Nix | November 30, 2009
51 comments

Stargate Universe Ratings: Steadying, or Falling?

I’m not a TV numbers wonk, mostly because numbers give me headaches, which probably explains why I suck at math. But thankfully we have sites like tvbythenumbers.com to do all the numbers following and crunching for us. The site has a comprehensive ratings break-down for the first nine episodes of “Stargate: Universe”, and depending by your point of view, the show is either falling or steadying itself.

The show, of course, premiered to great numbers for SyFy, with 2.3 million people tuning into the 2-hour premiere episode. It actually improved in its third episode the following week, with 2.4 million tuning in again. Alas, the show eventually fell to its lowest point with its seventh episode, “Earth”, to 1.6 million. In what can be seen as good news for the producers, the show has since rebounded from the season-low to 1.8 and 1.89 million viewers, respectively, in the two episodes following that. The show’s tenth episode, “Justice” is scheduled to air December 7th, and will finish up the first half of “Stargate: Universe’s” first season.

What does it all mean? I’m no expert, but it certainly looks like “Universe” is steadying itself for a long, healthy run on the SyFy Channel. Which means, sorry, “Universe” haters, it doesn’t look like the show is going anywhere anytime soon.

I will admit that I was in “Universe’s” corner after the premiere episode, despite harboring great reservations before the show aired. I’ve become a bit disillusioned by “Universe” since, to the point where I didn’t even bother to finish last week’s “Life” episode. Apparently the producers think continuing to send their characters back to Earth to have sex in other people’s bodies is more interesting than exploring the ancient alien ship they’re trapped in. But I digress.

“Time” was a great episode, and unless there’s more of that, I’m jumping off this ship. Fair warning, “Universe” producers.

Hey, Eli, you're the math whiz. Does the steadying ratings mean I can't give in and have sex with you?

Hey, Eli, you're the math whiz. Does the steadying ratings mean I can't give in and have sex with you?


Category: Sci-Fi TV News, Stargate: Universe TV Series |
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  • SGU

    I’ve saved this page and we can talk about this again when season 1 is over.

    I can bet you any money the ratings will start to drop like flies from now on.

    I put up with it for 9 eps and I didn’t even bother to watch ep 10 (mid season finale).

    From what I read around the net a lot of people is doing the same, they stick to SGU for 5-10 eps and is now saying they won’t watch anymore. A mid season break isn’t going to help either.

    If I am running a Scifi site I suppose I will try hard to put positive spin on Scifi shows.

    But let’s be honest, SGU’s rating is similar to SGA’s, SGU had a lot of haters sticking to it hoping it’ll turn good, now the “haters” are quitting, that means SGU’s rating will drop.

    • Earl R.

      its gnna get better

      • Dan

        Its not gnna get better

  • Ron

    This is a great show – innovative scripts, more believable and fleshed out adult characters and serious storytelling than the rest of the franchise. The Stargate universe has always seemed comic-book like and kind of cheesy to me, albeit with some really great humor and some nice characters scattered throughout. This show is obviously a vast improvement and will undoubtedly succeed.

    • Earl R.

      i agree with ron

  • Earl R.

    eh clam down everybody ok a couple of the episode sucked but i think the rest of seanson one is gonna pick up i mean i here thers finnaly gonna be sum aliens so everybody jus chilllll

  • Ben

    I love listening to all the old SG1 and Atlantis fanboys crying over Universe and its current success because it reinforces the fact that those fans have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to words like “acting” or “script”.

    Universe has by far the most engrossing premise of all the stargate series’ and I for one am glad that it is here to stay.

    Keep whining kids!

    • Bret R

      If 1.3 million viewers is considered a success then God bless it. As for me, every time I go to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned, I will be able to say to myself “It could be worse, I could be watching SGU”

    • Timothy

      Ben,

      I suppose you think the acting on General Hospital, Days of our lives etc etc are Emmy award winning dramas as well!

      You have no idea what you are talking about- and you can take that one to the bank.

      • Garth

        Ben are you watching the show on LSD because that would be the only way I could sit through another episode and think that this show is exciting and has great acting .
        The actors on this show are a terrible not to mention the story and camera work . Plus it is the lamest rip of Battlestar . I guess well see just how popular this show is when they can it mid season 2 .
        What made SG1 and Atlantis good was it was over the top and did have some cheesy lines but the story’s were well written fun and exciting plus the charters and we likable and worked well together plus it was just a fun show to watch and an escape from every day life . not like SGU every time I watch it I dont care if any one dies on the show because the characters are unlikable and no one cares what happens to them plus the story’s are so depressing and boring , but I guess there marketing to the emo population who all like depressing doom and gloom .

  • kenneth

    This show is horrible. If I wanted a soap Opera I would have tuned in to the Soap network.

  • http://www.scifiovermind.com Overmind One

    Reading this article was amusing. LOL!

    “In what can be seen as good news for the producers, the show has since rebounded from the season-low to 1.8 and 1.89 million viewers, respectively, in the two episodes following that. The show’s tenth episode, “Justice” is scheduled to air December 7th, and will finish up the first half of “Stargate: Universe’s” first season.”

    WHAT HAPPENED?

    Well, “Justice” aired, and it got a paltry 1.3m viewers Live+7, setting an all-time low for the series and setting the tone for whats to come. TPTB dont seem to see whats going on. First of all, the show is terrible. Everything about it…the premise itself is wrong, and the way they set the show up is wrong for Stargate. But that is not the point, the RATINGS and the flat DVD sales and the tens of thousands of negative criticisms about this show are telling the true story. Spin up the praise all you want, the show is tanking and will go even further below the water line after the second part of the season begins. There will be a brief surge for episode 11 “Space”, but by episode 13 or 14, they will tank once more and then sink fast.

    So the answer to the question “steadying or falling?”. You have access to the ratings numbers, so you know the answer. LOL.

  • Cheryl

    I liked the food network comment. I will also not tune in for any of season 2 just to see if we can drive this awful show off the air. It is space ghetto usa. There is nothing to these characters that would make me watch again. Now if they all were left on planet somewhere and Rush took off in the ship then I would be glued the tv. Alas cheering for the mad scientist. Then maybe we’d learn something about the ship and not how zippers work. Just too tacky.

  • Jay

    SGU would be much more exciting if the ship crashed into a planet inhabited by Furlings.

  • miceal mc cann

    thought this was a scifi show, it is on the scifi channel. how was atlantis cancelled and this shit made instead,

  • luke

    SGU is one of the worst programs I have ever seen and find it unbelievable that 1.8 million would switch on for this garbage. I would check your ratings figures again because they cannot be accurate

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