[plankwalker]

Originally Posted by Stone Free

Yes, but on the whole no niche Satellite channel will exceed the ratings of the original terrestrial five channels, so half a million viewers is not surprising!

I sat down to watch this on Saturday and sudenly realised I watched it several months ago on Watch and this (for me anyway) was not a new series. The Watch broadcast, certainly what I can acess, was in Standard Definition so nice to see it in HD but its still all to fresh in my mind.

I really can't understand why the producers sold it to Watch, more money? and still banking on getting a further fee by pushing it out on Terresterial later? The quality of the show and special effects to me should warant a mainstream outlet from start.

Hope people don't indulge in spoilers for those that haven't yet seen it.

[Lowri]

Originally Posted by plankwalker

I really can't understand why the producers sold it to Watch, more money? and still banking on getting a further fee by pushing it out on Terresterial later? The quality of the show and special effects to me should warant a mainstream outlet from start.

I don't think the sold it to Watch as such. Itv were debating whether to renew it or not and then they were able to get a deal with Watch for series 4 and 5 where Watch would pick up many of the production costs for the right to show series 5 first (and itv showed series 4 first).
As has been said previously in this thread, itv gained the right to broadcast series 5 from january. The huge delay, lack of advertising and general apathy towards the programme from itv mean the disappointing ratings are hardly a surprise.

[zwixxx]

oops wrong thread

[Ethel_Fred]

So how do you get a future where humans and giant insects coexist?

[StressMonkey]

Originally Posted by Ethel_Fred

So how do you get a future where humans and giant insects coexist?

Kill all the birds.

Apparently, the evoluition of birds is what kept insects small - the bigger they were the easier it was for birds to find/eat them so there was an evolutionary benefit to remaining small. Personally, I'm not convinced that is the entire story (food for example - pollen is pretty small) but I do think it could be a factor.

So, humans kill off all the birds, insects get big. Job done

[Talea100]

More clarifications, particularly on ratings being taken in context!

-Watch did get fantastic ratings for their airing of series 5

They're a tiny pay channel, so half a million viewers is actually enormous for them. IIRC, it was their highest rated show, ever.

-ITV has about 60% of BBC1's viewership

Nothing it airs is ever going to rival Doctor Who for numbers, regardless of quality.

-Overall viewership of live TV--especially scripted dramas--is down.

Both sides of the Atlantic. The only stuff getting live viewers anymore is sport, news, reality and (in the UK) soaps. AKA stuff that requires live viewing. Therefore comparing Primeval's series 4 ratings to its earlier outings isn't necessarily useful. Overall viewing habits are drastically different in 2012 v. 2007.

To put this in perspective: For the week ending 10th June (the week before Primeval's debut), there were only three scripted, non-soap dramas in the top 30 for any of the major UK channels, and the biggest, Lewis, only pulled in about 5.7 million viewers. Thus, getting about 4.5 million, as series 4 did, is pretty darn good.

-Saturday is the lowest-rating day of the week

Comparing anything that airs on Saturday with stuff airing the rest of the week is pointless. The only stuff that gets viewers on Saturdays is sport. This is especially true for summer weekends, when everyone's out, as opposed to cooler months.

-Even with having aired AND being out on DVD, AND ITV's truly craptastic promo, Primeval still did well.

It was still ITV's highest-rated show for the day, and also still one of the highest-rating scripted shows on any of the major channels for the week.

One final bit of context: This airing of 5x01 actually did about the same as most of the first season of Game of Thrones on HBO. Considering that the US population is several times that of the UK population (HBO subscribers alone are 70% of the population of the UK!) that's actually pretty amazing.

I won't argue that that isn't a disappointing number, and regardless of what numbers it got, they'd never be enough for ITV to reconsider their decision not to fund further series, but taken in context with everything else, 2.7 million viewers isn't nearly as bad as it sounds on the surface.

As for where I get my info: I'm one of the co-mods for the Primeval ARCadians fan page on Facebook. We keep up with all the news and interviews for the show, and make a point of only posting verified info.

(One last note about Amanda Tapping's accent: You learn to speak how your parents speak, not how your adopted country speaks. So yes, she does come by her accent naturally to some degree.)

[StressMonkey]

Originally Posted by Talea100

(One last note about Amanda Tapping's accent: You learn to speak how your parents speak, not how your adopted country speaks. So yes, she does come by her accent naturally to some degree.)

If that were always true I'd have an accent that was a cross between Cypriot and Cockney.

I don't.

Plus - she sounds Canadian in interviews.

Even if she is trying to mimic her parents (considering where she was born I'd expect more Estuary that RP) IMO she isn't very good at it. I found the accent very grating and unnatural. Even John Barrowman's comedy Scottish sounds better.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by StressMonkey

Kill all the birds.

Apparently, the evoluition of birds is what kept insects small - the bigger they were the easier it was for birds to find/eat them so there was an evolutionary benefit to remaining small. Personally, I'm not convinced that is the entire story (food for example - pollen is pretty small) but I do think it could be a factor.

It may be apparent but it's not true. The limiting factor for insects is their respiratory system, in the past during the carboniferous era there was a much higher proportion of oxygen in the atmosphere and as a result insects grew to very large sizes.

The "insects" in the series must have evolved a different breathing system, I quoted "insects" because I don't think it made it clear they were insects though they certainly appeared to be arthropods of some form.

[StressMonkey]

Originally Posted by bobcar

It may be apparent but it's not true. The limiting factor for insects is their respiratory system, in the past during the carboniferous era there was a much higher proportion of oxygen in the atmosphere and as a result insects grew to very large sizes.

The "insects" in the series must have evolved a different breathing system, I quoted "insects" because I don't think it made it clear they were insects though they certainly appeared to be arthropods of some form.

Didn't think it would be that alone but not entirely suprised there is no truth to it at all - that'll teach me to skim read Daily Mail 'science' articles lol

[mrbernay]

Bump for tonight: 5.40

[Lowri]

Originally Posted by mrbernay

Bump for tonight: 5.40

Thanks for reminding me! Still at work though
ITV+1 here I come

[stvn758]

Is this a new series, sure I saw that submarine scene last time.

[mrbernay]

Originally Posted by stvn758

Is this a new series, sure I saw that submarine scene last time.

Episode 2 of series 5. which was shown on "Watch" last year (if you have Sky, you may have seen it there)

[koantemplation]

Originally Posted by stvn758

Is this a new series, sure I saw that submarine scene last time.

You might be remembering the 'Next time on ...' bit which was shown last week.

[stvn758]

Originally Posted by mrbernay

Episode 2 of series 5. which was shown on "Watch" last year (if you have Sky, you may have seen it there)

That's probably it.

[3PS]

Shame we won't be having no more of this.It was a good conset

[elfcurry]

Could all those who've seen this before somewhere please either go and start a thread to talk about Primeval in general terms or retrospectivrly or put some sort of tag like <not talking about tonight's show> around their comments?

Ta.

[Ricky_Leeds]

Originally Posted by Talea100

More clarifications, particularly on ratings being taken in context!

-Watch did get fantastic ratings for their airing of series 5

They're a tiny pay channel, so half a million viewers is actually enormous for them. IIRC, it was their highest rated show, ever.

-ITV has about 60% of BBC1's viewership

Nothing it airs is ever going to rival Doctor Who for numbers, regardless of quality.

-Overall viewership of live TV--especially scripted dramas--is down.

Both sides of the Atlantic. The only stuff getting live viewers anymore is sport, news, reality and (in the UK) soaps. AKA stuff that requires live viewing. Therefore comparing Primeval's series 4 ratings to its earlier outings isn't necessarily useful. Overall viewing habits are drastically different in 2012 v. 2007.

To put this in perspective: For the week ending 10th June (the week before Primeval's debut), there were only three scripted, non-soap dramas in the top 30 for any of the major UK channels, and the biggest, Lewis, only pulled in about 5.7 million viewers. Thus, getting about 4.5 million, as series 4 did, is pretty darn good.

-Saturday is the lowest-rating day of the week

Comparing anything that airs on Saturday with stuff airing the rest of the week is pointless. The only stuff that gets viewers on Saturdays is sport. This is especially true for summer weekends, when everyone's out, as opposed to cooler months.

-Even with having aired AND being out on DVD, AND ITV's truly craptastic promo, Primeval still did well.

It was still ITV's highest-rated show for the day, and also still one of the highest-rating scripted shows on any of the major channels for the week.

One final bit of context: This airing of 5x01 actually did about the same as most of the first season of Game of Thrones on HBO. Considering that the US population is several times that of the UK population (HBO subscribers alone are 70% of the population of the UK!) that's actually pretty amazing.

I won't argue that that isn't a disappointing number, and regardless of what numbers it got, they'd never be enough for ITV to reconsider their decision not to fund further series, but taken in context with everything else, 2.7 million viewers isn't nearly as bad as it sounds on the surface.

As for where I get my info: I'm one of the co-mods for the Primeval ARCadians fan page on Facebook. We keep up with all the news and interviews for the show, and make a point of only posting verified info.

(One last note about Amanda Tapping's accent: You learn to speak how your parents speak, not how your adopted country speaks. So yes, she does come by her accent naturally to some degree.)

BIB how do you know this? i mean when Doctor Who is shown on a Saturday it usually gets around 6 million viewers same with Merlin so not sure how u can say Saturdays is the lowest rating day of the week?

Anyway i don't think ITV are helping it much by seemingly putting it on earlier this week.

[k9fan]

I had not seen it before.

I wish that Abby trusted Connor more, or that Connor trusted Philip less, not sure which.

I do like Lester.

[Barracute]

Didnt think much of tonights ep, the creature effects werent particularly convincing and the story was a bore - i sure hope this series improves as those who have seen it have hinted, tho have to say the trail for next weeks ep looked good

[mrbernay]

Originally Posted by Barracute

Didnt think much of tonights ep, the creature effects werent particularly convincing and the story was a bore - i sure hope this series improves as those who have seen it have hinted, tho have to say the trail for next weeks ep looked good

I, too, was disasppointed. It was very studio bound and lacked pace IMO, but next week's does look better

[StressMonkey]

Missed chunks of the episode as I was cooking dinner

Child enjoyed it though.

Not overly impressed with the stupidly early time for it this week, apparently there is some kind of football tornament going on, messing up the schedules.......

[Orangemaid]

Originally Posted by StressMonkey

Missed chunks of the episode as I was cooking dinner

Child enjoyed it though.

Not overly impressed with the stupidly early time for it this week, apparently there is some kind of football tornament going on, messing up the schedules.......

this is why is record it..watched it this morning infact

[JAS84]

Originally Posted by Lowri

I don't think the sold it to Watch as such. Itv were debating whether to renew it or not and then they were able to get a deal with Watch for series 4 and 5 where Watch would pick up many of the production costs for the right to show series 5 first (and itv showed series 4 first).
As has been said previously in this thread, itv gained the right to broadcast series 5 from january. The huge delay, lack of advertising and general apathy towards the programme from itv mean the disappointing ratings are hardly a surprise.

What I don't understand is why they didn't air it five months ago! Would've got better ratings then, and wouldn't have clashed with sport either.

[Jaycee Dove]

Originally Posted by JAS84

What I don't understand is why they didn't air it five months ago! Would've got better ratings then, and wouldn't have clashed with sport either.

Basically, because it rated poorly last year on ITV and they have decided not to buy more so chose to use this as summer filler.

It would likely not have rated a lot more if shown months ago based on the series 4 figures and looks better to their advertisers now because it is winning its slot and often being the most watched show on ITV that evening. Even from a lower base number that comes over better than a million more viewers losing out to some BBC game show.

I like the show and look forward to the new Canadian spin off. There are really only so many creatures you can chase around London/Dublin. The change of cast and new continent and set up will probably give the franchise a shot in the arm. Especially as we are promised appearances from UK cast members from time to time and that it picks up where UK series 5 ends.

And I love Amanda Tapping as an actress, hope she appears herself now that Sanctuary has sadly ended (and her British accent was totally fine by me). Glad she is involved as it makes me think that the spin off is going to be a success.