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Final Ratings: "The Expanse" Ends Down Season on Down Note for UPN and ENT

PROMENADE





Posted: 10:14:37 on May 29 2003
By: Steve Krutzler
Dept: Enterprise | stenterprise.com
The second season of ENTERPRISE ended last Wednesday on UPN, which suffered major declines in ratings and audience over the 2002-2003 season. The STAR TREK prequel was not spared these woes, as the sophomore season brought in a third fewer viewers this year than last.

The season finale "The Expanse" delivered a final rating of 2.8/4 and an audience of 3.88 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. This rating matches February's "Canamar" but comes in below "Stigma," "Cease Fire" and "Future Tense" (2.9/4). While "Expanse" surpassed every new episode since "Canamar" with its final rating, the audience size was decidedly lower.

With 3.88 million viewers, "The Expanse" fell below May Sweeps installments "Cogenitor" (4.08m) and "Regeneration" (4.12m), and even the first episode of 2003, "Dawn" (3.99m). ENTERPRISE peaked for 2003 with 4.78 million viewers tuning in for "Cease Fire"; all four February Sweeps episodes were more-watched than last week's much-hyped season finale. Last season's final episode, "Shockwave," was seen by 5.28 million viewers, or nearly 27% more than "The Expanse," which did improve on the prior week's 3.3m and 3.54m figures for "First Flight" and "Bounty."

According to data available at The Futon Critic and Zap2it, ENTERPRISE suffered steep declines this year. Audience was down 31% this year, averaging 3.92m viewers each week compared to season one's 5.73m. In ratings numbers, the series was off over 29%, averaging a 2.59 rating compared to last season's 3.60. UPN averaged 3.52 million viewers for the 2002-2003 season, down 18% in overall viewers, while a 1.5 average in the adults 18-49 category is off 17% on the previous season.

Thanks to 'Cyrus' for the some this data. You can reach the Zap2it season wrap-up here.

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Season Two (2002-2003)
Prod #Title Airdate
128 Shockwave, Part II 9/18/02
127 Carbon Creek9/25/02
129 Minefield10/02/02
131 Dead Stop10/09/02
130 A Night In Sickbay10/16/02
132 Marauders10/30/02
133 The Seventh11/06/02
134 The Communicator11/13/02
135 Singularity11/20/02
136 Vanishing Point11/27/02
137 Precious Cargo12/11/02
138 The Catwalk12/18/02
139 Dawn1/08/03
140 Stigma2/05/03
141 Cease Fire2/12/03
142 Future Tense2/19/03
143 Canamar2/26/03
144 The Crossing4/2/03
145 Judgment4/9/03
146 Horizon4/16/03
147 The Breach4/23/03
148 Cogenitor4/30/03
149 Regeneration5/7/03
150 First Flight5/14/03
151 Bounty5/14/03
152 The Expanse5/21/03
Season One (2001-2002)
TREKWEB TALKBACK
(15 comments)
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Low ratings
By jethro1958 ( realstory@hotmail.com) at 16:47:42 on May 29 2003
URL: | User Info
Here is my 2 cents worth...

Is the rating system a fair way to judge?

First, UPN does not broadcast on all seven nights of the week, nor do they reach as much of the country as CBS, FOX, ETC.

Also, Enterprise is shown on different nights in some markets.
Enterprise is shown on Saturday at 6 pm where I live.


The Rating system does not take in to account the VCR.
How many people record shows and watch it at another time?

My Satellite Tv systems does not carry any WB or UPN stations or even local channels yet. They will beginning in June.

So if a show or network is reaching 3 to 4 million people on a regular basis. Perhaps those 3 to 4 million are a large percentage of the people able to get the programs.

my 2 cents worth..










---

As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what
they do. --Andrew Carnegie

[ Reply to This | Parent Comment ]

Law of diminishing returns
By Grand Admiral Thrawn ( grandfleetadmiralthrawn@hotmail.com) at 16:18:08 on May 29 2003
URL: http://www.scifioasis.com/forum | User Info
Science at work here. If we get to see the same, uncreative, unimaginative, dull and bland star trek the return will decerease to a point where paramount will just pull star trek off the TV. All good things must come to an end.
The only way they can ensure trek survival is to get imaginative and give us cutting edge sci-fi which sadly is way beyond the forte of B&B and the current production team

---

"The mighty Star Trek would fall before us"-B&B

[ Reply to This | Parent Comment ]

Well, what did they expect...?
By Shaun ( ) at 16:17:24 on May 29 2003
URL: | User Info
Look, every sci-fi franchise has their own unique cult, and while Trekkies/-ers may have a higher "dork" contigent than most, I'd gather we're all a fairly bright and intelligent bunch just the same. It simply comes down to this: We KNOW when our intelligence is being insulted. Berman & Braga dug their own grave... now they need to jump in it.

[ Reply to This | Parent Comment ]

yep. we're boned.
By Bucky ( ) at 14:50:24 on May 29 2003
URL: | User Info
failing ratings and I think Berman and Bragga's contract only goes three seasons. Throwing up against Smallville, constant fan bitching.

However, I think its still one of UPN's highest rated programs, if they kill it it would have the ire of the Trekies, something that you wouldn't want and probably throw them in the hole even deeper.

---

An elephant never forgets . . .TO KILL!

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Low Rating Woes
By NeoDecatur ( ) at 10:52:34 on May 29 2003
URL: | User Info
I can just imagine B&B raising hell in their offices...

"It must be the audiance, THEY'VE changed, WE'VE done everything as we always have. Episodes of Enterprise this season were identical to those from past series' and yet the ratings just keep falling. It MUST be the audiance 'varible' that's changed."

Entertainment is supposed to have some novelty. Its just like candy, if you have one or two peices of chocolate, then the eating experience is pretty good. If you have 50 to 60 peices of the same chocolate, you're likely to get sick.

Enterprise is starting to make me sick.

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