Ratings: CSI vs ...
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brass_lives
Prime Suspect
I can't answer for anyone else, but for me, it's the "soap opera" genre that GA falls into that bugs me the most. I don't like Desperate Housewives, either, if you're counting
Well, as do I. I mean, I'd love to see CSI win against Grey's and make top scripted show for the year. But it held that honor last year, and the result was a deathly boring season with two or three spectacular episodes.
I want CSI to win, but if being in second is keeping the writers and producers and actors hungry, making them work harder and not just resting on easy laurels becuase they're the only thing on TV to watch at that hour, then I am glad that they've made strides and that they've paid off, and made a really enjoyable season.
Lvodkadiet
Rookie
Here in the UK they dont really compete for ratings. I guess its not as important as not everyone has cable and neither CSI or Grey's are advertised much on normal tv (we only have 5 channels if you dont have cable!) although on Living tv CSI is advertised much more than Greys. I agree with you brass lives that Greys is much more "soap opera" where CSI is more drama. They are never on at the same time here so there is no competition in that way. No-one I know really watches either except me! (and of course there is no question which is my favourite )
)Final Numbers:
CSI: 22.522
Grey's: 25.197
CSI is up 1.1%
Grey's is up 0.9%
Grey's beat CSI by 10.6% - their second-highest margin of the season (the premiere was first).
CSI is down 0.26% from the premiere.
Grey's is down 0.8% from theirs.
Grey's is up 4% this week, CSI is up 5%.
CSI: 22.522
Grey's: 25.197
CSI is up 1.1%
Grey's is up 0.9%
Grey's beat CSI by 10.6% - their second-highest margin of the season (the premiere was first).
CSI is down 0.26% from the premiere.
Grey's is down 0.8% from theirs.
Grey's is up 4% this week, CSI is up 5%.
The thing is, though, that it's not a matter of people not knowing that CSI is on, it's about how much they need to see it THAT NIGHT, as opposed to taping it. I don't think that 2-5 million people "suddenly" tune in when Grey's isn't on because they just don't have that option, I think that's it's likely that those 2-5 million are viewers who tape or TiVo and then watch later.
The problem is that when CSI first started, it was definitely a water cooler show. Not in the "Will Grissom sleep with Teri?" sense, but in the "Oh my god - what the hell is a carpet fiber?" sense. It was new, it was fresh, and it wasn't something people had seen before.
Now CSI is resting on its storylines to carry it through, and it's NEVER been a serial show. But it's the strength of these actors that makes it possible for CSI to be the number on procedural show, above Law and Order, above the other CSIs.
The problem is that on Grey's, people want to know what happens next, and then they want to run to school or work and talk about it.
The only two main characters ever in a relationship on CSI, at the most personal, were shown in a nightgown and an ugly shirt, not touching, and just talking.
Compared to shown sex on an examination table, it's about as far from soap as you can get.
So people may have wanted to see Grissom's return, but as Jorja Fox said, it was a dangerous decision to give four episodes to a brand new character they were just going to kill off.
People may want to know what happens to Keppler, but not as much as if it had been, say, Nick or something.
I think 23-26 million are watching. I just don't believe that they feel this great urge to watch it right away, when a more popular show is on at the same time, and smaller, but trendy shows also occupy that space.
What will be interesting is if people who thought the Miniature case was over will be wanting to tune in to see what's going on this week.
Because that is a pretty serialized storyline within CSI's perameters. Having said that, Meredith is drowning on Grey's Anatomy, so I think there's no question that they'll win.
But it's interesting that CSI and Grey's are basically back to their premiere numbers, isn't it?
mrb105
Pathologist
It's also obvious that the writers are are going at this season differently. The MCSK storyline is being dragged on all season, unlike something CSI has never done before, unless you want to compare this to the Paul Millander storyline, which I really don't. Without the MCSK, I think the numbers would be down a little bit more.
Adzix
CSI Level Three
i think you hit the jackpot with this one, sarah. i totally agree, and in a sense i'm happy GA is competing with CSI. it's a primary law of markets and business - competition makes everybody better off. both shows are higher quality now than if they were monopolizing different evenings. who should be glad? we should, cuz we have a better show to watch. GA fans should, cuz they have a better show to watch. works for me.
ETA:
btw, sarah do you know what was the most watched CSI episode ever and how many did it get? Grave Danger?
Much as they want to say it's not about GA, I think it is. Or at least, they're aware that they can't coast on the forensics angle anymore. And they knew that they'd lose viewers this year. Like I've said before - 2-5 million more people tune in when Grey's isn't on, so they likely are sensing, from that, that they're basically at the same level of viewership, which may be why they haven't backed off of any of the "new" aspects of this season, and, if anything, have gone at them harder.
Exactly - I want CSI to win. Obviously. I want all of their hard work this season to pay off, but ultimately ratings matter to the companies, not to the fans. While yeah, they might start inching back on storylines because they think that it's causing a ratings slump, I think that given the fact that this is the first time ever that they've set up a message board and a wiki and a video exchange says that they know they have a strong enough fanbase.
Yeah. I mean, the funny thing is that with the exception of Grave Danger, it's usually the episodes that sound good, and then end up sucking or just being... blah that get the highest ratings. King Baby, I believe, is above Ch-Ch-Changes, because I remember WP in an interview saying, "First we did transvestites, and I was like - 'We've gone too far' and it gets the highest ratings. Then we do a man in a diaper, and I KNOW we've gone too far, and that gets HIGHER ratings".
The flashy episodes draw attention, just like in this season (Built to Kill 2, Leaving Las Vegas, Loco Motives), but unfortunately they were (exception of BTK) the worst of the season. So people who did take the time to watch it first-run are disappointed, and then when they have great episodes, like this last one or Fannysmackin' or Burn Out, I think it takes people a while to get that CSI is good, they tune in, and it's a sucky one. *shrug*
Such is life.
My prediction, though? DVD sales are going to be very high.
mrb105
Pathologist
I can see this season doing really good on DVD or really bad. I'm debating right now whether how quickly I'm going to buy it, because the entire season has revolved around the MCSK for the most part. So I'm not sure if it's something people are going to want to own once they figure out the conclusion. I compare it to a season of 24, everything builds up to the very last episode. How well does 24 do in their DVD sales to the people that have already seen the season. Therefore I can see it going both ways.
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