Dark Angel on thin ice? - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Tabitha · 9th May 2002, 01:34 AM

Hey folks, I read this today in the Vancouver Sun...

Cameron TV finale crashes
More viewers tuned into a CSI rerun than Dark Angel's James Cameron season wrap, leaving future in doubt
Â*

Sorry, Jessica Alba. Your chances of returning next season are as slim as a Dark Angel plot thread following Ã¼beraction film-maker James Cameron's crash-and-burn in Friday's U.S. Nielsen ratings.

Dark Angel's fate won't become official until the Fox network unveils its fall schedule for advertisers in New York next week, but the writing on the wall is none too promising after Cameron's 90-minute, $10-million US season finale placed fourth in its time period last week, behind American Bandstand's 50th: A Celebration, Providence and a rerun of CSI.

It's hard to tell what was more damning: the fact that Dark Angel pulled down lower numbers (4.4 million viewers) than a CSI rerun (6.9 million), or that it gained just five per cent on its lead-in, a rerun of The Simpsons.

Dark Angel's potential fall from grace is a double blow for Vancouver: Not only does the city lose a marquee production if Dark Angel fails in its bid for resurrection, but the local numbers show that Vancouver viewers like Angel just fine, thank you very much. Angel performed miracles in the Vancouver and Victoria market, equalling BC CTV's Law & Order: SVU as Friday's most-watched program, with 105,000 viewers, 18 or older.

Not only that but in the show's key demographic, 12- to 17-year-olds, Dark Angel cast its spell over 37 per cent of the teenage audience watching TV at the time, according to figures compiled by the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement. That means nearly four in 10 teenagers watching TV Friday night were glued in front of Dark Angel.

Vancouver numbers carry little weight in the U.S., however, where the key programming decisions are made. That annoys program buyers at Global (Dark Angel airs locally on Global BC) and CTV to no end, since their job is to find programs that people will watch. When they do find a popular program -- not easy in this day of 200 channels-- it's doubly galling to lose it because aging boomers in Fresno and Minneapolis would rather watch American Bandstand.

Dark Angel is a silly, juvenile and insipid program -- it won't be missed in my household, even though Alba was clearly better than the show she was in -- but enough people watched in Vancouver to suggest that it would find an audience in the U.S., if given half the chance. It probably won't get that chance, however. Not now. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Doesn't sound good for us fans, does it?

Tabitha · 16th May 2002, 11:24 PM

Well, looks like our fears have been confirmed. Not even a campaign on the show's behalf by Cameron could stop Fox from axing Dark Angel.

The Futon Critic reports:

Thursday, May 16, 2002 - 5:13 AM
Cameron's 'Dark Angel' Grounded by FOX
By Reuters/Variety

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Not even "Titanic" director James Cameron -- the man behind the biggest movie in history -- can prevent a TV ratings dud from cancellation.

Fox Broadcasting has axed the sci-fi action series "Dark Angel," which Cameron co-created, after two seasons, Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety said in its Thursday edition.

The show's Friday night slot will be filled by "Firefly," a space Western from Joss Whedon, the creator of the hit franchise "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Daily Variety said.

"Dark Angel" starred Jessica Alba as a feisty human prototype who teams up with a cyberjournalist (played by Michael Weatherly) to battle an oppressive regime in the near future.

It made a celebrity out of Alba, a 21-year-old exotic beauty who got engaged to Weatherly, but the show never transcended cult status. Season-to-date, it averaged six million viewers and ranked about 125th among prime-time series, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Cameron, who co-created "Dark Angel" with Charles H. Eglee, made his TV directing debut on what turned out to be the show's series finale, which aired earlier this month.

Fox Broadcasting, a unit of Rupert Murdoch's Fox Entertainment Group Inc ., will confirm its lineup for the 2002/03 season during a presentation to advertisers in New York on Thursday

If you are interested in gossip and speculation about its replacement, Joss Whedon's Firefly, have a look at This Thread.

Raptor · 18th May 2002, 02:34 AM

Noooo! Is there anything we can do?
Raptor

Tabitha · 18th May 2002, 09:06 AM

No, unfortuately I don't think so. Another network could sweep in with an offer, but it seems unlikely since Dark Angel didn't exactly have stellar ratings. But, we can hope

9th May 2002, 01:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tabitha Save Angel! Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 3,636	Dark Angel on thin ice? Hey folks, I read this today in the Vancouver Sun... Cameron TV finale crashes More viewers tuned into a CSI rerun than Dark Angel's James Cameron season wrap, leaving future in doubt Â* Sorry, Jessica Alba. Your chances of returning next season are as slim as a Dark Angel plot thread following Ã¼beraction film-maker James Cameron's crash-and-burn in Friday's U.S. Nielsen ratings. Dark Angel's fate won't become official until the Fox network unveils its fall schedule for advertisers in New York next week, but the writing on the wall is none too promising after Cameron's 90-minute, $10-million US season finale placed fourth in its time period last week, behind American Bandstand's 50th: A Celebration, Providence and a rerun of CSI. It's hard to tell what was more damning: the fact that Dark Angel pulled down lower numbers (4.4 million viewers) than a CSI rerun (6.9 million), or that it gained just five per cent on its lead-in, a rerun of The Simpsons. Dark Angel's potential fall from grace is a double blow for Vancouver: Not only does the city lose a marquee production if Dark Angel fails in its bid for resurrection, but the local numbers show that Vancouver viewers like Angel just fine, thank you very much. Angel performed miracles in the Vancouver and Victoria market, equalling BC CTV's Law & Order: SVU as Friday's most-watched program, with 105,000 viewers, 18 or older. Not only that but in the show's key demographic, 12- to 17-year-olds, Dark Angel cast its spell over 37 per cent of the teenage audience watching TV at the time, according to figures compiled by the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement. That means nearly four in 10 teenagers watching TV Friday night were glued in front of Dark Angel. Vancouver numbers carry little weight in the U.S., however, where the key programming decisions are made. That annoys program buyers at Global (Dark Angel airs locally on Global BC) and CTV to no end, since their job is to find programs that people will watch. When they do find a popular program -- not easy in this day of 200 channels-- it's doubly galling to lose it because aging boomers in Fresno and Minneapolis would rather watch American Bandstand. Dark Angel is a silly, juvenile and insipid program -- it won't be missed in my household, even though Alba was clearly better than the show she was in -- but enough people watched in Vancouver to suggest that it would find an audience in the U.S., if given half the chance. It probably won't get that chance, however. Not now. The devil, as they say, is in the details. Doesn't sound good for us fans, does it?

16th May 2002, 11:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tabitha Save Angel! Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 3,636	Well, looks like our fears have been confirmed. Not even a campaign on the show's behalf by Cameron could stop Fox from axing Dark Angel. The Futon Critic reports: Thursday, May 16, 2002 - 5:13 AM Cameron's 'Dark Angel' Grounded by FOX By Reuters/Variety LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Not even "Titanic" director James Cameron -- the man behind the biggest movie in history -- can prevent a TV ratings dud from cancellation. Fox Broadcasting has axed the sci-fi action series "Dark Angel," which Cameron co-created, after two seasons, Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety said in its Thursday edition. The show's Friday night slot will be filled by "Firefly," a space Western from Joss Whedon, the creator of the hit franchise "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Daily Variety said. "Dark Angel" starred Jessica Alba as a feisty human prototype who teams up with a cyberjournalist (played by Michael Weatherly) to battle an oppressive regime in the near future. It made a celebrity out of Alba, a 21-year-old exotic beauty who got engaged to Weatherly, but the show never transcended cult status. Season-to-date, it averaged six million viewers and ranked about 125th among prime-time series, according to Nielsen Media Research. Cameron, who co-created "Dark Angel" with Charles H. Eglee, made his TV directing debut on what turned out to be the show's series finale, which aired earlier this month. Fox Broadcasting, a unit of Rupert Murdoch's Fox Entertainment Group Inc ., will confirm its lineup for the 2002/03 season during a presentation to advertisers in New York on Thursday If you are interested in gossip and speculation about its replacement, Joss Whedon's Firefly, have a look at This Thread.

18th May 2002, 02:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Raptor A pain in the Mikta Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 680	Noooo! Is there anything we can do? Raptor

18th May 2002, 09:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tabitha Save Angel! Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 3,636	No, unfortuately I don't think so. Another network could sweep in with an offer, but it seems unlikely since Dark Angel didn't exactly have stellar ratings. But, we can hope