Ratings for 'Doomsday'

[acciobrain101]

This is just sad...

[Tabularasa]

Maybe Nielsen ratings are on their way out! Fox's "Dollhouse" got a 13 episode renewal with horrible ratings and demos.

I'd bet it's becase Joss Whedon is attached, plus the night it was airing on. I personally never watched, but that could be why Fox renewed it. In fact, Fox has been kind of generous as of late. It's allowing The Simpsons to continue despite falling ratings this season and it allowed Prison Break to come back for 6 episodes and end the series despite the low ratings.

[tyson08]

Looking at the ratings, they really lost many viewers during the break between "Eternal" and "Stiletto". These breaks are really hurting the flow of the show!

[Aries83]

Looking at the ratings, they really lost many viewers during the break between "Eternal" and "Stiletto". These breaks are really hurting the flow of the show!

I guarantee that if you and I were employed at The CW that this wouldn't be happening. Don't these damn idiots realize that when a show leaves the airwaves for that long a time, people aren't going to come back, even if it is the season finale?

I wish The CW would get it through their heads because it's definitely a factor because the first half of the season was uninterrupted. Then, the second half was split up and guess what? the ratings went down...

[Kschreck]

I was extremely disappointed with Doomsday and not just because of the budget problems but the mediocre writing. At this point, I don't really care what ratings Smallville gets anymore.

[badraven]

Well- the ratings were disappointing but it isn't all that unexpected or bad. Let's really dig into this.

First I've made the case before- IMO ratings are a means for fans, not an end. So as much as we would like ratings to be sky high they were good enough to get what (at least I) was wanted i.e.- more episodes of SV. Season nine is confirmed.

Second lets look at the numbers. Per my math ratings average (based on final ratings, not fast nationals or Live+7) for the season was: 3.88 million. That is down from last season's average of 4.16. However when we look at the ratings average by episode 11 of this season it stood at 4.17, by 18 it was down to 4.03 and again it ended it 3.88 with episode 22. So from the mid-point of season eight SV dropped from 4.17 to 3.88 million viewers. That's it. That's 0.29 million viewers.

Third ratings were down for a lot of shows this season. For example: Grey's Anatomy's finale was the lowest rated season finale every, down 18% from last leason. CSI posted its lowest original show rating ever, in a season finale and The Office had the lowest original rating in 2 years, and that for a season finale. Does that mean all of them got worse? Ratings were down for nearly everyone.

Fouth SV is still the top rated drama on the entire network, I'm not sure but I believe SV this week was the top rated show. The top rated show.

Fifth SV has finished it's eighth season, eighth, and is headed into it's ninth. This isn't the time when shows start drawing in large numbers of new viewers. Let's face it SV is an old show and like almost all old shows it is working off an ever shrinking auidence. That's just how television works.

And lastly I just want to say again that ratings don't mean quality. If that were so American Idol is the best show on TV today and I don't believe that. Let's not make something out of nothing.

[Aries83]

Fouth SV is still the top rated drama on the entire network, I'm not sure but I believe SV this week was the top rated show. The top rated show.

And, as much as I don't want to say it: the only thing Smallville really has on its side is The CW's rebellious streak as far as marketing and audience targets.

Dawn Ostroff has stated many times that she doesn't want The CW to be another CBS or NBC; she wants it to branch off and away from that. So, as much as we hate her, her reasoning is probably what's keeping the network (and Smallville) on the air.

Now, if she values the show (even if it has proven to be their top scripted show), is another story entirely, but again: the fact that The CW wants to be a different brand is only helping Smallville stay put.

[RaniaLovesClois]

I should feel sad about those ratings, but I don't.

[maddib]

My 2 reasons for the poor ratings :

1 - that directors cut that was released at the start of the week. As mentioned on the K-site homepage, there was a lot of hype and publicity that went into this week (bout time the CW got their fingers out) and I think most, if not everyone was a bit hacked off at the length of the fight (especially given the 21 episode arc and what it should have been leading up to in the finale). That could have turned people away from watching this week, I mean how can you have an episode that had 3.39 million viewers for a good episode one week then lose 260,000 viewers during the space of a week.

2 - the CW itself, it is a well known fact, that this season the budget has been drastically cut - could be a number of reasons :
the likes of AMs salary for signing on during last summer, TW was already contracted as far as I can see so would imagine he was on the same pay as last year.
The global credit crisis, everyones been hit at the moment big time, I dont think the CW have a bottomless pit of cash.

The CW obviously gave tptb a certain amount of money to get the episode out, I just think the length of the fight was all they could come up with given what money they had. Maybe that explains the rather overplayed Jimmy and Chloe scene prior to Jimmy/Davis' death and also the unsuited to the story Lois/Tess catfight - cheap and easy scenes which wouldnt really have cost much of the budget.

My worry now is that the show may be going into the cancellation zone if it's not careful. And how can you finish off 8 years of a show with those endings.

And, as much as I don't want to say it: the only thing Smallville really has on its side is The CW's rebellious streak as far as marketing and audience targets.

Dawn Ostroff has stated many times that she doesn't want The CW to be another CBS or NBC; she wants it to branch off and away from that. So, as much as we hate her, her reasoning is probably what's keeping the network (and Smallville) on the air.

Now, if she values the show (even if it has proven to be their top scripted show), is another story entirely, but again: the fact that The CW wants to be a different brand is only helping Smallville stay put.

Easy, in the latest Smallville mag, there is a piece about how its been renewed for season 9, and also carries a quote from Ostroff saying that she wants to build the CW into a channel for the fairer sex. So to answer your question, that woman regards Smallville as a show for women only. And yes, she should wake up every morning thankful that a show such as this one exists. As far as I can see from over here in England, it is probably one of the only two shows keeping her in a job. If she wants to keep her job, she will have to fight tooth and nail to find a better budget for next year and to also learn what the definition of proper publicity is.

[skully]

3.13!!! That's very disappointing. Maybe us hard core fans won't be able to keep the Great Show going into S10.

[joesmallville]

badraven,

The average number of viewers for Smallville this season was 3.88 not 3.36

[SparkleforSmallville]

badraven,

The average number of viewers for Smallville this season was 3.88 not 3.36

I agree, 3.88. From my Chart, I added up the Final ratings and divided by 22.

[Mickey_Bickey]

Ratings are just going lower and lower. Disappointing much like the episode itself.

[Tompouce]

It is really weird as we see that after Beast which was really bad people watch and after Injustice which was really really better, people were elsewhere...I really think sometimes it has to do with other events on other channels

[Kid Collins]

There was a lot of competition for SV last Thursday. But I'm still surprised by the low rating. I expected it to increase to at least 3.4-3.5 since it's the Season Finale.

But after seeing this ep today, it deserved the rating it received. This ep sucked!