via press release:
SYFY’s STARGATE UNIVERSE REACHES NEW SERIES HIGH WITH LIVE +7 DATA
Episode Two Audience Grows To Three Million Total Viewers and Continues as Most Watched Stargate In More Than Four Years
New York, NY – October 26, 2009 – The second episode of Syfy’s Stargate Universe on Friday, October 9, reflecting full Live +7 DVR data, became the most watched Stargate since March 2005 when its reached three million total viewers (2.99 million), along with a 2.1 HH Rating, 1.7 million Adults 18-49 and 1.85 million Adults 25-54.
Among Adults 25-54, it is the best performance for the franchise since July 2005 and is the best performance for a Stargate telecast in Adults 18-49 since July 2004. The episode also drew the most total viewers for any Stargate since March 2005.
Edgier and younger in tone, SGU takes the franchise in a dynamic new direction, appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike. The series stars Robert Carlyle, Ming-Na, Lou Diamond Phillips, Alaina Huffman, Louis Ferreira, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Jamil Walker Smith and Brian J. Smith.
SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship’s Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them
Robert Cooper and Brad Wright, of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, serve as executive producers and writers. Stargate Universe is distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching approximately 120 countries and territories around the world. MGM ownership is currently as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), Texas Pacific Group (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgmchannel.com
Wooooaaaaooo!!! They are spinning these numbers so much I’m dizzy. So, I guess things are pretty bad when after the 5th episode aired this past Friday, they are still talking about episode 2. Obviously things ain’t that grand in the Stargate Universe.
Morena, that’s because due to the delay by Nielsen in producing the Live+7 data the Live+7 data for the 10/9 episode was not available until TODAY!
10/16 will be available a week from today, and 10/23, Friday’s episode, two weeks from today.
Whether they’ll still be issuing press releases for it by then remains to be seen, but today’s release is purely related to the release/availability of the data, and not Syfy deliberately spinning results from 2 weeks ago.
Uh – and did I mention that this show is REALLY BAD!!!
@Morena
“Uh – and did I mention that this show is REALLY BAD!!!”
Oh boy…I smell another Atlantis apologist.
SGU is considerably better than Atlantis, and even though it has growing pains, has a more progressive story, with a truly awesome actor (Robert Carlyle) with a lot more reason to make me feel like tuning in each week…and not another A.D.D “alien of the week” explosion a second show.
This is good news, and I am in for the long haul.
Hey Morena,
Different Strokes for Different Folks!
I was a huge Atlantis fan. The show was pulling in good numbers, over 2.1 Million viewers. I have moved on, and am loving SGU.
My point, not everyone is an Anti because of what happened to SGA. I was pissed because we never got a straight answer. Technically it was replaced by the producers to make room for SGU. They will never admit that and whats the point to argue the show will never come back except for the DVD movies.
Atlantis lost its right to exist when Wier and Becket were killed off. Oh, and when they started recycling old SG1 scripts.
It became the “most watched Stargate since March 2005″? What Stargate are they comparing it to and which season premier? SG1 or SGA?
I’m not an apologist for any of the SG shows but they really are spinning these numbers a bit. It’s the best in adults 25-54 since July 2005 and 18-49 July 2004? It’s spinning when one compares a series premier to a season premier but they’re doing it well. Not quite the DVR numbers of a Warehouse 13 or Eureka but I’m sure they’re happy.
Hey, if SyFy/ MGM is happy, who am I to complain that, while the acting is great and the stories are awesome, even *I* could have edited and shot the show better?
I’m happy for the great numbers, really I am. Maybe next season they’ll learn that they don’t need to shake the camera all around to portray what they want.
Robert, where’s the 7 day from the premier? Did I totally miss the 10/3 data?
Cimmer, I never saw a release for DVR#s for the premiere. I’ll see what I can find out.
Cimmer/all, the second episode actually had more viewers. Here are the live+7 numbers for the premiere:
2.0 HH rating
2,779,000 P2+
1,419,000 P18-49s
1,610,000 P25-54s
Thanks Robert.
@Tempest of News – “SGU is considerably better than Atlantis”
Okay, this is where I smell a disconnect with reality.
Atlantis was much better than SGU will ever be. Atlantis wasn’t even at its best in its last couple of seasons, and it was still better than SGU is now. SGU may have you for the long haul, but they definitely don’t have me.
@Robert Seidman – I appreciate you posting the numbers. But, didn’t the 10/16 numbers have a significant drop? From what I saw, it was about a 360,000 viewer drop. Not so good.
Morena, seems like that drop instead was a result of a group of people who decided to DVR the show, probably because it’s Friday night and they wanted to go out. It’s total audience is really it’s Live + 7 numbers. The second week’s numbers with Live + 7 indicate the audience is growing as time passes. If this continues, SGU will definitely be around for awhile.
TVBTN guys, it seems like SyFy is having a pretty good year since its name change. Warehouse 13 seems like a cable hit and now SGU is performing better than previous entries. Can’t wait until Caprica arrives.
@The_GodfatherSJP – I will wait on confirmation of the 10/16 DVR numbers to see if this is in fact true. So far, what you are saying sounds like conjecture.
From The Programming Insider:
Friday 10/16/09
Stargate Universe
- 2.099 million viewers
- 1.3/2 HH
- 0.9/3 A18-49
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/162108842/p/4
Friday 10/23/09
Stargate Universe
- 2.015 million viewers
- 1.3/2 HH
- 0.8/3 A18-49
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/486104052/p/5
I have to respectfully disagree with Morena. As much as I loved Atlantis, it jumped the shark a good two years before it got cancelled. I miss the (original) SGA characters like crazy, but it’s time for something new.
SGU is so different from Atlantis, and I’m loving it…As with the other Stargate casts, this cast is invested in the show, but the writers are also invested this time, and it shows as the writing is for the most part, far superior.
Long live SGU!
Also, the better SGU does, the more likely it’ll be that the SG1 and SGA DVD movies get made!
@Morena
“Okay, this is where I smell a disconnect with reality. ”
Oh shut up morena, taste is different. To me SGA was fairly superficial run on the mill. It shouldn’t be that hard to outpace it.
Of course its mostly the same people behind the cameras (they appear never to fire the staff, only promote them), so they are struggling a bit. But apart from the incessant and unnecessary sex stuff i think it shows potential.
@The_GodfatherSJP:
“Can’t wait until Caprica arrives.”
And gets canceled after 5 episodes
Of course there is no accounting for taste, but I think they seriously need to step up their game on Caprica based on that pilot.
Btw, Robert are you contractually obliged to print the rubbish parts of their press releases? Things like
“Edgier and younger in tone” and “dynamic new direction” etc – seems like a CUT! it called for as soon as they have mentioned the numbers *g*
@sueKay – I understand your sentiments. And I am happy that you are happy with SGU. While I cannot argue with the fact that the writers and producers ran Atlantis kind of in to the ground for its last couple of years, I don’t see better writing on SGU. Not at all.
I also have heard from some of the Atlantis actors that the Atlantis movie will not be made. It would be nice if they are mistaken, but I don’t think so. I agree with you that the people in charge are very invested in SGU, and I think that’s how it’s gonna stay.
@Kermonk – Maybe you can shut it. You seem to be suffering from the same disconnect with reality syndrome.
@Morena
Your opinion is just that – you are not the arbiter of fact. Atlantis “is not better” – YOU like it better. If you don’t understand that you are either very immature or in need of psychological help.
And as for an atlantis movie, that depends on the recession and how the market is going in general – not because they hate atlantis.
MGM has financial problems.
wow, am I really going to need to turn comments OFF in a freaking Syfy SGU post?
If you want to say Atlantis sucks, that’s fine. If you want to say SGU sucks, that’s fine with me too. But people attacking people isn’t OK with me. Knock it off, please.
would be better without the fat math guy, the generic young soldier boy and the clueless helpless senator daughter. The doctor and that guy in charge that can barely walk are pretty good and play off each other well.
umm.. and by doctor I mean the scientist guy.
Friday 10/23/09
Stargate Universe
- 2.015 million viewers
- 1.3/2 HH
- 0.8/3 A18-49
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/486104052/p/5
It isn’t looking good, these are the same numbers Atlantis was pulling last year, but SGU costs more.
Morena, why do you care? You’ve told us you don’t like the show, don’t believe the ratings, and you’re hung up on a show that has been cancelled. Move on, dude, and leave the discussion here to us. But I have a suspicion that you are a “watch and complain” SGU viewer, so if that’s the case, stick around anyway and liven things us. Personally, I like SGU and I’m in for the long haul.
i loved SGU, i still remember just watching marathons all day with my dad and brother when i was like 8
@Daniel Patrick are you from the future?
All these numbers are better than anything Atlantis received in it’s 5th season.
@ZJW I’d like to quote part of a post on the subject from the SyFy forums:
“SGA’s first season was pulling in 2.6 and 2.7 Million viewers for Live in their first season, but you cannot compare, since so many thing have changed like DVR penetration.
As per SGA’s last season, the live+7 was 2.1 Million viewers average with a 1.6 HH rating. Live+ Same Day was approx 1.7 Million viewers with about a 1.3 HH rating.
Some eps saw as much as 2.5 Million viewers after a Live+7 lift for SGA. Over the last 2 seasons. Eps like “The Last Man”. “BAMSR”, The Lost Tribe” and “EATG” ”
http://forums.syfy.com/index.php?showtopic=2338729&st=340&start=340#
Makes you wonder if it was really worth it.
“Makes you wonder if it was really worth it.”
SGA wasn’t going anywhere with its main story lines, so I guess one year of SGU isn’t a terrible decision. I hate when stories aren’t finished though, this will end on a cliff hanger, then be gone.
CGI and action on the series has been sparse, but the former has been beautifully done. I’d think it could be cheaper than SGA.
Sure a lot of stuff with sgu is different from previous Star Gate shows but is it better? I can see the ant-hero themes wear thin afterwhile like bsg did in the long run.
Robert I just noticed on PI Feedback that Dollhouse appears to have beaten SGU this week at a 2.089 I think? What no press release?!
“The producers and most of the actors can’t stand each other. They put 3/4 SG-1 actors in the premiere of Universe but nothing for Atlantis. Stop spreading the lie.”
I think I’ll go with the theory that MGM is broke and SGA kinda fell flat in the final 1.5 seasons. Whether or not there was poor chemistry is stuff for tabloids. I really don’t see how the SGA main cast would fit, other than McKay somewhere.
Atlantis was also going to lose one of the main characters if it had stuck around so I am kinda glad they ended it when they did.
Personally I am enjoying SGU and really hope it’s numbers move up because I like the change of pace as much as I loved SG1 and Atlantis.
Their were rumors spreading that the casts of SGA didnt get along well with the producers and creators of Stargate Atlantis. During interviews several of the cast members comments werent too kindly about Syfy Channel and the producers. Torri Higginson( who played Dr.Weir) was pissed off that she was fired(her words not mine. She declined to come back for appearing in the fifth and final season of Atlantis. Also the other cast members didnt like how the SciFi Channel was treating them. Mark Stern the vp at Scifi Channel wasnt really a fan of the Stargate franchise. He always praised Battlestar Galactica. The reason the Stargate franchise lasted so long was because of great fandom, ratings and support for Charlie Cohen, the top eec at MGM Studios. MGM/Syfy keeps giving lame excuses about why the SG1/SGA movies arent being made. They are saying its because of the recession, SGU and the declining DVD market sales. They should know that these movies would sell well because the previous movies made them alot of money. All the execs at Syfy and MGM said they want to focus all of their time, energy and money on SGU right now. SG1 movies & SGA movies arent a priority for them right now and those movies will currently be and stay on the backburner until they figure out the finances. The casts are eager to do the movies but most of their contracts are and will be expring at some point. The execs want SG1/SGA to stay in the past.Even if we somehow get the movies they wont come out at least until late 2010 or early 2011
Dee, the SG1 movies didn’t make “alot of money” for MGM. They had modest earnings and together with MGM financial situation, it’s understandable why MGM want’s to wait with making new movies.
I’d say the bottom line is that SG1 and SGA were both awesome till the very end, both starting going down hill in their last couple seasons, but they were still my favorite shows.
I was scared that SGU was going to be like the younger SG1 from I think the 200 episode, and I was even ready to trash it because of the thought of doing ANYTHING different from SG1 and SGA.
And then I saw it, and honestly, I can’t believe anyone would talk trash about it at all, amazing production, really good acting, amazing balance between SciFi and character driven story so after just 4 episodes I feel like I know the characters, and I really want to know what happens next. I normally hate shaky cameras but they do it nicely, not too much, and I like how everything has a kind of grey look to it. Overall it feels like you’re watching Stargate, but something fresh and new, and in my opinion completely acceptable.
Exactly what they promised.
Anyone who thinks its terrible and says they did a bad job should be writing for Moviepoopshoot.com.
You should try to at least see that it is done well, and that it has great potential (potential is good..). Just give it a season, and I bet you will love it. Unless you’re heavily religious and can’t take the few intimate scenes, which are not that bad, some everyday commercials have more “what’s that mommy?” questions attached to them.
In the end I’m a happy camper, I hope this show goes on for years to come.
And I was one of the ones ready to crap all over it.
I like it enough to make sure my tv is on when SGU is, even if I just watch the dvr later, so they get the ratings. (take that, adds)
@TomKH, it did make them alot of money. Charlie Cohen, the top exec at MGM said so. It did very well for a basic cable tv show. It was the top seller on Amazon and they sold alot in international sales
On another note- anyone know the recent ratings for Sanctuary?
Pix – SGU doesn’t cost more than SGA. I’m pretty sure you’re talking about the producers mentioning an extra #1 million per episode for SGU… but they were talking about the first season of SGA. By season 5, the budget for SGA was a LOT higher.
TomKH – the SG-1 movies made a lot of money compared to the budgets for each film. (Ark of Truth – $7 million, Continuum – $10 million)
This show is god awful .It’ s like watching paint dry .
Regarding costs to make Universe:
SGU gets $20 million more dollars than Atlantis’ 1st season did.
But I don’t think its been stated anywhere that a 6th season of Atlantis would have been over $20 million more to produce than its’ own 1st season.
Therefore we cannot assume that SGU (with $20 million more than that 1st season of SGA) is cheaper to produce.
I doubt that, even with salary and production cost increases, they would have required that much more for the 6th season.
In the last few seasons of SGA you can tell that TPTB where not even interested in Atlantis they where busy spinning the idea of SGU to MGM and puting SGA on the back burner they knew what they where doing all along.
I for one did not like the new show at all I gave it 3 episodes and it got worse I could not stand some of the actors they have no talent.
As much money as they have poured into this show they could have easly kept both shows going and kept alot of the fan base intact. Well I guess they didn’t think to hard on the fans thinking they would just meekly follow what ever path is shown to them. It looks as if they where wrong.
Morena,
SGU has only been broadcasting for 5 weeks – give it a chance!
I have better things to do and watch than 20 episodes of this show I for one am not going to continue to watch a show I don’t like just so they can say they are getting good ratings.