Ratings and Scheduling: Who's the fairest of them all?

[Souris]

Yeah, I can see them maybe giving Robert or Ginnifer a shorter contract, but the other actors? I see people claiming all the time they signed 5 or 6 year contracts, but I've never seen a legit source for it? 7 year is the industry standard.

 

Once may be losing viewers, but it's the only thing on Sunday night on ABC that is not a complete failure. For next year, at least Resurrection will be cancelled, so that means they have to find at least one replacement. Revenge may be getting a last pity renewal to wrap things up, but no more than that. If they were to cancel Once too, they'd have to find THREE new shows to put on Sunday... I doubt they'd do that.

 

People cite Robert saying in an interview that he has a 5-year contract, but I don't know the actual source of that.

 

I'm certain there will be a Season 5, because, like you say, ABC doesn't have much in the way of drama hits that aren't on Thursday nights. They have much bigger ratings worries than Once. But I do think Season 5 will be the last. It might limp to a Season 6 if ABC can't launch any hit dramas in the fall. I cannot see it lasting seven seasons.

[retrograde]

This is the only source of the five-year thing I could find. It's not a direct quote, but Fast Company is reasonably reputable (it is also hinted at in this Variety piece). But publications make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are not corrected (though they do tend to be when they're about people who have publicists and PR machines behind them; like you literally get a screaming phone call one minute after something goes online complaining about things that aren't even wrong).

 

I'd be surprised if any of the others are on shorter contracts (Ginnifer Goodwin really isn't/wasn't that big of a star) but I guess it may have been the case that they really, really wanted Robert and no one else for the role (understandable; I don't think many actors could pull it off), which gave him more leverage to negotiate at the time?

[LizaD]

Davis only signed for 1 year originally. I think she said she agreed to more after she saw the ratings and what a hit it was. And she got ABC to cap each season at 15 episodes. Plus she has Shonda to back her up and we know Shonda practically rules ABC.

Regardless of contract I think if any actor was that unhappy and desperately wanted to leave, they would let them leave. Shonda let Heigl go at the height of Greys so with Once's ratings I don't see anyone being that precious of a commodity that they would be kept on the show against their wishes.

[sharky]

You also have to remember that Viola is the tent pole of that show. Robert isn't. So I could see him getting a five-year deal but I bet JMo has a seven-year contract. That does make me wonder what everyone else has, particularly Colin. Maybe they gave him a seven-year deal or maybe it was six to match up with everyone else since he came on a year later.

And yea, ABCis hurting. I still watch Revenge, but I can't imagine them renewing it at this point. Same with Resurrection. As much as Once is struggling with ratings compred to past season, it's still way ahead of most ABC shows. Check the Cancelation Bear on tvbythenumbers to see just how good they are.

Also, just a reminder that there's a preview show before the new episode tomorrow. Lana mentioned in an interview this week that they're showing her audition video on the show.

[Mari]

Lana mentioned in an interview this week that they're showing her audition video on the show.

Hahahahahahahhahahahahaha.  Of course they are.

[KingOfHearts]

Looking forward to the behind the scenes special. Should be much more interesting than a simple recap. Also can't wait for the live chat!

Edited March 1, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[Selina K]

I'm looking forward to th live chat, too. Probably won't have much to say, but looking forward to everyone's snark!

[Serena]

2.2 and 6.6M viewers according to Vulture's Joe Adalian. It's the #1 show in its timeslot, but was beated for the night (in demos) by Last Man On Earth's 2.3. Of course, LMOE was a premiere, so it's probably gonna fall 15%/20% next week.

[Souris]

Here are the half-hour breakdowns from Marc Berman:

 

7:00

ABC – Once Upon a Time: The Secrets of Storybrooke
Viewers: 4.67 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#2)

 

7:30 p.m.

ABC – Once Upon a Time: The Secrets of Storybrooke
Viewers: 4.09 million (#3), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#3)

 

8:00 p.m.

ABC – Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 6.65 million (#2), A18-49: 2.2/ 6 (#1)

 

8:30 p.m.

ABC – Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 6.46 million (#2), A18-49: 2.1/ 6 (#1)

 

ABC's press release:

 

Once Upon a Time (8-9pm – 6.6 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49): Jumping over its lead-in by 69% at 8pm, ABC’s mid-season return of Once Upon a Time ranked #1 in the 8pm hour in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6), beating Fox’s comedies by 22% (1.8/5 – The Simpsons/Brooklyn 9-9) and CBS’ return of Madam Secretary by 69% (1.3/4). Building by double digits from its December finale (5.7 million and 1.7/5 on 12/14/14) in Total Viewers (+16%) and Adults 18-49 (+29%), Once Upon a Time marked its strongest results since mid-November – since 11/16/14.

[Curio]

I was kind of close in my initial guess for the premiere...I thought it would be around 6.8-7.0 million viewers with a 1.9 rating. Not too terribly surprised the episode didn't do as well as last year's around this time, the promotion hasn't been that great. This year is down a good million viewers compared to last year's Season 3B spring premiere rating (7.66 million with 2.4 rating), but the demo only dropped by 0.2.

[Emma]

Much better ratings than I was expecting. Hopefully it doesn't bleed too much the rest of the season.

[stealinghome]

Yeah, the 2.2 is actually much better than I thought we were going to start off with. The question, as always, is going to be retention. But I thought last night was stronger than 4x01, so I'm curious to see how it stacks up with the fall retention.

 

Not too terribly surprised the episode didn't do as well as last year's around this time, the promotion hasn't been that great.

I would add that 3x11 was just a much better episode than 4x11. 3x11 was one of the best episodes this show has done, and made EVERYONE excited for 3B. 4x11 was...not in that same league, let's say.

Edited March 2, 2015 by stealinghome

[FabulousTater]

The final ratings numbers for Sunday were posted on tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com and OUAT drew a total of 6.66 million viewers.... *SMH laughing*  6-66? Well, you don't say? Ya, that sounds about right. *Chernabog The Easily Defeated Demon sends his regards*

[InsertWordHere]

The final ratings numbers for Sunday were posted on tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com and OUAT drew a total of 6.66 million viewers.... *SMH laughing*  6-66? Well, you don't say? Ya, that sounds about right. *Chernabog The Easily Defeated Demon sends his regards*

Haha, as someone who had 666 seemingly following me around a few weeks ago (seriously, it was everywhere), I choose to believe it was all a sign that OUaT is sucking my soul. 

[FabulousTater]

Haha, as someone who had 666 seemingly following me around a few weeks ago (seriously, it was everywhere), I choose to believe it was all a sign that OUaT is sucking my soul. 

Heh, I think it's a sign that OUAT is sucking away everyone's soul like a Dementor from Harry Potter. 

...I'm gonna start referring to these writers as The Dementors.

Edited March 4, 2015 by FabulousTater

[InsertWordHere]

Heh, I think it's a sign that OUAT is sucking away everyone's soul like a Dementor from Harry Potter. 

...I'm gonna start referring to these writers as The Dementors.

This oddly fits with the diminished quality of the show following the dementor, sorry, I mean wraith attack in 2.01. Turns out instead of sucking out Phillip's soul (which explains why he is free to make babies and provide a roadblock to Sleeping Warrior), it was sucking out all of ours. Dun dun dun. 

[FabulousTater]

This oddly fits with the diminished quality of the show following the dementor, sorry, I mean wraith attack in 2.01. Turns out instead of sucking out Phillip's soul (which explains why he is free to make babies and provide a roadblock to Sleeping Warrior), it was sucking out all of ours. Dun dun dun.

Damn. It really did start that far back, didn't it. Little did we realize...until it was too late.

Welp, the closest thing I have to a Patronus Charm is a bottle of Patrón Tequila. Maybe if I drink enough Patrón and burn my season 2 DVDs in effigy I can get my soul and sanity back.

Edited March 4, 2015 by FabulousTater

[Mathius]

6 million live, probably 9 million when adding DVR...the show has gone right back to it's regular audience numbers from 2B and Season 3. As expected, the audience gained from Frozen is looong gone.

[Serena]

L+3 is 3.0 demo and 8.7M viewers.

[Mathius]

8.7? I guess even the regular audience has bled some viewers, since back in Season 3 it was usually over 9.

[Serena]

The L+7 aren't out yet. This is just the first three days.

[Mathius]

I dunno, looking at the ratings overall, I'm pretty sure a good few viewers were lost for good by "Heroes and Villains". It isn't a terribly large number (8.7 isn't THAT far off from 9), but it's still something. That winter finale was just plain not good for this show.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Mathius

[Souris]

Ratings from Marc Berman:

 

8:00 p.m.

ABC – Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 6.68 million (#2), A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#1)

———-

8:30 p.m.

ABC – Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 6.58 million (#2), A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#1)

[Emma]

Barely a drop from last week. Not bad Once.

[YaddaYadda]

For all its shortcomings and ridiculous writing and how spoiled I am, I'm completely curious to see where the chips will fall and I'm already in mourning over the Summer hiatus.

[daxx]

For all its shortcomings and ridiculous writing and how spoiled I am, I'm completely curious to see where the chips will fall and I'm already in mourning over the Summer hiatus.

I was just thinking the summer hiatus is so much harder than winter since no filming until mid July.

[sharky]

Chips will fall towards renewal. Seriously, Revenge fans were excited to pull a 1.0 share last night. I'm ready for that show to get cancelled -- and I watch it every week.

[jjjmoss]

As it stands, it should be a 100% lock.

 

Network dramas that did better this week: Empire, Scandal, NCIS. That's a darn short list.

[RadioGirl27]

Adam has said in Twitter that the finale will be two hours.

Edited March 15, 2015 by RadioGirl27

[KingOfHearts]

 

Adam has said in Twitter that the finale will be two hours.

With a title like that, it's going to be a very long night.

[Serena]

I'm guessing he means like last year, two episodes airing the same night, not one extra long episode like in 4A.

[sharky]

That's what I'm assuming too. It also sounds like there won't be an episode on Easter Sunday so it would logically work out with two episodes on one night. They did that with the 3B finale as well -- it recorded on my DVR as one two-hour episode but was actually two separate episodes.

[Serena]

It's smart not to air on Easter - I seem to remember that the last time they did the ratings dropped quite a bit

[Camera One]

Darn, I was hoping for an episode where we see the Easter Bunny, Snow's best friend, stealing Maleficent's Egg.

[ABitOFluff]

That's what I'm assuming too. It also sounds like there won't be an episode on Easter Sunday so it would logically work out with two episodes on one night. They did that with the 3B finale as well -- it recorded on my DVR as one two-hour episode but was actually two separate episodes.

Oh good, I can watch Sound of Music on Easter like I always do because I'm a dork (assuming SoM will be on, as usual).

[tennisgurl]

And the Easter Bunny is voiced by Hugh Jackman. 

[Emma]

A 1.8 in the demo and 5.83 million viewers.

That episode deserved such numbers though.

DVR numbers for episode 12.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/03/15/the-big-bang-theory-leads-adults-18-49-gains-glee-tops-percentage-increases-in-live-7-ratings-for-week-23-ending-march-1/375057/

Rose from a 2.2 to a 3.3 in the demo. Viewers to be updated soon.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Emma

[Souris]

That's a drop. I'll be interested in seeing the half hour breakdown.

[Curio]

I'm 99% positive we're getting a fifth season, so I selfishly want to see the ratings for this back half of the season just plummet. Let it be a sign to the writers that they should never do a stupid author plot like this ever again. And yes, that episode last night deserved the low numbers. We'll see how it adjusts, but that's near the series-low rating.

 

By comparison, episode 3x14 from last year at this time had 6.91 million viewers.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Curio

[FabulousTater]

Let it be a sign to the writers that they should never do a stupid author plot like this ever again.

 

It’s not just the stupidity of the author plot that makes. no. sense(!) its all the character assassination going on to prop Regina. To me that’s far and away much worse than the author plot. It took them 4 seasons, but they finally character assassinated Emma enough that I just hate show the for it. What they’ve done to the really good characters on this show in service of Woegina (and most especially now with Emma) just makes me stabby angry. Stabby. ANGRY! I hate you so much show. So damn. much. 

 

Last nights (3/15/2015) OUAT ratings half-hour breakdown (from tvmediainsight.com):

 

8:00 pm

Viewers: 5.94 million (#2), A18-49: 1.8

 

8:30 pm

Viewers: 5.73 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7

 

(Ya, dropped like a rock 'cause that episode sucked.) 

Edited March 16, 2015 by FabulousTater

[Curio]

It’s not just the stupidity of the author plot that makes. no. sense(!) its all the character assassination going on to prop Regina. To me that’s far and away much worse than the author plot. It took them 4 seasons, but they finally character assassinated enough Emma that I just hate show.

 

Yeah, I could have mentioned that, too. But right now, there's just so many awful things going on that it's like...where do you even begin to complain? And I'm not surprised at that half hour drop, I was already tuning out by the 20 minute mark.

[jjjmoss]

Still the #1 network show though.

[FabulousTater]

Still the #1 network show though.

 

Barely, and in the Sunday demo only. "Madam Secretary" has twice the viewers. Really in my book, FOX is the real winner overall in comparison because it airs mostly cartoons. Cartoons. Basically, FOX is spending a quarter of the money on Sundays and still doing decent numbers.

Edited March 16, 2015 by FabulousTater

[Souris]

Is that the lowest rated ep ever?

[YaddaYadda]

I know writing a show is a lot about self-indulgence, but 3 villains, plus Rumple, plus more of Regina's backstory is just rather painful.  I'm sure the promo from the end of last episode did not help with the ratings and the sad thing is that it actually did not lie.  it really was all about Regina.  I thought it would be about Maleficent given the title.  

 

Shame on you if you fool me once, shame on me if you fool me twice.

 

Really, shame on me a LOT because this show has fooled me so very often.  I personally have Regina fatigue at this point.  I am so very tired of her and everything to do with her.

[FabulousTater]

Is that the lowest rated ep ever?

 

No, but it's really close. For OUAT the lowest rated episodes both "earned" a 1.7 in the demo -- "Heroes and Villains" that ended 4A, and season 3 "Bleeding Through". Notably though, "Bleeding Through" aired on Easter Sunday, so you can make the case that "Heroes and Villains" earned that 1.7 entirely on it's own (lack of) merit

 

(I think "Heroes and Villains" also did poorly as part of an overall downward trend for 4A. 4A started off strong, but as usual, the story lines didn't pay-off time after time (episode after episode) and by the time the winter finale rolled around not a lot of people stuck around because they knew a pay-off was never going to happen).

 

ETA:

I know writing a show is a lot about self-indulgence, but 3 villains, plus Rumple, plus more of Regina's backstory is just rather painful.

My theory on why they did 3 villains at once in 4B? I think the writers knew Frozen would be big in the first half and they thought they needed something equally "big" to compensate for it in the back half. And because they are 12 year olds hopped up on sniffing glue, their solution was "let's write in Maleficent, Ursula AND Cruella De Vil all at one time! We had three Frozen characters in 4A, so now we'll do three villains this time! And they'll be like the fairytale Mean Girls, but we'll call them "Queens of Darkness"! We're freaking geniuses!!" *SMH*. Don't deny it. You know that's exactly how that conversation went down. 

Edited March 16, 2015 by FabulousTater

[Serena]

Barely, and in the Sunday demo only. "Madam Secretary" has twice the viewers. Really in my book, FOX is the real winner overall in comparison because it airs mostly cartoons. Cartoons. Basically, FOX is spending a quarter of the money on Sundays and still doing decent numbers.

Eh, the Secretary numbers don't mean much. It's the demo that makes the network $$$$

Wow, their SQ pandering eps sure do seem to tank hard, don't they? So much for the most popular ship EVAH.

[HoodlumSheep]

Poor Once, but from what I've heard, it kinda deserved those numbers (I am now 2 episodes behind). They might want to try campaigning or something (good campaigning, not the lousy kind they can sometimes do). I'm worried about next week, hopefully it starts to rebound. I don't want the supposed "hook centric" to get lower numbers, because then the usual crowd will blame him for bad numbers even though it's not his fault.

My wish for this show is for it to stay above 2.0 as much as possible at this point.

[sharky]

And that was last season. This season, they aren't even showing on Easter Sunday and probably for the ratings issue.

[Curio]

I'm worried about next week, hopefully it starts to rebound. I don't want the supposed "hook centric" to get lower numbers, because then the usual crowd will blame him for bad numbers even though it's not his fault.

 

The promo doesn't even make it look like a "Hook centric." He was in about 5 seconds of the 30 second promo at the very end. If the ABC promo monkeys were smart, they'd show a long clip of wet Hook instead of the shot of him being thrown in the water. I feel like 9 times out of 10, most of ABC's demographic is going to flock to the pretty instead of the plot.