Miracle Day - did later UK transmission harm viewing figures?

[Anthony Williams]

In response to seeing that a number of UK posters here have already seen the finale of Miracle Day, I can't help but wonder whether or not the fact that there's nearly a week-long delay between episodes could've harmed UK viewing figures?

I can't help but wonder how many people who are fans of Torchwood saw it early (I can't imagine casual viewers downloading episodes early!). If this has any impact at all, I can imagine that the episode that will be effected by this the most will be the finale.

If Torchwood does get renewed, and remains a Starz/BBC co-production, would they be better served to make sure that this delay doesn't happen again?

Thoughts and opinions, please

[Andrew Curnow]

I for one have been watching it on a Thursday, but it's a good question Ant. Do we have any idea of what the ratings for the series have been, both in the US and the UK?

[Anthony Williams]

Certainly for some of the episodes. I'm compiling a list now

[Awesome Wells]

In response to seeing that a number of UK posters here have already seen the finale of Miracle Day, I can't help but wonder whether or not the fact that there's nearly a week-long delay between episodes could've harmed UK viewing figures?

If the figures have been harmed, it's not the fault of Starz or the BBC - it's the fault of people in the UK who have been unable to wait and illegally downloaded episodes.

[Dirk Gently]

I think the point was "Why have the gap at all?"
Why force people to look for other options in the "I want it now" society that we inhabit?
Why couldn't it have been shown within 24 hours in both the U.S & the U.K?

[Anthony Williams]

Ratings (all in millions)

The New World - 6.59 (UK), 1.51 (US)
Rendition - 5.75 (UK), 1.4 (US)
Dead of Night - 5.49 (UK), 1.1 (US)
Escape to L.A. - 5.19 (UK)
The Categories of Life - 5.17 (UK)
The Middle Men - 4.6 (UK)
Immortal Sins - 4.48 (UK), 0.917 (US)
The End of the Road - 3.5 (UK, overnight), 1.172 (US)
The Gathering - 3.5 (UK, overnight), 1.024 (US)
The Blood Line - TBA

I was unable to find ratings from Starz for episodes 4, 5 and 6 (oh, how ironic!) - but you get the idea. The first episode was one of the highest rated episodes of any series to ever air on Starz, just to put things in perspective

[Anthony Williams]

If the figures have been harmed, it's not the fault of Starz or the BBC - it's the fault of people in the UK who have been unable to wait and illegally downloaded episodes.

Fundamentally, I agree with you, Dave. But, as long as it's out there, online, easily available for anybody with a broadband connection to torrent - the temptation is there.

The BBC would have known, when it was decided to broadcast it 6 days later, that there would be plenty of people out there who wouldn't be able to wait.

At the end of the day, the question is not who is to blame if viewing figures have been harmed - but whether or not they were harmed by this.

[Matthew T]

Even if a (very high) estimate of 10,000 fans had downloaded each episode, and then subsequently not bothered to watch the BBC broadcast, it wouldn't have any noticable effect on the ratings.

[Awesome Wells]

It's utterly beyond my comprehension. I understand downloading films and music, because people would rather have things for nothing than pay for them, but downloading episodes simply because you can't wait a few days mystifies me.

[Matthew T]

I haven't even got round to watching ANY of this series of Torchwood yet, so I can only agree Mr W.

[Andrew Curnow]

Given that Who has been airing the same day on both sides of the Atlantic, I think it was at least a bit short-sighted not to do the same with T'Wood. That said, I don't imagine THAT many people (relatively speaking) download it before the Thursday, so I don't really believe it will have a dent on the viewing figures.

As a general observation, I guess the Starz figures have settled at around the million mark - is that a good result, Ant, in their terms? To me, it sounds like almost nobody, given the size of the US, but I notice you say of the first episode that it "was one of the highest rated episodes of any series to ever air on Starz".

As for the UK, it looks to have gone to around 4.5-5 million. Again, I'm not sure if that's really good or bad - what were Children of Earth's ratings like, as a comparison?

[Anthony Williams]

Children of Earth were all between 6 & 6.5 million. But, that was all over one week - people didn't have to hold out for 10 weeks to see the resolution

[Andrew Curnow]

True, I'm just trying to get a sense of whether it's been a 'hit' or a 'miss' in ratings terms - call me perverse if you like, but although I've not really enjoyed this season much at all, I really hope we get another!!

[Alex]

It's utterly beyond my comprehension. I understand downloading films and music, because people would rather have things for nothing than pay for them, but downloading episodes simply because you can't wait a few days mystifies me.

I guess I've become really used to watching tv this way, as and when I want too. All it takes is literally three clicks of a mouse button, and you don't have to worry if anyone phones up in a middle of an episode or something like that. If I had one of those newfangled digital set ups where I could record it to a hard drive, or rewind live tv, then I might act differently, but unfortunately I can't afford that right now.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Well considering the last few weeks have had to compete with Celebrity BB it's not done too badly UK-wise.
The CEO of STARZ has basically said that the future of Torchwood depends on whether or not Russell is willing to carry on writing it.

[Andrew Curnow]

The CEO of STARZ has basically said that the future of Torchwood depends on whether or not Russell is willing to carry on writing it

Call me an old cynic, but if it was a huge ratings hit, but Russell said he didn't want to, I bet Starz would still somehow do it...

[Andrew Curnow]

I guess I've become really used to watching tv this way, as and when I want too. All it takes is literally three clicks of a mouse button, and you don't have to worry if anyone phones up in a middle of an episode or something like that. If I had one of those newfangled digital set ups where I could record it to a hard drive, or rewind live tv, then I might act differently, but unfortunately I can't afford that right now.

Actually, I must admit that although I've not been downloading it in advance, I HAVE been Sky+-ing it and then watching it of a Saturday morning, so actually I'm not sitting down to watch it on a Thursday either!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Call me an old cynic, but if it was a huge ratings hit, but Russell said he didn't want to, I bet Starz would still somehow do it...

We'll see, although Jane Espenson who was the main American writer working alongside Russell has now ruled herself out of taking over as show-runner. However I stumbled across an article earlier which quotes Russell as saying that he has one more Gwen-centred story left to tell...
As I've already said twice today on facebook I think it might be time for Ianto to come out of the shower...

[Awesome Wells]

I would - he said, paraphrasing his review of episode ten and taking the thread even further off-topic - welcome another series of Torchwood but a) back in Wales and b) with any linking arc pushed to the back to make room for stand-alone instalments.

[Lissa]

It's utterly beyond my comprehension. I understand downloading films and music, because people would rather have things for nothing than pay for them, but downloading episodes simply because you can't wait a few days mystifies me.

Isn't it a good sign that people can't wait a few days to see the next episode? The current level of downloading doesn't make much of a difference to the overall numbers - although obviously home taping is killing music - but it does show that the core audience is still interested even at the end of this ten week experiment.

Besides, not everyone gets review copies of episodes in advance - some people have to go outside and play at being Jack, Gwen and the new characters whose names I can't remember until Thursday night. Although you'd probably be better off staying inside if you're going to play at being Jack. Saucy minx.

[Awesome Wells]

I suppose the point is, once people have watched one via torrents or whatever, if they then wait for the transmission of the subsequent episode, they're actually waiting longer than those who haven't. And it makes sense to a degree, because episode one was very good (probably the best), that people may want to see the follow-up as soon as possible. If it isn't harming the ratings, as everyone says, I suppose it's no big deal. It does, however, take away the shared, communal viewing experience of everyone watching together - even if it's an online community - but then I suppose that happens anyway with the earlier US transmission.

Home taping was ace, by the way ... and as soon as the record companies work out a way of streaming music directly into our minds, they'll say ripping and uploading and downloading and burning is okay as well. Then, when somebody hacks the MIND SERVERS, the whole thing will start up again.

[Si Hunt]

I'm not sure about Dave's wish for it to go back to the days before it was hugely popular. Everyone hated it when it was standalone... and probably quite rightly, you go back and watch them now and they've aged like a dead dog in summertime.

We don't get time to keep up with the Thursday UK episodes, so God knows how people have got the inclination/desire to download them in advance, presumably burn them to disc and sit and watch them a week early. If it wasn't hugely patronising I'd be tempted to say "get out more".

Si.

[Awesome Wells]

I'm not sure about Dave's wish for it to go back to the days before it was hugely popular. Everyone hated it when it was standalone... and probably quite rightly, you go back and watch them now and they've aged like a dead dog in summertime.

I must be literally no one then, 'cos I enjoyed it when it was stand-alone ... and although I've not seen any episode of the first three series since transmission, I distinctly remember liking some episodes in series one and two more than I ever did subsequently with Children Of Earth.

Surely a dead dog doesn't age at all, summertime or not?

[Alex]

We don't get time to keep up with the Thursday UK episodes, so God knows how people have got the inclination/desire to download them in advance, presumably burn them to disc and sit and watch them a week early. If it wasn't hugely patronising I'd be tempted to say "get out more".

Si.

Well for me it literally is clicking three buttons, so it's hardly a pain to do. And I watch them on my laptop (like pretty much all of the tv I view, bar Who which I do like to catch live if I can) so it's hardly a pain at all.

I do need to get out more though, you're right!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Well I think it says a lot that the episode I most enjoyed (7) was as close to a stand-alone as the series allowed. Given how thinly stretched to fill out 10 episodes the plot of Miracle Day was I think they could easily have woven in a couple more single episode story-lines which were properly resolved rather than some of the dead-end threads that were introduced only to be forgotten about.