year it went up against CSI and Grey's Anatomy. This year it goes up against CSI, Grey's Anatomy and Fringe.

This timeslot, for me, is the toughest one on the entire Fall schedule. My two priority shows are CSI and Fringe. That's all that the DVR will record during that hour. Watching Supernatural is not an option this year. I will also miss the NBC comedies unless I watch them online (or their reruns on Saturday).

 

[Apophis]

I'm almost tempted to say 'good'. I love the show, mind you, but I'd rather avoid a 6th season if possible.

 

[Vendikarr]

I'm almost tempted to say 'good'. I love the show, mind you, but I'd rather avoid a 6th season if possible.

Yes, but if it does too poorly, we won't get the remainder of the season. It's a delicate balance.

 

[cylkoth]

Just read on AICN that Supernatural scored a miserable 1.2 this week!

That is APPALLING for a returning show. Does anybody know how this stacks up against past seasons? I am sure that if the producers had not announced this was the last season, it might be cancelled anyway.

How do people here feel about the ratings?

The 1.2 number is the 18-49 demo rating. As sidious618 said, it got 2.80 million viewers total viewers, which by CW standards, isn't bad at all.

Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 9/17/09

What follows is the fast affiliate rating results for Sunday, September 13 by network and by network per half-hour (in the order of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW):

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 9.68 million, Fox: 9.04, ABC: 7.25, ABC: 4.43, CW: 3.28

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 3.0 rating/9 share, NBC: 2.9/ 8, CBS: 2.5/ 7, CW: 1.4/ 4, ABC: 1.3/ 4

Over at The CW, week two of drama The Vampire Diaries lost some steam, but was clearly still on the map with 3.76 million viewers (#5) and a 1.6/ 5 among adults 18-49. One week earlier, it debuted with 4.91 million viewers and a 2.1/ 7 in the demo.

Supernatural on The CW capped off the hour with 2.80 million viewers and a 1.2/ 3 in the demo. Retention out of The Vampire Dairies was 74 percent in total viewers and 75 percent in the demo, which is similar to how it fared out of former occupant Smallville.

Ratings by Marc Berman Programming Insider http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/209103142

 

[Dream]

It only had to face Fringe this time. The real competition still isn't here yet. Grey's Anatomy and CSI are back with new episodes next Thursday.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I myself don't watch CSI or Grey's but I had to watch The Office off cable while the DVR recorded Fringe and Supernatural. That timeslot's crazy.

 

[sidious618]

It only had to face Fringe this time. The real competition still isn't here yet. Grey's Anatomy and CSI are back with new episodes next Thursday.

Yeah, but the people who watch Fringe may not be regular viewers of grey's Anatomy. That's two REALLY different genres.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Fringe had its premiere. There's some crossover, so some obviously recorded SPN to sample the premiere. From what I hear, it wasn't any great shakes. There will definitely be a portion of that audience returning. I tried it for a few eppies; I thought it was boring. Pacey/Peter reminds me too much of Peter Petrelli. That's a deal breaker. C'est la vie. Mileage varies. SPN has a loyal core audience of about 2.75 to 3 million and an actual audience much larger. The CW can't afford to turn that away with it's ratings problems. If that means no season six for Supernatural, I agree with Apophis. The way the story arc is shaping up this season is bringing the show to a very natural, creative crescendo. After Lucifer and the four horseman of the apocalypse (loved War in the red mustang this week) where can you go that isn't anticlimactic? The exec producer had a plan for five seasons. I don't know what they'd do with a sixth. Girlfriends from the CW casting department? Thanks, I'd rather not see that.

SPN cannot catch a break when it comes to time slot. It's simply ludicrous all the popular shows that air during that slot. Will the CW give SPN the 8 p.m. slot instead, where its reruns always scored much higher than the reruns in the regular timeslot? Hell no. Gotta promote Vampire Diaries, which would lose all of its girly audience to Grey's Anatomy. Nothing the CW has would survive in that timeslot.

You needn't worry that SPN won't get a full season five, Vendikarr. It's been renewed for the full 22 episodes. A "back 9" order isn't an issue. You'll want to tune in for episodes 3 and 4. They're going to be excruciatingly painful for the characters, but fantastic for the ongoing story. This coming Thursday's episode will be especially heartbreaking for Sam. "In the Beginning" level heartbreaking--that was the episode where Dean met his murdered mother as a 20 year old who inadvertently brought the curse down upon her family.

Bad Bishop, episode 4 a week from this coming Thursday is going to be possibly the best of the entire series to date. You might want to reconsider. Ghoulish gross outs and heartbreak.

 

[nx1701g]

^ That may not be entirely true though. This is the CW we're talking about so, knowing them, they may end up terminating the show in order to free up space for something new. I've read that they have at least four shows in development for midseason in case they need them.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

They're not going to cancel Supernatural midseason, dude. It's true. They would cancel a series that doesn't have a full 22 episode order. Melrose Place would be on the chopping block first. It's below 2 million viewers already and it's only aired 2 episodes. A Beautiful Life premiered this week to 1.86 million. It also has no back 9 order as of yet. Why this panic over an episode that had 2.8 million in the toughest timeslot on all of television? The CW's record in creating new shows of its own is like the Washington Generals.

Thursday night is extremely important to advertisers. They're not going to put something untested in the 9p.m. slot.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I don't know what they'd do with a sixth. Girlfriends from the CW casting department? Thanks, I'd rather not see that.

Maybe the could start investigating rumors of vampires in American high schools.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

ACCCCKKK!!!! Not funny, dude. Only if Dean gets to hack off Stefan's pretty head with a chainsaw like he did to the vampire in "Bloodlust." That blood spurting up on Dean's face was classic.

 

[mswood]

Actually Dorian is incorrect with some of her numbers.

Here is the current final ratings for this weeks shows.

Vampire Dairies 3.775 million viewers
America's Next Top Model 2.791 million viewers
Supernatural 2.782 million viewers
Gossip Girls 2.550 million viewers
One Tree Hill 2.450 million viewers
90210 2.310 million viewers
Melrose Place 1.813 million viewers
The Beautiful Life 1.384 million viewers

The only show that has yet to start is Smallville.

Every returning CW show is down double digits. Top Model for example is down year to year 1.339 million viewers

Here is the lose in viewers for the returning shows.

Top Model down 1.339 million
Gossip Girls down .781 million
One Tree Hill down .685 million
90210 down .630 million
Supernatural down .395 million

Its manage to lose less in total audience and in percentage audience of any returning CW show.

In the adult 18-49 demo here is the current show results.
VD (Vampire Diaries) 1.6
Top Model 1.4
Gossip Girls 1.4
Supernatural, One Tree Hill, and 90210 each 1.2
Melrose Place 1.0
The Beautiful Life .6

This is how much the returning shows have lost in the adult 18-49 demo since last year.
Top Model .5
One Tree Hill and 90210 .3
Gossip Girls .2
Supernatural .1

It's lost the smallest percentage and number of adults 18-49.

The CW focuses is on the 18-34 demo, though so how do our shows rank this season.

Gossip Girls 2.0
VD (Vampire Diaries) 1.8
Top Model & One Tree Hill 1.6
90210 1.5
Supernatural and Melrose Place 1.3
The Beautiful Life .8

Now on this demo it doesn't look good for Supernatural.

But on the comparison to the year ago numbers here are the results for the returning shows.
Top Model lost .9 in that demo
One Tree Hill lost .6 in teh demo
90210 lost .5 in the demo
Gossip Girl lost .4 in the demo
Supernatural gained .2 in the demo.

Its the only returning show to see increases in the adult 18-34 demo, the others have sharp declines.

While it sucks that Supernatural's numbers (for the most part) are down and will likely continue to drop (so will the rest of the lineup), in comparison to the rest of the lineup its losing less then the others (and increasing year to year in the CW prime demo).

On the DVD front, in its first week of sales its the number one selling (for one week) show for the CW in the last two years (the first time in the last 5 that it wasn't Smallville. And more then doubling any of the other shows that have already started this season for the CW (in the case of 90210 over 7 times the sales).

As for replacement shows, the CW has none ready to go, and so far out of 3 years in business they have never successfully had a new shop start in the midseason. Ever.

 

[Capt_Piett]

Didn't Kripke pretty much state there wasn't going to be a 6th Season? I mean, how do you top Lucifer?

 

[Bad Bishop]

Bad Bishop, episode 4 a week from this coming Thursday is going to be possibly the best of the entire series to date. You might want to reconsider. Ghoulish gross outs and heartbreak.

Thank you. I will review my priorities on 10/1.

 

[mswood]

Kripke would rather not have the show continue (well that was his original wishes) after his original arc, but it's never been his choice.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Damn, the Beautiful Life only premiered to 1.3 million? I didn't realize it was that low. I thought it was 1.8 million. I think the CW is still losing affiliates. My mother gets Cox Cable out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it dropped the CW from its line up a week before the season started. Everything on it just drops and drops year to year. Tis true about the season 4 SPN DVDs. They sold like mad. My mom purchased one for me as a present; she told me it was sold out at her local Best Buy. The clerk told her that never happened before but it did this year.

Thank you. I will review my priorities on 10/1.

I think you'll be pleased you did, Bad Bishop. Advance word is that episode 4 will be a home run out of the park type episode. Excellent stuff.

Captain Piett, Kripke has mentioned his "five year outline" many times, but the CW may have other ideas. Kripke is contracted for 5 years, but the two leads are locked in for 6. As desperate as the CW is, it might want a sixth.