The much-hyped return of “The Event” didn’t do much to move the ratings needle.
After a three-month hiatus, the series aired back-to-back episodes Monday evening and saw the audience drop off by a third. For the two-hour block, the episodes could only score a 1.4/4 rating, with 5.53 million total viewers in the first hour and 4.93 in the second, or a shocking drop of 26 percent.
This is before DVR figures are factored into the equation so the series could see a jump. (Mayhaps viewers tuned in to CBS to catch a repeat of “Two and a Half Men” due to all the Charlie Sheen circus the past few weeks).
Executive producer Evan Katz feared this could happen to his show and made that known to Blastr a few weeks ago.
“I think the mistake was not starting us in January to begin with. I mean, as a serialized show. It was like, we need to run these episodes straight through,” said Katz. “That’s what they found with 24. You put it on, you take it off—the ratings go down. So it’s not ideal, but what are you going to do? … It’s always a challenge to come back after so many months.”
Time will tell what happens next for the show.
That’s disappointing to hear. I enjoyed both episodes. But I do believe it was a bad idea to have such a long hiatus.
Interesting… I just now realized that Syfy is reairing the 2hr return ep right now. I wonder if they’re going to count the numbers from this airing, too.
DUH! What do U expect for a show that wasn’t lighting up Monday nite ratings but was slowing gaining a following. U take it off for months (in favor of “The Cape”? SERIOUSLY?) and expect it to do better in it’s return? That’s why NBC gets their butts kicked regularly, STUPID decisions 🙁
the series isn’t that strong to begin with, so mucking about with viewership is tremendously stupid. I like this story, and think it will develop nicely, if given time, but I don’t think that the average television viewer will be able to follow it for any length of time. Very sad, really.
Very bad news. I really liked this show a real mind bender i am still waiting for flash forward to start its next season. Why dothey think that huge breaks like this will help a show. It inly ever hurts.
NBC has always made stupid decisions…they did the same thing with Surface a few years ago. It was gaining in the ratings before going on haitus. They waited too long and when they brought it back the ratings fell off dramatically. You’d think they’d learn how to schedule their programs after a while but they look hopeless. Stupid decisions made for Syfy as well…Stargate Universe…need I say more.
The Hiatus was certainly a factor, but many like myself didn’t even bother to start after being burned by shows like FlashForward.
These days I don’t want to start watching a genre series because of the odds they’ll be canceled before the story is finished. I thought I’d give it another chance with The Cape and look what happened. Best to give it up and go to the fan-produced material.
Alverant,
That’s why I avoid network Television for the most part because why bother getting invested in something when they are just going to cancel it before the first season is even finished.
My DVR didn’t even tape it. I had to find by “other” means.
I am very dissappointed with nbc,as, once again-they ruin a decent tv program.Whose stupid idea was it to have “the event” go on such a long hiatus?I believe the loyal,hardcore fans such as myself returned & continued to watch “the event”-however-the casual fans did not return. When will these networks learn to stop these unbelievably long breaks during the course of a television season? I remember how abc finally had the sense to air “lost” straight through with only new episodes & no hiatus-that truly was a smart move. Personally, I believe “the event” was really starting to hit its’ stride ever since returning in March,& I think the show deserved more time to explore all of its’ storylines.One more thing: if they were to count all of the people who(like myself) watch “the event” later on the internet,on tape,or,on tivo-I am sure the numbers would be quite impressive! Not everyone has access to a nielsen box-most fans do not! Nbc doesn’t know how to schedule shows effectively-that is why they trail all the other networks.Since “the event” was cancelled ,the only thing I will watch on nbc will be”harry’s law”-that is-until nbc does something stupid again & cancels that too.From now on I WILL NOT! invest myself in any new show that looks promising on nbc,as,I will always be worried that it might be cancelled. I wish the cast of “the event” all of the best-should the show continue on some other network-I will follow & watch it wherever it goes.Thanks for giving me a forum to voice my comments.