What looked to be one of the biggest hits of the new season, FlashForward, isn’t looking like such a hit any longer. Will the series make it to year two?
FlashForward begins as the world’s population blacks out for 137 seconds and they “flash forward” to see visions of their lives six months in the future. The series’ ensemble cast includes Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Zachary Knighton, Peyton List, Dominic Monaghan, Brian F. O’Byrne, Courtney B. Vance, Sonya Walger, and Christine Woods.
The series debuted on September 24th on ABC. The premiere attracted a 4.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 12.47 million viewers. The following week, the number dropped to a very respectable 3.7 and 10.73 million.
For week three, the ratings dropped again to a 3.0 and nine million. Total viewership rose for weeks four and five but the demo remained essentially the same with a 3.1 rating.
On October 29th, FlashForward dropped to a series low of a 2.7 rating and 8.92 million viewers. The sudden drop was understandable because it aired opposite the World Series on FOX. Unfortunately, baseball fans didn’t return last Thursday when there wasn’t a big game. FlashForward’s ratings sunk even further to a 2.6 and 8.47 million, barely beating FOX’s Bones for second place.
ABC has already committed to a full season of FlashForward so it’s relatively safe for now. However, if these numbers don’t start going up, the series is far from guaranteed a second season.
What do you think? Do you think the ratings will go back up or will the show burn out in one season? Are you still watching? If so, what could be done better?
Image courtesy ABC.
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I enjoy shows with complicated suspenseful plots. This show has potential, even in the face of some flattened character development for the moment.
I think the networks are so used to airing “reality” show (where a camera crew and lights follow the “reality”), that they’ve lost sight of something. When a show actually has a complicated and suspenseful plot, shifting its schedule around and leaving large gaps between episodes lose its audience.
There’s nothing to remember or connect in a show where the most complex aspect of the plotline is “will she drink the orange juice the other house-mate bought??” Move that show around, and there’s not much cost. Move “Flash Forward” around, and people lose the connection to its story.
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