Gah, clueless television producers

[wraithfodder]

Someone posted this link on their LJ - http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117998604.html?categoryid=3521&cs=1# -

"We want people to come to this who've never heard of 'Battlestar Galactica,' " explains Sci Fi prexy Dave Howe, whose network has ordered 20 hours of the new series. "I think there was a barrier to entry for some viewers (for 'Galactica'), since it had the backdrop of space and spaceships."

Moore concurs, saying "We had viewers say that if they were able to trick their wives or girlfriends into watching 'Galactica,' they loved it."

But with the name "Battlestar Galactica" "screaming science fiction," he adds, "there was just such a high hurdle to get female viewers to even try it."

Did they think that women didn't watch scifi? Do they not realize how many women do watch scifi? I mean, gah, go to a convention sometime! And Stargate Atlantis and SG-1 seem to have lots of female fans. Maybe they just didn't, er, like BSG? Good grief, if space and spaceships were a 'barrier', then why did Star Trek succeed so well? Hmm...

Meanwhile, I have this feeling they will somehow tag-team Caprica with Stargate Universe after reading about Carpica... "You can just feel it running out of control, with its youth culture and its moral choices. There's doom in the air, but not doom in terms of the human spirit," Moore says.

Eh, kevetching done ;)

Comments

[whisper99.livejournal.com]

Well, this woman never made the jump to BSG because THEY CUT OFF STARBUCKS DICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!

As you can see I have some minor issues with the show. *cough*

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I remember when they decided 'starbuck will be a woman.' I mean, for those of who grew up with Dirk Benedict as Starbuck, well....

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Did they think that women didn't watch scifi? Do they not realize how many women do watch scifi?

Ah, but only the woman who have been tricked into watching by their significant male others watch sci fi, otherwise we're too busy watching Lifetime Movies of the Week and crying while eating chocolates. Women also only watch sport because of men and feign interest, not having the necessary competitive nature to really enjoy it as nature has designed us to coo over babies and write sonnets about love 24/7.

Moore has just shown that he is a. Out of touch with their own networks demographics, b. Out of touch with women since 1954.

[artemisiabrisol.livejournal.com]

Word.

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Found this, so yeah, just a LEETLE bit out of touch me thinks:

The first half of Battlestar Galactica season 4 averaged a 1.8 Household rating, 1,576,000 Adults 18-49 (+15%); 1,726,000 Adults 25-54 (+19%) and 2,326,000 total viewers (+13%). Battlestar enjoyed its best season ever for female viewers, delivering 592,000 Women 18-49 and 646,000 Women 25-54.

From here: http://nbcumv.com/scifi/release_detail.nbc/scifi-20081217000000-scifihasbestyear.html

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I never lasted far enough (1/2 through pilot, 1/2 way through two episodes) to see all the sex stuff, althought I'd read stuff here and there. Oh dear, but I do watch some Lifetime movies (not all) but certainly not eating chocolate while watching them) ;) But I do watch a lot of scifi. And even a totally male show, I'm sure "Destroyed in Seconds."! Take that, demographic collectors ;)

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Well I do watch sport for the icon but then I was watching from this from the age of zero :D I'm in Melbourne, the sporting capitol of Australia.

[timespirt.livejournal.com]

Well, since they changed all the men to woman for the most part, why would they expect woman to watch it!!!

[dejla.livejournal.com]

I like watching intelligent women in science fiction. I'm more likely to watch science fiction with female characters than with male characters.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Well, according to Television, the demographic of sci-fi viewers is made up of skinny, socially awkward teenage boys who can't get a date to the prom, and grown men who still live at home in their mother's basement.

[libra-traveller.livejournal.com]

Yes, but those grown men living in their mother's basement were probably introduced to scifi by their mothers!

[reedfem.livejournal.com]

I don't believe it's that they don't think women watch scifi, it's that they don't care...

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Just better taste?

[nialla]

Moore concurs, saying "We had viewers say that if they were able to trick their wives or girlfriends into watching 'Galactica,' they loved it."

Urge. To. Kill. Rising.

[points to icon for what seems like the eleventy billionth time]

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

:)

[monkey-junkey.livejournal.com]

Ugh. The networks seriously need to change the way they determine their demographics.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

They haven't figured out the downloading population yet, so.... long way aways :(

Clueless BSG TPTB

[sgafan33.livejournal.com]

I don't get it. Moore used to guest at Star Trek conventions. Now, if he had only gone to Trek conventions before Next Gen aired, he'd be right in his impression that the scifi audience was mostly guys, even though the campaign to bring back the original Star Trek was led by a woman. At least, that was my experience. But after Next Gen aired, I found the convention audience to be closer to half and half. And it's pretty much stayed that way. In fact, depending on the guests, a scifi/genre convention can skew more female.

Maybe the guys aren't going to conventions but are holed up in their basements watching tv.

Re: Clueless BSG TPTB

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yeah, like in that William Shatner sketch, which I found hilarious cuz I knew a few fans like that ;)

[ladyniko.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't get me started on the idiots at Skiffy....

Bonnie Hammer, said, "I just couldn't get into it because of the hair." - in regards to the original BSG. This coming from a NETWORK EXECUTIVE....

I saw Dirk Benedict at a con in STL when they were talking about the remake & he said that he was only offered a bit part, not even a recurring role in the remake.

The people at Skiffy are still using the outdated models and totally ignoring the women when it comes to their programs. They still think that we don't watch anything more than reality and/or game shows at night along with the soaps during the day. (And, I watch none of the above - I run screaming in horror from stuff like Survivor & Big Brother... :p)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Well, folks who are network execs don't exactly have common sense in some respects ;)

I really do wonder what the gender division is on reality shows and crap like that. I like some stuff - documentary or non-fiction type 'reality' shows, but not the ones where you get people together and basically just make their lives miserable for entertainment purposes. Gah, talk about bread and circuses...

[colls]

It's been a common rant the past couple of years. My understanding is that a good majority of LJ'rs in fandom are women, so of course we make a big deal about it. There was some comm built on the "we're not the demographic" rant when SGU was announced although for the life of me I can't seem to find it at the moment. As a thirtysomething with disposable income enough to spend on fandom, the whole attitude of catering to young males raises my hackles a bit. On the other hand, if that's what TPTB have been doing all along and we're still fans... ^-^ just a thought...

But, that being said. Starbuck as a woman frakkin rocks!! I wish I had balls like her. ;) Sorry, but I had to say it. BSG is one of my many fandoms and the RDM's series has me hooked. Pairing Caprica with SGU isn't a bad thing in my book, but it doesn't impact me all that much personally, although I suppose it does impact the health of the shows overall.
I don't have cable and buy what I watch on iTunes anyway. (see, TPTB, I said buy, I purchase, spend greenbacks, the almighty money you're so greedy about).

Wow, I got chatty. What the hell did my coworker's put in that pot of coffee this morning?

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I'd say most of online fandom - LJ, blogs, boards, etc. - are female. Women just tend to be more creative with the fanfic, icons, etc. ;)

Hah, yeah, and lots of women buy the show on iTunes, and buy the books, the DVDs, etc.

Like I said (somwewhere), I'll probably rent/borrow BSG a couple years down the road and check it out.

[oxbastetxo.livejournal.com]

Seriously! I have to agree here. What a bunch of idiots! I was introduced to Scifi by....MY MOTHER! She started me on Trek when I was 5!

*sigh*

You know how many guys I've introduced to Scifi shows!!! Shoot! That was on of the things I was waiting to see about S and yes, he likes Scifi!

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I've been watching scifi since the original Trek came on the air, and even many horror/scifi flicks before that. Ah, TPTB needs to get out more ;)

[melibabe.livejournal.com]

I am an almost exclusively sci-fi/fantasy viewer/reading, and I didn't like BSG because it was politics and war and religion (at least as much of it as I could manage to watch in season one). I can see that kind of depressing stuff on the news every day, I don't need it in my entertainment.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

The parts I saw were very political and yeah, get enough of a dose of that in real life.

[jacksmsstargate.livejournal.com]

I never got in to the new BSG. It was just too dark and dreary. One of the things I always loved about SG-1 & Atlantis was the humor. BSG had no humor and it could have seriously used it.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Hmm, maybe that's another reason I never got into it... no humor?

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I just can't say anything more without have a brain anyeurism. :(

[dejla.livejournal.com]

They have never realized that women watch science fiction. They are completely clueless because the only things they can imagine are themselves.

[lady-xan.livejournal.com]

I will never understand why a) they don't get that a lot of women watch sci-fi and b) they would still prefer the men! And of course sometimes "they" can be the network instead of TPTB behind a show. I still fume years later about the idiots at Fox when they had Firefly. They didn't like the fact that the show was pulling in more female fans than men. The Firefly PTB were all, like, who cares?!! But we all know what happened in the end...