myfuturecsi
Corpse
But Eric Szmanda himself made note that some fans felt alienated when the show went the GSR route.
Season 9 Ratings Discussion
- Thread starter Destiny
- Start date
But Eric Szmanda himself made note that some fans felt alienated when the show went the GSR route.
happyharper13
Pathologist
I've heard a lot of people make that point -- that Nick was the reason CSI got 20 million viewers -- which I really don't think is the case. Yes, George Eads did a good job with that episode, but, based on everything I've read, Taylor Swift was the biggest draw. I generally think of ratings as reflecting less the value of an individual episode and more the quality of promotions for it and to what degree said promotions reached and appealed to the intended audience. Taylor Swift was what drew new viewers in. If Nick really carried the episode so well, then one would think that the new viewers who tuned in would have stuck with the show to a degree and that the next episode would have retained some of those numbers, which it didn't. Personally, I think 'Turn, Turn, Turn' was a nice treat for Nick fans but totally overrated otherwise. If they're going to do character development episodes, then they need to do them for all characters, and Riley and Greg need those types of episodes way more than Nick does.
As someone who really doesn't like Nick very much, at least in comparison to other characters, I really didn't like it that much. A good episode needs to be able to appeal to all fans, not just fans of a particular character. The thing that made 'Turn, Turn, Turn' at least a bit interesting to me were the scenes with other team members, as those had a good deal of humor.
myfuturecsi
Corpse
Grave Danger was one of the highest rated episodes and Nick-centric, yes Quentin directed it but it was still one of the highest and most memorable CSI episodes.
Gum Drops which was not directed by a fancy director and was Grissomless was another highly rated CSI episodes.
happyharper13
Pathologist
When did Eric Szmanda say that? If you're referring to the Monte Carlo interview, what he said was that generally amping up the emphasis on characters' personal lives was the problem. While GSR played a big part in that, it didn't comprise all of it. His comment, IMO, spoke more to the issue of science vs. character drama/development, not GSR vs not GSR.
And as for Grave Danger, the finales always get higher numbers (though I'm not sure about this season's epically bad one), especially when a team member is in danger. Judging by this board, Sara seems to be one of the most disliked characters, but 'Living Doll' and 'Dead Doll' still drew high ratings. Warrick has been quite possibly the most under-utilized character in the franchise and, judging by this board again as well as by FFnet, he seems to have the least fans, out of all the series regular CSIs. 'For Warrick' still drew in the viewers. 'Grave Danger' was an episode unlike any other on CSI, seemingly due in large part to Quentin Tarantino and tptb. Figure that in, on top of the popularity of the CSI-in-peril angle, and I really don't think you can make the argument that Nick's character was the cause of the ratings.
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I think a bit of a ratings dip given all the changes in season 9 was probably inevitable given all the changes the show went through.
Assuming the show does stay somewhat critically and financially viable for CBS, there's probably no reason why it couldn't run a couple more seasons, even if it's no longer a #1 hit.
I suspect that when CSI finally ends it's run, it will be because too many of the cast will have moved on and the remaining cast would have too big of a price tag attached to them after ten seasons. It's the life-cycle of most long-running series...either they end at the height of their popularity - before actors salaries get too bloated, or the show undergoes a major retooling, dumps a few big salaries and attempts to restructure the series around new talent.
CSI seems to be the latter example...the only question is whether the next season or two will elevate the show back to must-see TV or prove that it should have ended sooner while its core cast was still intact.
Assuming the show does stay somewhat critically and financially viable for CBS, there's probably no reason why it couldn't run a couple more seasons, even if it's no longer a #1 hit.
I suspect that when CSI finally ends it's run, it will be because too many of the cast will have moved on and the remaining cast would have too big of a price tag attached to them after ten seasons. It's the life-cycle of most long-running series...either they end at the height of their popularity - before actors salaries get too bloated, or the show undergoes a major retooling, dumps a few big salaries and attempts to restructure the series around new talent.
CSI seems to be the latter example...the only question is whether the next season or two will elevate the show back to must-see TV or prove that it should have ended sooner while its core cast was still intact.
Kimbo08
CSI Level One
I kind of agree with the last statement, but at the same time, if you look at Gum Drops it kind of changes things. I'm not someone who is gonna say, "My favorite character is everyone's favorite character and he/she is the reason the ratings fell/rose in this episode/season" because honestly, who really knows? But in all honesty, Gum Drops had high ratings. Part of it, IMO, was due to the fact that it was a crime against children. From what I've seen, those seem to draw more fans and they tend to stay fan favorites. Just look at L&O:SVU.
Now, one can also say that the ratings went well because in the promos, they showed Nick going crazy on a suspect. Whenever you have a main character show emotion like that, and it's shown in all the promos, usually people are going to tune in. Turn, Turn, Turn is another great GE episode that drew in above decent numbers, however Taylor Swift was a guest star. So is it her? Him? The storyline? Or the combinaton of all these things? I don't know, just my opinion.
myfuturecsi
Corpse
I agree that played a roll and I don't think everyone likes Nick, but his popularity did rise after Grave Danger. I think having a character show as much emotion as he did is also a ratings draw. Not to mention, the interest in the character rose. A long with storylines about kids draws a lot of interest and emotion, but CSI has done a lot of episodes with kids and they don't do as well as as Gum Drops.
I think the fact that you've got this tough guy showing huge emotion is a real draw for people, especially those who love angst.
I never said Nick was the only factor, but Nick-centric shows are big draws because they are emotional episodes and as I said earlier it's a real factor. Quentin Taratino was a huge factor in the ratings, but did it help having Nick as the victim? Maybe, maybe not. George was picked by the TPTB to be the one kidnapped because CM said, they felt George had a lot to give to the performance, and Taratino felt Nick was the black sheep of the family, the 'bastard step child' so that may have been a reason.
The fact is there is no concrete evidence to state he is a factor as much as there is to say there isn't one. It can either or depending on how you feel about a character. You can't deny that all them have huge draws when they get their special episode.
I mean, I'm not a huge GSR fan, but I know it does play a role in the ratings because GSR does have a huge number of fans and that contributed to other highly rated shows such as Butterflied, Dead Doll and Goodbye and Good Luck. Even though neither Sara or Grissom are not my favourites, I acknowledge their popularity.
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Desertwind
Head of the Day Shift
myfuturecsi
Corpse
I certainly think it will help to have Jorja back as it will draw back viewers who left when she left.
But the article points out as well that having the Mentalist on right after might benefit CSI as it was one of the highest rated shows last season. I think that was a smart move on CBS's part to have the most popular show right on after a vetern they'd hate to see leave. The Mentalist will benefit from CSI as it is still a popular show and still had a healthy draw last season.
I love the Mentalist, it's an awesome show!
I'm not saying Jorja's return won't help, it's just one of the factors that will help boost ratings-hopefully!
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