FOX kicked off the 2014-15 season with an ambitious plan — to air their new Utupia reality show for 52 straight weeks. Will it run for years or be cancelled quickly? A stroke of genius or a big ratings flop?
Utopia follows a group of regular people who are relocated to a remote area and given limited resources. They must figure out how to survive and create their own society. Those who are dispensable can be voted out and replaced with newcomers, as decided by the home viewers.
The series launched on September 7th with a two-hour installment. It drew a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.63 million viewers. That was an okay start but FOX execs were surely expecting much better — especially considering it followed a highly-rated football game.
On Tuesday, the series plunged 55% in the demo and 46% in viewership to a 0.9 rating and 2.48 million. The Friday premiere drew just a 0.7 rating and 1.99 million. This past Tuesday’s episode did a bit better but the numbers were still very poor.
Utopia is already doing terribly in the ratings and the numbers are sure to get much worse with stiffer competition on the other networks.
Unless the ratings turn around, there’s no question that FOX will cancel Utopia — the only real question is “when?”. I suspect execs are hoping to keep the show going until their baseball coverage starts in October before they cancel it.
However, if the ratings keep going downward — and it looks like a sure bet that they will — they may have no choice but to pull it even sooner.
Fox Television Group co-CEO Dana Walden says that, despite the soft launch, network execs are “pretty happy and relaxed to embrace the risk.” They plan to be “patient” with the new show.
It will be interesting to see how long before their patience run out for Utopia.
But, what do you think? Are you enjoying Utopia? Do you think it should be cancelled? How much time should they give it? Do you think this could be the first cancellation of the new season?
I really liked the show, there were people that I disliked and did not agree with but that is real life also. I already had it set up to record all episodes of Utopia in case I happened to not be available to watch when it came on.
KEEP THE SHOW ….Believe it or not there is a lesson to be learned. There might and will come a time that we will all be living like this. I hope FOX looks at these reviews. FOX is doing us justice by teaching us another way to live ,that we will be living in the near future . FOX is preparing us for the future.
Keep utopia on fox going it just getting started Rome wasn’t built in a day it takes time and a lot people did not know it was on channel 12 this is a learning process to see what they can do with a certain amount of money that they are earning I think by you cancel the show is way to early in time you will see the rates will go up .their real people and they would like to see utopia make it and so will the viewers as well .
Patience ?????? Humm Well I think the neilson ratings are the problem not everyone’s opinions are the same how many times were they poled and were you using different areas ? as well as Whoever’s doing the change in programing can you not be patient and give at least 1/2 season to see how the ratings are gonna be. Big choice to be made so hastily. If you know. The ratings are declining On a show the veiwers were promissed 2 days a week,then without any patience.. Right off instead of replacing it with a less then entetaining mess. Why… Read more »
OH GO FIGURE. : ( I hate the show naked and afraid. Take it instead. I pay to be a part of this show not much but. Its so unlike me to be part of anything on Tv This is my favorite show my data overage because of It being off last month was $60.00 Im a bed ridden cancer patient this Was disappointing enough to miss last week. Now to hear it may be canceled. . Really sucks so guess I will try to break myself from it Now and not renew passport Shame the veiwers have no say.… Read more »
DON’T CANCEL I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!!!
I wanted to like it. The idea is interesting but the casting and production have let it down. Bit disappointed in FOX, their shows are usually better than this.
Omg! DO NOT CANCEL ! I love this show. Was devoted to watching it twice a week, then for some reason it just went to Fridays, then nothing this past week? So irritating! I was thinking this show was the best of any channel in a long while. I loved the way you were made a part of the show with interactive website and it airing twice a week. This was something way different and new and I am ticked off if its being cancelled. I came back to Fox just for this show, so back out the door I… Read more »
I think The idea is good, but you have people who won’t work togethers. they are like those kids in HS a click and anyone different is cast out, then all your left with is partiers and the experiments goes awry. Get like minded people who want to build a society from scratch. evaluate like naked and afraid. this credentials if you please. Naked and afraid is only fun to watch when the contestants work together. same with utopia, other wise you mite as well target teenagers, because all that fighting is hard for adults to watch. I truly likes… Read more »
Then channel your tv.
Kapow !!!!!!
That simple
Don’t cancel – I’m a fan!!
They should cancel. This show is fake and everyone is actors or actresses looking to up their careers. People do your research this show is so crap and there is NO REALITY!!!