joncreed said:
According to the LA Times, the Nielsen Ratings will now add DVR to the ratings numbers. Imagine if those dinosaurs would've done this 3 years ago...wasn't "Enterprise" one of the top five series recorded on DVR? Nielsen resisted for so long but had to take notice because DVR playback takes up nearly 20% of Nielsen's national sample of TV viewers. Obviously DVR viewership wasn't 20% back in '04 but I'm guessing Enterprise's rating would've increased by 3 or 4 million, not too bad for the defunct UPN. Playback ratings would've helped "Enterprise" considerably because DVR viewers are the coveted 18-40 demographic.
This not related to the controversial practice of counting ratings from multiple showings- that would've helped "Enterprise" as well because it was repeated on Sundays in most markets AND would've helped in the bigger markets when pre-empted by baseball.
Wouldn't have helped I don't think. Les Mooves felt the show (and Star Trek in general) didn't appeal to the type of audience UPN wanted at that time; and he only agreed to a 4th Season because (at that time) UPN and Paramount Pictures were under the same parent company - and that parent companty wanted 100 episodes fopr the syndication package.
Ratings was the final reason given for canellation; but when you look at the REST of the artings picture for UPN at the time, ENT was one of its highest rated shows (after
America's Next Top Model); so, given that; you can't blame ENT for the fact that NO ONE really watched UPN in general; and that overal, its level of national coverage more equaled that of a niche cable network (like Sci-Fi
).
But bottom line - Moonves wanted NT gone because it didn't fit his new network direction (which was sooo successful, UPN merged with the WB to become the CW); so no matter what, ENT would be gone. Remember too that a couple of cable networks STILL wanted to pick up ENT - yet Paramount decided too, that with 700+ hours of Star Trek across 5 series; they felt they were beating a dead horse; and could get a larger profit margin by just selling syndication rights of those 700+ hours, without spending money, studio space and other resources continuing with new episodes.
But, bottom line - Unless the DVR ratings boosted ENT to say, CSI levels back in the day, and remember, ALL shows ratings, (including those like CSI) would have gotten a ratings boost from including DVRs; thus ENT may have still b een in the same relative boat due to UPN's poor national coverage.
MANY thing contribiuted to ENT's demise. Believe it or not, I don't think the ratings were the primary factor either. Remember that, out of the 4 modern Star trek series; only TNG was considered a big success as it maintained and gained viewers during its run; while EVERY Star Trek series produced after TNG bled viewers every season.
