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JMS confirmation of ratings

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ranger32:
...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you're going to quote me, you could at least get it right. I said "I'm entitled to my opinion" is a weak argument when that opinion is based in ignorance. And I'll stand by that statement. An opinion is only valid if you've taken at least the briefest moment to consider that opinion. If I say "I think the 3rd in command of the Northern branch of the IRA is an idiot!", not knowing ANYTHING about said person or said organization, then that opinion is not valid. Sorry. It's like the people that say "B5 SUCKS!!!" having never actually seen an episode. If you are ignorant about the subject of an opinion, then the opinion is meaningless, and any argument supported by the catch phrase "I'm entitled to my opinion" (up there with "It's a free country" as a cop-out response) without ANY substance behind that opinion is hollow.

das

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I guess I'm one of the lucky ones living on the west coast. I got to see the parts of the game I wanted to (I don't like football) and I got to see Rangers.
laugh.gif
I hope Sci-fi takes the west coast's viewing into serious account, JMS seems to think they will.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
If you are ignorant about the subject of an opinion, then the opinion is meaningless
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Does this also apply to facts when people claim to law enforcement types what they were 'really' doing compared to what they were cought doing? Or what about the phrase 'I know my rights!' If people really knew their rights they'd also know that a felony voids them. How about the Windows vs. Linux arguments. Most of the *nix users I know have used 'doze, most of the 'doze users I've known have never touched *nix yet they say that 'doze is the best thing since sex. Sadly being entitled to an opinion, ignornat or not is an entitlement.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Talathanar:
How about the Windows vs. Linux arguments. Most of the *nix users I know have used 'doze, most of the 'doze users I've known have never touched *nix yet they say that 'doze is the best thing since sex. Sadly being entitled to an opinion, ignornat or not is an entitlement. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


... and fanatism is also a thing. Lots of Linux users are just plain teen morons that project their teenage frustrations on Microsoft, and hate Windows only because it's a MS product. Linux a great OS, but suck in many place where Windows is great, and vice-versa.

Like a friend of mine who love Star Trek, and don't want even to give a chance to Babylon 5, because ... don't know... stupid concept of "I love this I must hate that".

Come on !



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"You are all in violation of security ordinance 22V3A. That means get the hell out of here!
"
- Zack
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Talathanar:
Sadly being entitled to an opinion, ignornat or not is an entitlement.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I never said people weren't entitled to that opinion, but that it made for a weak argument when based in ignorance.

A says "X sucks!"
B says "I like this, that, and the other about it. What don't you like about it?"
A says "Oh, I've never seen it ... but I'm entitled to my opinion."

A may be entitled to his opinion, but it's a pretty weak argument. That's all I was saying with my initial comment.

But I do tend to agree with Harlan and Flaubert who say, "you are not entitled to your own opinion; you are only entitled to your own informed opinion."

das


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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by das Monkey:

A says "X sucks!"
B says "I like this, that, and the other about it. What don't you like about it?"
A says "Oh, I've never seen it ... but I'm entitled to my opinion."

A may be entitled to his opinion, but it's a pretty weak argument. That's all I was saying with my initial comment.
[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

...best of all though whilst A *is* entitled to that opinion, you (or B, take your pick) are *entitled* to hit them very very hard til they shut up...
wink.gif


...now *that's* democracy!

cheers!



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Geez, sorry I hurt people's eyes by not using paragraphs in my earlier post. Who knew there were English teachers on this board? (Sorry, had to include that smartass comment.) I'm not an idiot, but I tend to try to get my point across and not worry about correct grammar. (I went back and edited for anyone who hasn't read it, okay?)

As for the ratings: Even though the 1.7 average rating was disappointing, you have to realize that a 1.7 is still a better rating than the usual top-rated show on Sci Fi Channel. I think recent ratings show The Chronicle with a 1.2. Most other shows get a 1.1 or 0.something.

So, even if this wasn't what was expected, Sci Fi should realize that if it goes to series, it would probably get at least 1.7 weekly (if not higher when not up against football). That would be good ratings for the channel.

Besides, I think that the 3.6 it got on the west coast would have only applied to the movie because it was so well-advertised. A weekly series probably wouldn't get a 3.6 because it wouldn't have as much advertising behind it and some people would just sample the pilot and maybe not come back for the weekly show (although most diehard B5 fans would watch every week).

So, Sci Fi should realize that a 1.7 MIGHT be what the weekly series would get anyway, which would be good for them. Here's hoping.

If I misquoted das Monkey, I apologize. I may have hurriedly read through that post and misunderstood what was said. I agree that an opinion should be informed. Someone should sample something before condemning it or praising it (I've watched football before, so I stand by my opinion of it: don't like it). Everything else I said, I stand by.

Like I said, in my hometown, you have the sports fans on one side and sci-fi fans on the other (very few sci-fi fans, unfortunately). I really don't know anyone who is a fan of both. The sports fans who I used to work with at my previous job didn't like sci-fi or know anything about the sci-fi shows/movies I watched. One guy said he saw Star Wars (I assume the first movie in 1977) and thought it was dorky. He was obsessed with sports, seemingly the only thing he liked. That's why I can't understand how sci-fi fans can be sports fans too, because that just isn't the way it is here and I'm not familiar with any other way.

-Mike

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Well another Brit here! My advice if it hangs in the balance is screen the thing over here for goodness sake!

Wasn't Judge Dredd saved by UK reaqding audience?

I'm sure the popularity of B5 in the UK was noted by Warners before, channel 4 even got mentioned once or twice in dialogue I think (as a minor thanks).

We have always been here.

As long as your here we'll always be here.


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Back when I was a kid in Sunday School, Father Minkowski once said: "Given the crucifixion was a terrible thing for anyone to endure, if you could go back in time 2200 years, would you prevent the crucifixion of Christ?" Well after a heated debate, we all agreed the answer was no. The crucifixion was necessary to redeem the world. - Lt. John Matheson "The Needs of Earth"

"We live for the One. We die for the One!"
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>channel 4 even got mentioned once or twice in dialogue I think (as a minor thanks).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That was a thank you from JMS, to his fans, not from the studio. In any event, no overseas market is going to save a WB show (or get a WB new show) that cannot air in America.

Remember when PTEN was collapsing the decision was made to end B5 with the fourth season. The show was doing very well in the U.K. at that point. But Warner Bros. never for one second considered funding another season of the show solely for the British or other overseas markets.

That should give you an idea of the relative importance of the domestic and foreign markets right there. If such a thing could be done, surely they would have done it back then.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Like I said, in my hometown, you have the sports fans on one side and sci-fi fans on the other (very few sci-fi fans, unfortunately). I really don't know anyone who is a fan of both. The sports fans who I used to work with at my previous job didn't like sci-fi or know anything about the sci-fi shows/movies I watched.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Now don't get me wrong. If you picked a random sports fan where I live and ask them about any particular SF (other than the big ones that were mainstream hits) the odds are better than even that wouldn't know it. The point is that this is also true if you start with the population of non-sports fans. It just doesn't seem to change the odds.

Now, I live in a university town and this causes (both directly and indirectly) the population here to be more highly educated, on average. The odds of some interest in science fiction does seem to go up with education level, it seems. I also play in volleyball and softball leagues in that town. Therefore many of the people that I meet are, by definition, interested in sports and they are drawn from that more highly educated population. Maybe the combination makes my sphere of acquaintances more unusual than I realized.
smile.gif


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>One guy said he saw Star Wars (I assume the first movie in 1977) and thought it was dorky.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wow. Even among groups like my brother's friends (assembly line workers whose only hobby seems to be hitting the bars at night (not that all assembly line workers are like that
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) Star Wars is one of those cultural icons that everyone has seen and is familiar with and likes to some degree (obviously some more than others).

And yes, I think it is fair to assume that someone who uses "Star Wars" unmodified means the one that is now referred to as "Episode IV: A New Hope". Heck, I still tend to do that sometimes. I was a teenager when it came out and the name "Star Wars" was ingrained in me for years before the sub-title was even mentioned with any prominance at all.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>He was obsessed with sports, seemingly the only thing he liked. That's why I can't understand how sci-fi fans can be sports fans too, because that just isn't the way it is here and I'm not familiar with any other way.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
So, you extrapolated that all sports fans must be that obsessed?
Sports is like any other interest or hobby (music, science fiction, SCA, art, backpacking, ....): some percentage of the "fans" obsess over it to the exclusion of everything else while most who are interested count it as one of their interests.
Besides, one of the nice things about science fiction is getting to imagine situations, and whole worlds, that are outside those that you are familiar with in everyday life.
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Until next time ....
smile.gif


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[This message has been edited by PillowRock (edited January 30, 2002).]
 
Not obsessed, abscessed. All sports fans are abscessed between the ears.
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You're speaking treason! Olivia De Havilland as Maid Marian
Fluently! Errol Flynn as Robin Hood
You're talking treason! Olivia De Havilland as Arabella Bishop
I trust I'm not obscure. Errol Flynn as Dr. Peter Blood

Pallindromes of the month: Snug was I, ere I saw guns.
Doom an evil deed, liven a mood.
 
You're entitled to your opinions--just don't go confusing them for thoughts.

The key to American football's success is its unique combination of depth and violence. The only more intelligent sport that immediately springs to mind is baseball--unless you're one of those folks that likes to talk about Chess and Go as "mind sports."

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Hi,

Re American Football

To borrow a quote from the American writer Joss Whedon (Though it was written for an english character)

"I just find it unusual that a country that prides itself on its virility needs to wear forty pounds of armour just to play rugby"

I just hope that Sky or any of the British Channels show Rangers here shortly.

Cheers

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>To borrow a quote from the American writer Joss Whedon (Though it was written for an english character)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You're making the common error of putting a character's words in the author's mouth, and thereby missing the point of a joke.

Whedon was not making fun of American football, but of Giles - who clearly knows nothing about (real) football, but still assumes a typically British air of superiority in dismissing it.
laugh.gif


* runs away before the U.K. division of the Narn Bat squad can find its cricket gear and begin the pursuit *

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
I never understood why people make fun of the protection football players wear. What next, insulting me because I wear a seat belt?

Yes, Rugby players don't wear protection. It's their problem if they want to get hurt all the time. Besides, rugby players don't leap into the air to catch balls while other guys are hitting them in the ribs.

The funny thing is, football gets criticised for being too barbaric, then for being too soft for wearing protection.

*sigh*

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"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."
 
Hi,

I was being sarcastic.

Now that we Brits don't have an empire, we have to take the mickey out of everyone else.

Cheers

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>I was being sarcastic.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Now that's an idea. Instead of putting "spoilers" on everything, we should use more useful label like "sarcasm" "irony" or "parody."

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"Dawn's in trouble? Must be Tuesday." -- Buffy Summers, "Once More With Feeling."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Remember, B5 was down in the .5 areas in recent times.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Of course the ratings for the original series are down. It's in something like its 10th run, 3rd or 4th on Scifi alone, plus it's been moved to 5:00 (unless something's changed since I last checked). Even die hard fans (myself included) will stop watching every day when we've seen the episodes so many times. With a new series, it'd be new episodes rather than years old ones. There's really no comparing the two.

Further, Scifi would promote a new series the same way (maybe a little less) they did for the pilot movie. They still run ads for Farscape, and that is entering its third season (iirc). And Lennier has a good point -- series advertise themselves. If it's on, people who are channel surfing will be caught by it and perhaps become fans. It's how many people here became b5 fans, from what I've heard.

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"There is always hope. Only because it's the only thing no one has figured out how to kill yet."
 
Ala wrote (sorry I don't know how to do that box thing) that B5 fans alone would not be enough to maintain a new series. Why not? The ratings for B5 on re-runs for SFC seemed to be good. Surely most of those people would watch a new series.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>The ratings for B5 on re-runs for SFC seemed to be good. Surely most of those people would watch a new series.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The reruns haven't been doing all that well, which is one reason they were moved from 7 PM to 5 PM. Also the reruns cost (per airing) a fraction of what a new series would. So they can get by with lower ratings and lower ad revenue. The two aren't comparable. A new series in prime time would need at much larger audience to be worthwhile for Sci-Fi.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
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