Cosmos is not a Ratings Disaster

[Gothmog]

Citing Drudge, the conservatives are convinced that Cosmos is a ratings disaster and will be canceled. Citing drudge is clearly a mistake. First, the conservatives are ignoring the fact that Cosmos is being showed on several different channels at different times. When you aggregate the total ratings, Cosmos is doing great for a pure science show http://www.science20.com/science_20/blog/cosmos_ratings_are_not_disaster_fox-131870

The Drudge Report is saying that "Cosmos" ratings are a disaster and, I as I discussed in Is "Cosmos" Suffering From Unrealistic Expectations? the overnights showed numbers down from the premiere, but that is hardly a disaster.

1) It's a science show. That a science show was on a prime time broadcast network - and took third place in its premiere - I would say is bordering on miraculous.

2) The overnights for "Cosmos" showed more viewers watched it than watched either "Family Guy" or "The Simpsons". "Family Guy" is, of course, "Cosmos" producer Seth MacFarlane's keystone program. Ordinarily it would be the lead-in and anything following would show some drop. Instead, "Cosmos" had more viewers than those longtime fan favorites.....

Plus, those numbers might go up. Once DVR views were factored in, the adult 18-49 rating for "Cosmos" last week jumped 33%, from a 2.1 to a 2.8. If a similar DVR bump happens this week, then suddenly "Cosmos" is number two in its time slot for the demographic advertisers prize most.

And "Cosmos" is more of an international product than other shows it is competing with - it could get 3-6X its total viewers when international numbers come in, and that all brings revenue too.

Second, Cosmos is getting wonderful reviews http://www.metacritic.com/tv/cosmos-a-space-time-odyssey For example, here is a review of the first episode

San Francisco Chronicle
David Wiegand
Mar 6, 2014
100
At least the first episode of the new Cosmos is terrific. And if the other 12 episodes are as good, the series will serve as a valuable continuation of Sagan's legacy.

The religious nutcases and conservative idiots are hoping that the show will fail. I have enjoyed all three episodes and will be buying the DVDs when they come out. Cosmos is not going to go away just because Drudge is hoping that it will fail.

[Champion Jack]

1. Drudge....? isn't he the guy with the links page...?

[Gothmog]

2. For some odd reason, conservatives think that Drudge is involved in journalism

To me Drudge is an overrated poopy head

[tarheelsunc]

3. Drudge is the Internet's foremost expert on the HTML coding practices of 1995. eom

[Paulie]

18. Yep. He used the blink tag when it was cool

For about a year after it was invented.

[chrisa]

37. It's not his fault - he's been hacked!

http://www.theonion.com/articles/sources-hackers-vandalized-drudge-report-for-last,31394/

(One of my Onion favorites)

[Doctor_J]

4. And once again the liberals play defense from the get go

there should be no discussion of ratings. The entire discussion of how far right zealots, many of them insane, are trying to keep truth away from the American people. They are tyrants, bullies, and terrorists with a tenuous grip on reality and should not be pandered to, and the discussion should not be conducted in "their court"

[kelliekat44]

5. So, have they cancelled their viewing of FOX programs yet? nt

[kelliekat44]

6. Why do they worry about ratings for a show they don't watch and can't understand? nt

[raging moderate]

7. When is Cosmos on TV? And what channels carry it?

I would like to watch this show.

[Gothmog]

8. It is on your local Fox network channel on Sunday at 8 CDT

It is also on National Geographic and a couple of other channels

[Fumesucker]

17. You can watch it online at Hulu.com

It goes there the day after the show airs on TV.

[DebJ]

38. On Nat Geo on Monday nights. n/t

[fizzgig]

39. you can stream it on the fox website

i think they put it up on tuesday

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Probably a correlation to people liking the show, and also having modern tech like a DVR.

As DVR's usually don't get pulled into NetRatings, etc.

[Dollysmom]

10. The most shocking part of this . . .

is GLOATING that a SCIENCE program might not be getting the same ratings as Jimmy Fallon's first week. GLOATING that Americans don't like and don't want to like science. that being science illiterate is somehow a virtue. OH, and the fact that NdGT "happens" to be African-American, I suppose, has nothing to do with their response either . . .

[Gothmog]

16. For a pure science show, the ratings are really good

You just have to look at the fact that this show in on a number of different channels and aggregate the ratings for all of these channels.

I am going to get the DVD set when it comes out. I bet that this show will do great on DVD.

[Frank Cannon]

30. I have a few Creationist relatives.

Guess what they're all getting for Christmas from me this year.

[SunSeeker]

11. Well I hope the wingnuts keep whining about Cosmos. That will only help its ratings! nt

[idendoit]

12. Wow, I didn't realize all the episodes were already in the can.

It won't matter all that much what the critics say. Dr. Tyson is a great host, I hope he presents more.

[Gothmog]

15. I have the first three episodes saved on my DVR

I really love this series

[Delmette]

13. I love this program!

I watch it on National Geographic. My sister picks it up on NatGeo's website.

[mindwalker_i]

14. If the religious nutcases don't want science

Then don't watch it. Go get a pack of malt-o-meal ( fficial&client=firefox-a&channel=sb" target="_blank">maynard), turn on the 700 club, and leave the rest of us alone.

[Enthusiast]

19. K&R! Fuck religious nutcases and conservative idiots.

[PowerToThePeople]

20. Just checked it out

Last edited Wed Mar 26, 2014, 01:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Just watched the first episode on Hulu. Now I need to figure out how to get it on my media pc. Hulu plugin crashes on XBMC after the commercials play. I may just need to watch in through an Internet browser.

Very good show, many very positive ideals and ideas presented. I am not sure if my 4 year old would be able to sit through a whole episode. He may still be a little young for it. There were some theories I had never heard before. This is certainly more than just a science show, it comes off very anti-establishment (imo a very good thing.)

There is a lot more I could say, but I am going to watch the next 2 episodes instead.

edit - I just had my boy watch the first episode instead of his usual morning PBS. He watched the whole thing and asked several good questions along the way.

[TransitJohn]

21. Its the first show simce Fringe that my family and I watch weekly. eom

n/t

[Skinner]

22. If you need any more evidence of how far the American conservative movement has fallen...

...consider the fact that they perceive a show about Science to be anti-conservative, and are rooting for it to fail.

[Gothmog]

23. Here is a very good article on why Fox is showing Cosmos

Fox the channel as compared to Fox News is trying to broaden its viewer base and Cosmos fits into this strategy. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/09/why-foxs-cosmos-is-a-smart-risk.aspx

The TV industry is changing -- what once was a big success may now no longer be as viable. As a result companies will do anything to boost their ratings and in turn their financial bottom lines. Fox (NASDAQ: FOXA ) has embraced this concept like no other and tonight its first of many 2014 investments into "event programming" begins with Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey. ...

Cosmos is the first of a number of big-name "event" series slated to air on Fox in 2014, along with the return of 24, the American adaptation of Broadchurch (called Gracepoint) and M. Night Shyamalan's Wayward Pines. Yet while those are all fictional series, this one is very real and looks at our world's fabric and DNA. It's not your usual program and not one you'd expect to air in primetime, but it's one that has a very realistic chance of success.

Re-launch vs. reboot

The original Cosmos went off the air 34 years ago and this iteration will look to essentially pick up where it left off. This is not a reboot, but like TNT did with Dallas, this is a continuation with new aspects. Noted astronomer Carl Sagan, who created the original, will again open the series with his trademark introduction. Beyond that the torch is passed to famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Sagan passed away in 1996, but his widow Ann Druyan is picking up the mantel. Druyan has written new installments of the series that look at new scientific advancements and questions that this generation has about the world around them and then Tyson will visually guide audiences through some of those answers.

Fox also has a secret weapon in charismatic entertainer Seth MacFarlane, who is one of the series' executive producers. Few people have brought the network more viewers (and attention) in the past few years than MacFarlane, whose Family Guy has a long and twisty history with Fox. Eventually executives began to embrace the popular performer and Cosmos came from that relationship. MacFarlane has a lifelong interest in science and was a huge proponent of bringing this series back to TV. Between him, Tyson, and Druyan, this will clearly not be the same Cosmos audiences first saw decades ago.

Industry impact

The twist will be reinventing the series while holding tight to its core principles. If successful that will bring a whole new demographic to Fox and its broadcast partner in the series, National Geographic. These are all massive names in their fields and that adds to the show's credibility.....

For Fox, this isn't just a smart risk because it's an example of outside the box thinking mixed with a strong pedigree of producers. Cosmos represents an opportunity to gauge what it is audiences are looking for in today's TV landscape. This is a big reason why 10 networks have agreed to give up time on their very profitable Sunday primetime lineups.

The show gives Fox and its partners a chance to gather intel that can be used for other upcoming projects while at the same time putting out a product that could be both entertaining and interesting at the same time. If this works, more networks could start simulcasting their big-event programming. It's a new way of scheduling and one that could alert audiences that something big is happening that they need to check out live. While the new +7 ratings numbers are slowly gaining credibility, advertisers covet live viewership even more (it's harder to skip over commercials that way) and projects like Cosmos could be a major draw.

On the surface, this may seem like just another ordinary series launch, but it's one that needs to be watched because the ramifications will affect how networks develop and program future slates (as well as what advertisers will want to buy on those slates) for many years to come.

My youngest reminds me that Fox the channel (in contrast to Fox News) has some fairly liberal shows on including the Simpsons. Cosmos is a great show and will help this channel in the future.

[eShirl]

41. Star Trek: The Next Generation helped Fox Network get off the ground

I can remember calling the local cable company in Los Angeles frantic to find what channel Fox was going to be so I wouldn't miss the premiere TNG episode. The cable company phone person insisted there wasn't a Fox channel. I yelled at her "Yes there is! It's a new network! Why don't you know about it, you're the cable company!" We each thought the other was nuts, but I was right (and didn't end up missing the premiere).

[LordGlenconner]

24. SCIENCE BAAAAAAAD!

[Shankapotomus]

40. +1

Can't sum it up any better!

[Warren DeMontague]

25. And I thought I liked NDGT ***before***

He's kicking some serious ass in that show. Loving it. Very well done.

[Frank Cannon]

28. He's doing an outstanding job.

I can't imagine the stress from having to follow Carl Sagan, particularly when NDGT was a fan himself. But he's awesome. He captures that same spiritual (yes, spiritual) joy and fascination with science that the good Doctor himself had.

And having been a long time science buff, and a huge fan of the original series, I find even I'm learning new stuff with this show. I mean, tardigrades, man; those little guys just blew my mind!

[Warren DeMontague]

29. All that stuff about Newton, and Halley... I consider myself fairly well informed, and i didnt know

It's been great, so far. The only part that sucks versus the original, is the commercials.

[Gothmog]

32. The Third episode was great

I learned a great deal about Newton and Halley from that episode

[itsrobert]

26. COSMOS is on al limited run

Only 12 episodes. It's not being canceled. However, I think the series will be extended beyond its initial 12 episodes.

[Frank Cannon]

31. The original was only 13 episodes.

As it's quite expensive to produce, I doubt they'll continue it past that. Like the original series, I'm sure this will end with a climax that ties everything together, and then the new generations will have something to ponder and enjoy for the next 35 years.

[user_name]

27. Online viewers?

We've been watching online, and haven't caught up yet. Do they factor in online viewership?

[LittleBlue]

33. Who cares about ratings?

If I wanted ratings, I'd tune into the latest Kraptrashians show. Or Honey Boo Boo.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

34. Excellent show.

I have the original Cosmos on DVD and I think both versions are great.

I've met Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson in person at a library fundraiser and he's cool. I'm glad he's getting more and more famous.

[hootinholler]

35. They can believe what they want...

It won't change the science.

[alarimer]

36. Ratings mean nothing in the age of the DVR and Netflix in any case

And it's only a limited run anyway. 13 episodes, I think. Just like the original. I don't think it's meant to be a series.

[Blue_Adept]

42. All of that is captured.

It does matter. Live+3, Live+7 and all sorts of streaming numbers come in to gather the total viewership of a show and how it will proceed forward.

Example is Game of Thrones; a new episode will bring in about 4 million people the first showing. By the end of the week, through all the ways that HBO shows it, the numbers are closer to 13 million.

That's the information that broadcasters are looking at. And with the changes Fox is implementing this year to how they program, they're looking at it a lot as well.

International carriage is important as well and factors into whether shows stay alive.

Ratings still mean a whole lot. The game changed in the last few years with how it's all registered but people haven't noticed. Hell, the Nielsen group keeps track of social buzz for all sorts of properties and provides that as well as a gauge for networks.