Ratings game

[IlogicalOne]

Just wanted to know if the addition of the Jeri Ryan character Seven of Nine made any difference in the ratings of Voyager or was that just a myth? The idea that she was added to bring more male viewers can't be denied or at least I don't think it can. Speaking as a guy, I thought she look fabulous but I also know that her character wasn't needed or at least not in the way they had her portrayed by Ryan.
If they just wanted another character to add to the show they could have put her in a costume that was less sexy or at least something that didn't look like it was painted on her. But regardless did Voyager see a huge leap in viewership after Ryan or did it end up having the opposite affect of turning away loyal fans? Just wondering. I liked Seven of Nine myself but like I said, she really wasn't needed to add to the story line.

 

[Jaespol]

The ratings did go up for a short time in the fourth season helped also by some big 2 parters but then dropped to below season 3 levels half way thru the season.
I read somewhere males 18-34 only increased about 13% with the addition of 7 of 9 which is pretty paltry.
I'm surprised that when the ratings went up more people didn't continue watching because I think season 4 has many strong episodes.

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Labyrinth/7683/review2.html

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/9695/VOYrat.htm

 

[freak]

Jaespol: I agree..season 4 definitely had some really great episodes. I am also suprised that not more of the audience watched the show during that time. I was a little angry that it was Seven of Nine that made the ratings go up and not the cast, but at the same time, if they hadn't brought her to the show, I'm not sure what would have happened to the show's ratings. They would have probably flopped big time. I do think however that it's not ONE person that makes a show unique-it's the ENTIRE CAST that make it unique! Take the show "NCIS" for example. The entire cast makes the show what it is and it's on the top 20 list of best shows on TV now! Anyway..just using an example..one thing that do bugs me about that show is that they've lost so many good people. Anyway, this isn't about NCIS, it's about Voyager. *off soapbox*

 

[Guy Gardener]

Gotta wonder if this has ever worked?

I was watching the episode of 30 Rock where it guest starred some of the cast of Night court. Jane krakowski's character Jenna storms into a dress rehearsal for the "last episode of Night Court" and talks about how she was brought in during the final season of night court as a young sexy hip werewolf lawyer to boost the ratings and that she should be in on the fun too... It became clear that all thought of her character and assignment to the cast as tactless stunt casting which lowered the tone of the show brought on premature cancellation.

I suppose David E Kelly is always bring in new pretty girls. but lets face it he continues to bring in newer and newer pretty young girls season after season for each of his casts, decimating each of the previous seasons luscious vixens for lusciouser vixens per annum.

Boston Legal was a charnel house.

Remember the cute little kids they brought in for the last seasons of Different Strokes and Who's the Boss?

same difference.

 

[AuntKate]

I wish these writers and producers would finally realize that "targeting" an audience doesn't work. If they just wrote the best stories they could, they might be surprised at the demographics of their audience. Just write good stories and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[Guy Gardener]

There was an english show called moving wallpaper about behind the scenes of a local soap. A new producer too over and rather than pandering to demographichs of the writers telling their own sweeping stories... The new producer was forcing his writers to write to the detriment of the BAFTA awards nominations ballet slip.

 

[teya]

I wish these writers and producers would finally realize that "targeting" an audience doesn't work. If they just wrote the best stories they could, they might be surprised at the demographics of their audience. Just write good stories and let the chips fall where they may.

Actually, what's kind of funny about this targeting is that Jeri ended up with female fans.

I've got friends in the Asperger's community who say she's popular with Aspies as well. Makes sense, really, because Seven is pretty socially inept.

 

[AuntKate]

I wish these writers and producers would finally realize that "targeting" an audience doesn't work. If they just wrote the best stories they could, they might be surprised at the demographics of their audience. Just write good stories and let the chips fall where they may.

Actually, what's kind of funny about this targeting is that Jeri ended up with female fans.

I've got friends in the Asperger's community who say she's popular with Aspies as well. Makes sense, really, because Seven is pretty socially inept.

It's just simplistic and banal to think that a shapely woman in a skin-tight suit will attract young men. Of course, it will--but they will only continue to tune in if there is a good plot, interesting characters, etc.

I think that's cool that the character designed to attract young men ended up having as much or more interest among other groups. I thought Seven was easily the most interesting and complicated character in all of Trek. To reduce her to "eye candy" is to overlook her true strengths.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Trek has always had a healthy amount of T&A from the very beginning.

The only difference with Seven is that she had very large breasts.

This has been pointed out many times, but they basically put Kira in a catsuit (minus the heels) on DS9 after awhile. Did that increase DS9's ratings? I doubt it.

​

 

[Guy Gardener]

Hmmm? You saw the mirror universe Episodes? If they wanted Nana Visitor to play it for cheep thrills for loons who can only think with their pants, she could have done it sans boobies or not. Further more, now what the attendant wore, that was provocatively garish. What they had Seven wearing reminded of 12 year old Jake Sisko's casual attire more so than any bunny that done escaped from Playboy Mansion.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

I forgot about her mirror outfits, yeah. But even her normal outfit after awhile was cat suit-ish.

Anyway, the point is for some reason Seven gets tons of crap over hers while Kira seems to slide on it for the most part.

That reason is that Seven has large breasts. Kind of unfair really.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Completely.

She was a civilian, so I expected to see her dress as a civilian, not tht there weren't costuming constraints... How did the wardrobe people keep every thing drycleaned on time? Supposedly Neelix had flair, but really, how may different "suits" did he wear over the years? Did only have one set of clothes just like Shaggy off Scoobie Doo?

If I was in charge of her wardrobe, she's a god damned full sized barbie doll, I would have played with her figure this way and that to test line and form, having her experience the gamut of fashion style and even bad taste... what hell else are you supposed to use a clothes horse for?

The second Romana from Doctor Who used to wear the most unusual styles of clothes from one adventure tot he next completely different and it was all so amusing.

Is that photoshop of Seven dressed as Kes still wandering around?

 

[Lynx]

The ratings went up when she arrived because a lot of people were curious about the new character. I guess that she also did attract some new viewers, mostly the male teenage viewers which she was supposed to bring to the show.

But it didn't last long. The ratings for seasons 4, 5 and 6 were actually lower than those for seasons 1,2 and 3.

 

[Akiraprise]

What happened with Juggernaut? That's a huge dip. I never followed the ratings first run. Didn't care, I just liked VOY. I watched the show on a local Fox affiliate late night anyway. I think it was 9 or 10 PM on Friday nights.

 

[Guy Gardener]

You'd really have to blame the previous week's episode surely?

Think Tank.

 

[Cyrus]

What happened with Juggernaut? That's a huge dip.

VOY was being aired on Wednesdays that season, and Juggernaut was shown on a Monday as a special episode with not much promotion. So many people missed it because they didn't know about it. Even the summer rerun of Juggernaut got a better rating than the original airing. A typical boneheaded move by UPN. The big drop in Vis a Vis is also due to a time slot change (from 8 pm to 9 pm).

You'd really have to blame the previous week's episode surely?

Think Tank.

That had nothing to do with it, see above. And there were 3 weeks of reruns between Think Tank and Juggernaut.