Is Fringe coming to an end?

Daemos

After doing some research, I have to say I'm seriously concerned about the future of Fringe. After a bright start, viewer figures have declined rapidly, and looking at past shows, I very much doubt Fringe will get renewed for a fourth season.

I've attached a table showing American viewing figues (in millions) for each episode, and really it says more than I ever could. For season 3, viewer figures have been in the same area as the latter end of FlashForward, which didn't even get renewed for a second season.

I love the show as much as anyone here, but every show has to come to an end, and I think we have to accept that in this case it will happen sooner rather than later, and that the third season could be the last

Richard Dower

You're not the only one to comment on this: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/19/more-likely-to-be-renewed-chuck-or-fringe/72827

Fringe is more expensive to make + a competitive night, it's ratings for S3 thus far are not good at all...

Richard Dower

Lads...this is dreadful news!, Fringe is being moved to Fridays: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/19/fox-mid-season-schedule-idol-to-wednesdaysthursdays-fringe-to-fridays/72889

Gitb1

Richard Dower wrote: »

Lads...this is dreadful news!, Fringe is being moved to Fridays: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/19/fox-mid-season-schedule-idol-to-wednesdaysthursdays-fringe-to-fridays/72889

I dont really understand show ratings (I read a 1.17 was terrible and a 1.40 was fantastic in the past few days) Why is it so bad if it gets moved to Fridays?

opr

Fringe is a show which will always gain huge numbers from DVD ratings.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/in-dvr-ratings-some-shows-find-good-news/

Also it will sell much more boxsets than other shows which FOX know.

I think it will be safe enough for another season.

Edit - I just read Richards post that its got moved to Friday. Thats not ****ing good news

Opr

Richard Dower

http://tvovermind.zap2it.com/fox/fringe/save-fringe/39499

J-blk

Gitb1 wrote: »

Why is it so bad if it gets moved to Fridays?

Friday nights are traditionally considered the "death slot" for US network TV (cause the idea is nobody stays in on a Friday night to watch the "live" airing which is most important) - moving a show there (or even premiering it there in the first place) is usually a sign of trouble for the show and comes before cancellation.

I could go into a fairly long rant about how the ratings system is moronic and outdated, but it doesn't change how many good shows have been canned over the years while crap that should have never made it past episode 3 goes on... I hope Fringe survives this, but I have to agree with Richard here, moving it to Fridays is very bad news .

I just hope Season 3 has a pretty concrete ending then.

The Black Oil

The writing seems to have been on the wall for a while. Here's hoping they take the sensible option and wrap things up properly rather than write a cliffhanger in the hope they'll get a fourth season, that always smacks of naiveté considering the industry they actually work in.

don ramo

http://tvovermind.zap2it.com/fox/fringe/foxs-frenetic-scheduling-killing-fringe-bright-side-fridays/39630

read that article earlier and it makes a bit of sense that FOX went about making the numbers go down, weather directly or indirectly,

i have constantly stated that the biggest problems with US network tv is the constant 2,3, and 8 week breaks that the shows take, there is no reasoning for most of the breaks,

i could understand if theres elections, superbowls, or world series on, i can accept that, but whats on next week that they cant show the next episode,

i dunno why the networks do this, its plain to see that shows that have consistant airing paterns fair better in the ratings, instead of taking a week here and two there, they just take a 12 week break during the winter, one big break instead of 7 small ones and one big one, untill they address this situation shows like fringe will rearly go past 2 seasons,

i never understood why 24 was aired in about 16-18 weeks each year, that was a fox show, and tmk had excellent ratings (8-10 million in season 8) when the ideas were still fresh, it had an 8 season run which was excellent, i dont get why fox cant do the same with fringe, id love that, i dont inderstand why they cant do that with all there shows,

as stated in that ariticle, fringe has a solid 5 million odd fanbase, now if that fanbase will follow it to friday night is another question, id say they will, it is pure quality, and is better than 80% of scripted TV out there, and hopefully it might add another 2 or 3 million in the friday slot, youd never know, i cant remember ever seeing such a quality show being aired on a friday night, CSI:NY and Blue Bloods also air on firdays and they are pulling in 10 million plus viewers,

im probably dreaming here, but i think the quaility of this show will carry it over to a season 4, excellent cast, excellent storytelling, theres a great team behind it, it just seems sacrilege to cancel this show imo

Richard Dower

39 weeks from Sept - May, typically 22 ep. order....they have to take some breaks, i agree that huge breaks kill the momentum more then the haphazard one or two week breaks. Look at Flash Forward or V?!

Honestly, i can't see Friday being a good thing, Fringe is the most DVR'd program as is, this will increase on a Friday. It's also up against Supernatural....a show that i think shares alot of the same viewers.

Lots of things are going against Fringe, it's a genre/sci-fi show, it's expensive, what bugs me is....why don't they put it in the slot that Human Target has?, move it to Wednesday and give HT the push, that show is already the walking dead....it's 13 eps. wrap up on Feb 9th.

IMO Fox wants to kill Fringe, Human Target is dead already...with SGU/Caprica and now Fringe we've got hardly no Sci-Fi on tv!!!!!!!!

don ramo

Richard Dower wrote: »

39 weeks from Sept - May, typically 22 ep. order....they have to take some breaks, i agree that huge breaks kill the momentum more then the haphazard one or two week breaks.

the hugh break i can deal with, 12 weeks breaks are like normal mid-season breaks, its the 2 and 3 week breaks that kill it, the casual viewers dont know if its on from one week to the next, and there your bread and butter,

fox dont have a show that will run like 24 anymore, i would like if they gave fringe a chance to fill that gap, accelerate the viewing time, and run out the 22 ep order in 22 weeks, start the first week of january, end the start of june, or show a double episode some weeks and finish mid-may, and move it to sunday where they already have a solid airing patern left over from 24,a pattern they know works,

and if it doesnt work the dont loose, that slot was available anyway,

aidan_walsh

What're the odds that Warner will be able to negotiate with another network do we think?

opr

aidan_walsh wrote: »

What're the odds that Warner will be able to negotiate with another network do we think?

Who would seriously want to take it ? It costs a fortune to make and changing network would only serve to fracture further an already dwindling audience. I can't see another network seeing the show as a viable option to take on.

While the move to Fridays is a terrible sign the talk of the show being cancelled isn't anything new but somehow it has always seemed to miraculously survive. I am still hopeful that Abrams holds enough power in the industry to keep this show on air for another season.

Opr

don ramo

opr wrote: »

I am still hopeful that Abrams holds enough power in the industry to keep this show on air for another season.

you are aware his newest show got the axe, but at the same time i think hes got a green light on that alcatraz series with FOX,

opr

don ramo wrote: »

you are aware his newest show got the axe, but at the same time i think hes got a green light on that alcatraz series with FOX,

I did see that but I would suggest he is much more deeply involved in Fringe given its in a third season and from watching interviews with him the show is really something he loves. I guess its a politics game in what he can afford to push his weight around on but I would think Fringe is top of the shows he would fight pretty hard to keep on the air given its creative nature and the weird and wonderful things they are able to do with the show.

Opr

shadowcomplex

I heard that the walking dead will only have 5 episodes a season

Basq

Ouch.. "Friday Night Death Slot" for 'Fringe'? If it was any other network, I wouldn't think too much of it, but Fox.

Lost track of the show last year, so have just started watching the second season again and was planning to catch-up over Christmas.

Not good news!

shadowcomplex wrote: »

I heard that the walking dead will only have 5 episodes a season

'The Walking Dead' only got a 6 episode first season, but it's already been renewed for a 13 episode second season (standard length for an AMC series).