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

Serena

By Serena
in Once Upon A Time

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KingOfHearts

KingOfHearts

(edited)

 

I do think this show, in its original incarnation, was not ever really a "kid's show."

Yes, it was closer to an adult show kids could watch with their family. (Stuff like Graham needed explaining though.)

 

Dark is not neccessarily mean spirited.

So much this. Tim Burton films are more hopeful than what this show's been able to dish out lately. I am cautiously optimistic about 5B, though. The ending of 5x12 seemed to allude to something better.

Edited by KingOfHearts
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Shanna Marie
Shanna Marie

I've realized that my feelings about the show's current status and cancellation potential are like when you're in that phase of a relationship where you're realizing it's not working, but you don't re

Curio
Curio

So, this OUAT ad played during the Oscars last night. The Oscars drew 32.9 million viewers. Not including sporting events, the Academy Awards is consistently one of the most-watched events on tel

Mari
Mari

So, the last five minutes were so bad they caused widespread device malfunction?  Sounds about right.

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sharky

sharky

I think the ABC issue is a valid one. Sometimes we forget, even in this thread, that a show doesn't just compete with other shows in its timeslot. It more importantly competes with the other shows on its network. That's why I like TVbytheNumbers' Renew/Cancel index. They group the shows by network so you can see the real competition in those cases. Before Once was officially renewed, it was a solid renewal from them.

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Mitch

Mitch

Yes, it was closer to an adult show kids could watch with their family. (Stuff like Graham needed explaining though.)

 

So much this. Tim Burton films are more hopeful than what this show's been able to dish out lately. I am cautiously optimistic about 5B, though. The ending of 5x12 seemed to allude to something better.

That's funny, Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," reminds me of S1 of Once, a small isolated east coast town with magic.. and how Icobod was like Emma, moving from the "real world," to the odd Hollow which seemed to exist by its own rules. Its also one of my favorite movies but no one else seems to know it or like it so maybe that is the "dark" setting that may be responsible for turning people off of Once this week.

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Hookian

Hookian

Is a 100-episode show a "new" drama now?

 

Yes, and 10th overall on ABC.

Doesn't matter the network needs dramas as well as comedies. Why would they get rid of their best drama after the Shonda trio? That wouldn't happen and so far they have nothing to replace it with because everything is suffering on their network and Once still in 5 seasons delivers better ratings then shows that just premiered.

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jjjmoss

jjjmoss

(edited)

Like I said, "Once should get at least two more seasons." In what possible way can you construe that to mean I think ABC should get rid of it? Cuz that's...um, the opposite? 

My presentation of factual facts to refute any incorrect ones you claim doesn't mean that my evaluation is any different.

Edited by jjjmoss
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scenicbyway

scenicbyway

I don't see parents letting their kids watch this half season. I also don't think kids will want tune in, where are the recognizable characters from Disney lore? Frozen was approachable, Neverland and the Snow, Charms and EQ tale was too. But having Emma kill her true love and going to hell to find him bloodied and tortured is a bit much. It's not entertaining, it's depressing especially after we've been repeatedly told you can't bring people back from death. Hook wasn't sleeping cursed, he was killed by his girlfriend, in the name of saving everyone.

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HoodlumSheep

HoodlumSheep

(edited)

It even went up a bit in viewers from last week. When's the last time an episode following a premiere had better numbers than the actual premiere?

I think it was "Witch Hunt" in 3b.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

*lol, nevermind. I know nothing. Ignore me. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention last spring.

Edited by HoodlumSheep
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jjjmoss

jjjmoss

(edited)

In viewers? Last spring. And the spring before that.

 

Though both Once and Quantico were down in 18-34, so it might be down in 18-49 a tiny bit.

Edited by jjjmoss
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Curio

Curio

In viewers? Last spring. And the spring before that.

 

It's interesting that viewers are conditioned to look for fall premieres (which tend to have the biggest ratings of the season), but viewers still don't know when to look out for spring premieres. 

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Shanna Marie

Shanna Marie

The TV grid is showing "The Brothers Jones" for Easter night, so I guess they're not going to punt and show The Ten Commandments. It was a rather tricky decision, I'd imagine, because it would have really killed momentum to take a break after just three episodes, but the ratings on Easter are always a lot lower, and that means it's going to fall on a Hook episode.

 

I personally, for selfish reasons, am glad that it will be on that night because I will have collapsed after singing for three services that morning and won't want to do anything but watch TV, and my Monday morning activity is cancelled, so I'll be able to stay up late discussing and have a little spare time in the morning. But I dread seeing what the ratings look like.

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Curio

Curio

Ugh, I'm really, really unhappy they're airing an ep on Easter. The ratings will be bad, and the Hook-haters will crow that it was because it was a Hook ep.

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much. The 100th episode was a big celebration, the spring premiere, was pimped out in the media, and was a big Regina-centric and it delivered the season's lowest ratings yet. And now that we already know Season 6 is guaranteed, spring numbers aren't as important.

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ABitOFluff

ABitOFluff

On the bright side, ABC must have confidence that a Hook centric will be able to pull in viewers that night. It's possible some fans would rather watch that than the 1000th annual showing of The Ten Commandments or The Sound of Music.

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Eolivet

Eolivet

LizaD can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the network cares who is the focus of the episode. They're looking at the binary question: "Should we air Once Upon a Time on Easter? Yes/no?" and if the answer is yes, then slot in the next available episode.

 

I'm thinking this has to be due to the fact that they started late (early March) and probably want to end in early May (as they did last year) and this is the way they can keep their schedule on track.

 

Again, the show is renewed, so the ratings aren't really going to prove anything. I also wouldn't be surprised if they specialed this episode out of the average (i.e. "Once Upon a Time - Easter"), meaning it wouldn't even be included in the show's season average. They used to do that with a lot of holiday airings of regularly scheduled programming, but I don't know if they do anymore.

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YaddaYadda

YaddaYadda

They also have a total of 12 episodes to air this second half. If they want to end May 15th and that's a 2 hour finale, then they can't really skip any weeks, because they'd have to air another 2 hour in 5B

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Shanna Marie

Shanna Marie

The placement of Easter this year also made things awkward. If it had been a couple of weeks later, then that would have made for a nice mid-arc break. But taking a week off after only three episodes would kill any momentum they might have been building.

 

I generally don't think ratings say all that much about the quality or popularity of the episode in question, unless perhaps there's been a lot of publicity in the general media about the subject matter or people involved -- maybe a big-name guest star who gets publicity or a Very Special Episode involving a controversial subject that gets a lot of press. Ratings are more a reflection of the previous episode. If it turned people off the series entirely, then they're less likely to tune in again next week, while if the previous episode was really good and got people excited, they're more likely to tune in the following week. Didn't the previous Easter Hook episode come after a really lame episode? The main thing will be making sure people know that there's a new episode rather than people assuming they're taking a break for Easter. I don't know that the holiday itself means less TV because Easter night is generally not a big thing, and actually most churches that usually do Sunday-evening services don't have them on Easter, so more people are likely to be home Sunday night. It's more that people just assume there won't be anything on TV because networks often take holiday breaks.

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mjgchick

mjgchick

Last year was the first time they aired 10 commandments since before Desperate Housewives first premiered. I'm not shocked they rather air a new episode. I'm just worried it will go down. Oh well even if I'm Catholic I usually pass out before Noah gets old.

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YaddaYadda

YaddaYadda

Last year was the first time they aired 10 commandments since before Desperate Housewives first premiered. I'm not shocked they rather air a new episode. I'm just worried it will go down. Oh well even if I'm Catholic I usually pass out before Noah gets old.

Moses.

 

I think the ratings will be just fine.

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Curio

Curio

Moses.

 

Moses Shmoses. The only reason to watch that movie is Joshua. 

 

And yeah, the ratings will be fine. And even if they're not fine, the rest of ABC's lineup is doing so bad that it really doesn't matter this year.

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YaddaYadda

YaddaYadda

(edited)

Moses Shmoses. The only reason to watch that movie is Joshua. 

 

And yeah, the ratings will be fine. And even if they're not fine, the rest of ABC's lineup is doing so bad that it really doesn't matter this year.

Joshua is sort of hot. Honestly, I find the women in that movie are way, way, way, hotter than the men.

 

I think the UW is sort of in keeping with the whole 10 Commandments. Maybe they'll throw in a "let my people go" in there somewhere so that no one is off kilter when they realize Once is on, instead of that dreck.

 

Aren't all the episodes that Sunday new anyway? 

Edited by YaddaYadda
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HoodlumSheep

HoodlumSheep

The only thing that shocks me a tad about the Ten Commandments playing is that it's a big anniversary year for it (I think the 60th). TCM has been having commercials for it's 2-3 day re-release in theaters to celebrate.

Otherwise I'll probably have to skip out on Once on Easter because Easter Parade will probably be playing on tcm that evening and I don't have a dvr (and we can't record a vhs tape because of stupid cable box shenanigans).

I think it's good that they're going to plow through Easter week though. Once always seems to suffer a bit every time they have a week off. That's why I hate the AMAs or whatever that awards show is in the fall.

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Shanna Marie

Shanna Marie

It looks like just about everyone is doing business as usual on Easter. Fox is repeating Grease Live, but everyone else has new episodes, and PBS is even premiering the new seasons of Grantchester and Mr. Selfridge. So maybe the ratings won't be too badly affected if it's obvious that lots of new stuff is on.

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RadioGirl27

RadioGirl27

Bernard Curry is happy with the Easter airing since it's his birthday and as a present we get Liam Jones. Everyone wins.

It's my birthday too :-) But if everything goes as planned I will be in Portugal, in the middle of nowhere. I hope there's wifi.

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HoodlumSheep

HoodlumSheep

A 1.1? That's a 0.2 dip from the first 2 wks, right? Although this is just the fast nationals.

I wonder if that means we might be seeing the first single digits (or below a 1) on Easter. It's a holiday, so I could see it dipping.

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Mathius

Mathius

(edited)

OK, Season 6 is definitely gonna be it for this show.  The number average the ratings are dropping to are the numbers that got OUATIW cancelled, that got Galavant cancelled, and that are likely getting The Muppets and Agent Carter cancelled. Meanwhile, ABC has several other shows doing much better, and new shows in the Fall 2016-Spring 2017 season may do better as well.  So OUAT is going to end up with the exact number of seasons as LOST.  How very appropriate for it.

Edited by Mathius
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sharky

sharky

(edited)

Geez. I mean you can make all the excuses you want but that's about to go fractional. I'm hoping the new head of ABC programming will step in and straighten some things out for next season, especially if it's their last.

Edited by sharky
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Mathius

Mathius

Seriously.  OUTIW, if I recall, ended on a 3 million viewer average and 0.9 in the demo.

 

Season 6 of OUAT might just top that, if things keep going the way they've been going.

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HoodlumSheep

HoodlumSheep

(edited)

They better pimp out Once for season 6 like they did for Frozen 4a. And if the ratings don't change, yeah I think season 6 will be its last.

Once's audience is almost as small as the "300" people who watched OUATIW...

#foreverbitteroverthetreatmentofouatiwanditscharacters*coughcough*willscarletandmostlikelyanastasia*coughcough*stillwaitingforadvdrelease*

Edited by HoodlumSheep
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jjjmoss

jjjmoss

ABC drama lows this season that aren't Shondaland:

Once 1.1

Quantico, Shield 1.0

Castle (or 0.8 counting a special Sunday ep) 0.9

Nashville, American Crime, Blood and Oil 0.8

Family, Agent Carter 0.7

Of Kings and Prophets 0.5

Wicked City 0.4

 

They can't cancel everything. 

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Mathius

Mathius

(edited)
I also have to wonder if the prolonged darkness is turning off some family viewers.

 

I was thinking the same thing, and after the recent episode, it's likely gonna get worse.

 

And given what is suggested as the arc for S6, I almost wonder if A&E aren't intentionally sabotaging the show so that they can focus full-time on all their new toys over in Freeform's "Dead of Summer".  That seems like their style.

 

They can't cancel everything.

 

Which is why OUAT got a pass this season.  But I doubt it can hold out in a S6 of lower numbers, especially if one of the new dramas ABC puts out in the 2016-2017 season ends up doing well, or if something like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Edited by Mathius
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RadioGirl27

RadioGirl27

(edited)

I also have to wonder if the prolonged darkness is turning off some family viewers.

This. The show right now is depressing, and I'm pretty sure that's turning some people off. This show used to be about hope and fairytales, now it's full of torture, angst and death. I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

 

(And with this said, the thought of next season being probably the last one makes me incredibly sad. It's a bad show, but it's MY bad show).

Edited by RadioGirl27
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Curio

Curio

Jasmine and Aladdin need to be pimped out hard over the summer if this show has any hope of seeing a significant bump for its Season 6 premiere. (And no, that's not a spoiler. Those are just the only Disney characters left that haven't been touched that logically make sense as a ratings gimmick.)

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Mathius

Mathius

(edited)

Unless ABC has a slew of surprise hits next season, I still think Once could get a 7th season. ABC is in dire, dire ratings straits.

 

I don't know, I cannot see them justifying keep a show on the air when the season gets below a 0.9 average in the demo.  

 

They're very likely cancelling Castle for entering that number range, and it still scores a bigger audience than Once does currently, so why should Once be immune?

Edited by Mathius
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Curio

Curio

If the new head of ABC decides to take a more aggressive approach towards marketing online content and streaming, OUAT might be fine. It generally does very well on Netflix, Hulu, and OnDemand.

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scenicbyway

scenicbyway

Ratings are definitely down across the board, so Once is feeling that. I also have to wonder if the prolonged darkness is turning off some family viewers.

Well, I know the darkness is turning me off and if I had kids they sure wouldn't be allowed to watch this unless they were 14+.  While there have always been dark elements to the show, we've never seen the blatant gore that they've had Hook enduring for the last three episodes.  Why was he still freshly bleeding in this last episode?  Shouldn't that have dried at some point at least after his rescue?  Also the title card with a hanging by the waist Hook was not something I'd want a kid to see.  I think they went way too far dark with how he's been treated and surely that's effected ratings.

 

This was a show about fairy tales and happy endings but since the last half season finale it's descended into how can we torture Hook and Emma more?  How can we make Rumple even worse.  Where is the lightness?  Even Dark Swan (dumbest dark one storyline ever) had moments of lightness in Camelot.  There is no lightness in the Underworld, you're supposed to lose hope.  It's not entertaining.

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