While I love television as a medium, sometimes I find it so infuriating. This year is perhaps the most infuriated I've been at television in a long time (at least since HBO axed Carnivale), and that anger is directed at Fringe.
Not because of the show's quality -- in my opinion, it's the best show currently running (until February 2, when it will have to settle for second best) -- but because of the fact that no one is watching. It's a terrible fate for a show this good, and it would be a horrible, horrible thing to see the show not be renewed for a third season.
The show's viewership has dropped considerably from the season premiere, which received almost 10 million viewers. In fact, one of the best episodes of the season was a series low, averaging only about 4.9 million viewers. That's when Fringe fans started sweating a little bit. Ratings slowly rose from that, and averaged out between 6.5 and 7 million viewers for the latter half of the season. But here's the kicker -- the show did experience a ratings spike on one recent episode, which proved that the viewership was resultant from (you guessed it) bad scheduling.
That episode was "Unearthed," the unaired episode from season one that was crammed back into the schedule almost randomly. Where did that episode fall? On a Sunday night. And it got higher viewership than any episode since the season two premiere. The reason for that? It followed House.
Fringe's Thursday 9 P.M. slot simply isn't working for the show. In addition to competing against procedural CSI and the hospital drama Grey's Anatomy, Fringe also faces off against NBC's The Office/Parks and Recreation combo. And on top of that, it also has to compete against fellow genre favorite Supernatural. Fringe usually comes in third in the ratings, after CSI and Grey's, but its viewership is obviously hurt by Supernatural.
How can this be fixed? Well, a shift in scheduling from FOX would probably drastically improve the ratings of the series, which averaged around 9 million viewers when it was on the Tuesday slot following House. The post-House slot is now occupied by the declining Lie to Me. How to fix this? Cancel Lie to Me, and move Fringe into its spot. I guarantee that the ratings would experience a jump, while Lie to Me would continue to decline no matter where you place it (the novelty is simply wearing off for both the writers and the viewers).
But until FOX actually decides to help out its highest-quality show, it's time for fans to join together and start watching. Stop waiting until the following day to Hulu the episodes -- that doesn't help. Instead, pop a TiVo on your CSI's and your Grey's. They'll be fine without you -- they're guaranteed another season. Fringe, however, needs your help and your viewership. And you should give it to them.
It's not bad scheduling, it's bad casting. Each character (each cast member) brings an entire audience. With the exit of hunky "Human Target" guy went with him an entire audience, with the exit of dependable Charlie went with him an entire audience (can someone say Latinas?).
I wouldn't say that. Such an intensely genre show isn't so strongly impacted by the departure of two peripheral characters. Remember, John Scott was hardly around for more than one episode before he was killed. And Charlie's death did leave a hole in the show, but I can't honestly see many fans departing because Kirk Acevedo was no longer on the show.
Fringe is a fantastic show and it should be watched! Where are all the X-files fans?? The comment about the casting is in my mind wrong. Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson have great chemistry, so does Jasika Nicole and John Noble as the mad doctor and his federal baby sitter. John Noble is without doubt the jewel in the crown with this show. He consistently performs amazingly well and I was gutted he didn't even get nominated for a Golden Globe! I admit that Fringe needs a time change, and a follow on from House would probably do it some good. But don't cancel Lie to Me! Tim Roth is the Daddy!! Just move it into the Thursday slot and give Fringe the post House Sunday slot.
I wouldn't say that no one is watching.I watch it every week religiously…to the point where my husband knows not to make a peep when the show is on, Many of my friends watch it too. I know is the scale of things it might look like no one is watching, but that part of it has to do with advertising. Although the show it self is amazing and doing its best to open new windows, the first general impression is that its a take on the X-files but with out the Aliens (sort of speak). I don't think that the schedule change will hurt the show, but at the same time I don't think that it will do as much as one would think to boost the ratings. It needs to be advertised a little more. Because as most people know, if you are good at marketing then you can sell anything. The trick is to get people to watch it once or twice then the show will do the rest of the work itself.
I'm trying, I swear!! They don't seem to take into account their Canadian audience, which irks me to no end. I wish there was a way to take some of the ridiculously high Idol numbers (seriously, 48million??? That is more than the entire population of my country) and share the wealth.I kind of like Fringe on Thursdays, which I call genre night- Vamp Diaries, SPN, Fringe, FlashForward, one right after the other…C'mon FOX- you owe us for all the great tv you have taken from us prematurely- don't mess with Fringe!
I love Tim Roth too. Mr. Orange and Pumpkin/Ringo are iconic. But this show is in no way as good as Fringe.
Fringe debuted in September a week before everyone else, that's why the Live number was so high. Ever since, it's been against seriously heavy competition. DVR numbers show Fringe hasn't really lost their audience, just that they're watching it later.
I could never get into Lie To Me from the premise alone. A group of scientists/detectives who can tell when people lie or not telling the truth by the littlest things? Why would I trust someone who knows every trick in the trade of lying? How would I tell if THEY are lying? It's a nagging notion that I couldn't pass the first commercial I saw for it.As for Fringe, that episode of "Unearthed" aired Monday here in the states, because we were excited about it at work that day. FOX was smoking Who-Hash or something when they threw Fringe to the wolves this year on Thursdays. I am glad that I still manage to get it on my DVR, but no matter what Neilsen tells you, DVR viewing still doesn't count in the overall tally if you don't watch it the first few days after the show aired. Plus, you have Hulu and iTune viewings and the such. So in conclusion, the ratings are there, the networks, Hollywood and the media just need to catch up to the new mediums…
serious now, you can't believe a show like lie to me which is based on true facts yet you are fine with a show like fringe?
Um, Lie to Me is a fictional TV show. Fringe, the same. The "true facts" you speak about in Lie To Me are exaggerated just like the CSI shows with their time frame for solving crimes and scientists carrying guns. So not reality there. Fringe is science fiction at it's best even if some of the science they use has some sort of truth to it, just exaggerated. But that's all TV. A little exaggerated truth…
I'm from France and I'm an absolute fan of Fringe. I've been to the US from september to december last year and watched it every thursday. When I came back to France I bought the season 1 DVD to watch it again, and I continue to watch season 2 each week. Well not in a very legal way because I have no choice (I can't wait!)… but I'll watch it again when it will be aired on french TV and then I'll buy season 2 on DVD. So I don't know what to do more but I can't even imagine the end of this show. For me, it's been the most amazing show since the end of X-Files (even before Lost!). So please Fox, don't be stupid again and renew it for a third season and then a 4th and so on. You already canceled Dollhouse, so please no more bad blows!! (PS : sorry for my english ;) )
I for one appreciate the insight. Thanks for taking the time to write about and share your process.