The Hiatus: Good or Bad for Ratings?

noodler

I have to say that a 7 month break can only harm ratings. Of all the people who are hooked now, they will surely lose some of them by Dec/Jan.

Also with the final cylon business, does nobody else think that giving u this long to discuss all the possibilities kind of weakens the impact the revelation will have? I mean I can safely say the final cylon won't be someone I have no already considered or read about from someone else.

Opinions?

Sherifu

When the promos start up everyone will come back to the show. I don't think it will harm ratings, it's just a pain.

noodler

I thought the promo campaign for season 4 was fairly low key myself.

Even now I am not "quite" as excited about the seconf half as I was when the 1st half finished.

tvnutz

Well ratings really dont matter anymore since the show is ending. I only worry about ratings if it means a show I like might get cancelled. But that won't happen here,it wont happen with Lost,which has lost a lot of viewers but is ending in 2 seasons. As long as the quailty of the show is theremthats all that matters in this case.

DeVore

Every time there is a hiatus on a show (like Lost or House etc) I lose interest. Then I dont tune in and eventually end up getting the show from our american cousins and catch up in a few long sittings.

In a world where we have ever shortening attention spans, its the dumbest idea since the concrete bikini.

DeV.

ixoy

DeVore wrote: »

Every time there is a hiatus on a show (like Lost or House etc) I lose interest. Then I dont tune in and eventually end up getting the show from our american cousins and catch up in a few long sittings.

In a world where we have ever shortening attention spans, its the dumbest idea since the concrete bikini.

We can hardly expect episodes to be constantly made without a break though - it'd be a killer of a schedule. Or would you prefer the episodes to be spread out more evenly, so say a new episode every second/third week?

noodler

tvnutz wrote: »

Well ratings really dont matter anymore since the show is ending. I only worry about ratings if it means a show I like might get cancelled. But that won't happen here,it wont happen with Lost,which has lost a lot of viewers but is ending in 2 seasons. As long as the quailty of the show is theremthats all that matters in this case.

ixoy wrote: »

We can hardly expect episodes to be constantly made without a break though - it'd be a killer of a schedule. Or would you prefer the episodes to be spread out more evenly, so say a new episode every second/third week?

But ratings Obviously DO matter. I mean they are not screening in the summer monthes because people go on holiday etc etc. Apparently in the fall (sorry-autumn!) there is too much TV competition from other TV shows and Monday night football I hear. So they clearly have done this with a view to keep ratings up.

But I have to agree with the guy above me. They should have gotten this out as soon as they could. Regarding the DVD issue, anyone buy buys half a DVD box set should be shot, people shouldn't encourage that kind of profiteering! (Although it hasn't been confirmed yet but its true they did it in the states for season 2)

DeVore

I'd rather they made them all and then released them in sequence. If that cant me managed, every two weeks would be fine.

I really dont think any of these "hiatuses" have to do with the shooting schedule, unless the actors need 6 months off to recuperate??

DeV.

bazz26

Ratings do have a major part in the series despite the show finishing up. At the end of the day the Sci-Fi Channel, Sky, etc pump alot of money into the production of the show and will want a return on that investment right up to the conclusion of the last episode. To do this they need revenue from commercials and as we know the more viewers there are of a series the more valuable commerical spots are during that show's air time.

The mid season break this year is extremely long but I'd say it mostly down to the writers strike earlier in the season and we seen how there was one or two half dodgy episodes before the mid season break where you guessed the writers were thinking more about striking than what they were supposed to be doing.

While I hate having to wait 9 months or so for the return of the show, I'd rather wait 9 months and see some brilliantly written episodes like we are used to and a proper conclusion to the epic drama rather than rush through half hearted scripts for the sake of wrapping up the series.

degrassinoel

hype for the hardcore, its a good thing in my opinion.
I dont like it (the hiatus), but i think its needed to convey the impact of the entire series, gives us all time to look back on the characters, the situations, everything, and as usual its not going to be everything we expect, but it will be a finite and human end to whats been the single best series on tv i have ever had the fortune to see.

tvnutz

Well obviously ratings matter for the Sci Fi channel in terms of advertising money etc,but for me personally,in this instance,they do not matter. Only if a show is in danger of cancellation will I care about ratings. Sci Fi obviously are interested in the money but again,don't care about that. I think it would make more sense to have it back in September though.

noodler

bazz26 wrote: »

Ratings do have a major part in the series despite the show finishing up. At the end of the day the Sci-Fi Channel, Sky, etc pump alot of money into the production of the show and will want a return on that investment right up to the conclusion of the last episode. To do this they need revenue from commercials and as we know the more viewers there are of a series the more valuable commerical spots are during that show's air time.

The mid season break this year is extremely long but I'd say it mostly down to the writers strike earlier in the season and we seen how there was one or two half dodgy episodes before the mid season break where you guessed the writers were thinking more about striking than what they were supposed to be doing.

While I hate having to wait 9 months or so for the return of the show, I'd rather wait 9 months and see some brilliantly written episodes like we are used to and a proper conclusion to the epic drama rather than rush through half hearted scripts for the sake of wrapping up the series.

I think you are missing the point, they could have released it by the end of the summer regardless of the writer's strike if they wanted.

Overheal

dpends how they handle the repeats in the mean time. the hiatus gives them plllenty of room to fit in everything we've seen so far.

Johnny Storm

I don't see how it can be good for ratings. Surely the "hiatus" * kills off whatever excitement is building up while the eps are being shown?

* WTF kind of word is that any way?

noodler

My bad, its an american word-I should stick with "mid-season" break.

DeVore

I think you'll find its Latin for "break" (ie: a physical breach) or a gap, lol! Comes from the verb Hiare, to breach.

(I knew I got beaten in Latin class in school for a reason!)

DeV.

Khannie

Johnny Storm wrote: »

* WTF kind of word is that any way?

I like it.

Sherifu

It's their not too subtle way of telling us they "hate us".

noodler

The yanks hate us or producers hate people?

Eh... I did mean it is a word used in America!

I hope ratings drop for the final episodes.(Ill be wathcing tho)

Then maybe therell be no more of this 6 month gap crap.

stevenmu

I was under the impression that the remaining episodes have been filmed already, and that the break was for financial reasons by the sci-fi channel. There may still be post-production and special effects stuff to do but I'm pretty sure the filming is done.

noodler

They didn't finish shooting until a few weeks ago, true.

But I'm not saying they should be on the air now, just not in January.