quote:

and heavilly falling ratings in the Us this season might just tell them that featuring Luby so much just isn't pulling in the viewers

I've been resisting answering the numerous (I might almost say endless) references to the "endless luby"; I don't think it's been overplayed, rather the opposite, I think it's been rather economically written.

BUT - I can't let that go; the lowest rated episodes this season have been those based in Africa; the episodes trailed as having some Luka/Abby content have done better. I'll quote a friend who emailed me yesterday with this:

"Being a bit that way inclined, I looked at the viewing figures and they are remarkable in terms of their season-long consistency. The only real dips were for the Africa/NW promoted episodes, with a nice rise for subsequent episodes. In fact, the average viewing numbers for the "luby" promoted episodes (ie the ones that had L&A in the promo) were higher than those which did not promote them which, in turn, were higher than the Africa-promoted ones. They make three, alomost non-intersecting lines when separately graphed."

That said I'm not about to ascribe movement in ratings to a single factor because I don't think it's tenable. I might as well argue that Pratt's Danny Glover storyline or Neela's dalliance with Ray or Clementeh's prolonged guest arc are the root of any movement. But ER has held up in the ratings for the season and has finished stronger than it started and for a show coming up to 13 seasons it's not bad.

I have no idea what the ratings in the US are like or which shows ER is competing with for that matter. But this is the 12th season. It may not top the ratings but it is not doing that bad and a lot of foreign networks are still happy to snap it up. If there is a downward trend I think it may have something to do with the recycling of the Africa stuff rather then Luby. I have no idea what the ratings in the UK are like but the fact that it goes out on C4/E4 probably doesn't help. I appreciate that commercials are a necessary evil but the way it is done on E4/C4 drives me absolutely potty. Imo you need nerves of steel or really love the show to put up with it.

A good Sam story line ? That is very unlikely. The character was badly written from the beginning. As far as I can remember every story Sam has been given so far has in one way or the other nearly always involved Alex or Steve, as if this is the only purpose of Sam. I do think that she is a lot more tolerable now that they have split her from Luka. Thing is we know that she is a single mum ... but life doesn't have to end because she has a child ( and an ex-boyfriend in the nick ) so why do we have to keep going there again and again... Unless the writers make a serious U-turn here it is not going to happen.

Of course ratings aren't everything and I did give other reasons for ER's decline. It isn't just Luby, but there's a list of the top 150 US shows in The Peaceful Rest forum which shows how they performed for the whole season and ER is down overall, i.e. for all 22 episodes, to 30th from 10th last season and has dropped by 20% - 30% on last year's viewing figures. "Dafur" was one of the higher rated epis, but "There are no Angels Here" was low (about 31st place that week), but given that there were only 2 epis in Africa that can't account for an overall 30th place. There must have been a dropping off in viewing in all the other epis as well. Of course, part of the reason is longevity. People want to see new things, but quality will out, even in old stuff.

I guess if you want something it seems like you can never have enough, and if you don't want it, it seems all over the place. To Mrs Eyre, there seems to have been hardly any Luby, to me there seems to have been far too much. Someone would have to have had a watch and timed how much there was in each epi to know who was right, but it hasn't produced wonderful ratings however you look at it, and that's all I was saying.

I just have a horrible feeling that Luka still harbors too fond of feelings for Sam.

A new poll in the US puts Dr McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy top of TV doctors who set pulses racing, Carter rates second, even though he only appeared in a couple of epis of ER this year, joint third the doctors from Nip/Tuck and Lost. Luka doesn't seem to figure. It's only one poll so it doesn't mean anything. I don't think it is significant for those polled liking Carter so much as them chosing someone for the ER spot who wasn't actually in it for most of the season, which would suggest that many of peoople polled (admittedly not a scientific sample) didn't actually watch that much, if any, of this season's ER.

Also the Wall Street Journal suggests that some media backers think it's time for ER to call it a day.

Can't believe people prefer Jack to Luka. That's just wrong.

Although I am partial to Dr McDreamy myself

Just a quick post to say "hi". Enjoyed all your recent posts Wyle Away & Danielle. Good to see I'm not way out on my own with being disappointed with S12.

Too hot to be on the computer. Bye.

Hi back. Good to know I'm not alone too.

And yes it is too hot, so I'll get off here now too.

318 people are here after the season 12 finale...can't have been that bad then, eh?

Waits for "train wreck TV" posts ...

But the train wreck was in season 7...

I personal think season 12 has been pretty good, they have been focusing on what er is about, its about saving lives, this show has educate its auidence, and they have come up with great storylines in doing so, would this show be any better if in every epsiode the had something really major happen, but having minor storylines i.e the nelea,ray will or won't they and luka and abby getting together, and the medical stuff, and it has attracted so pretty good guest stars! is doing what is expected, delivering a storyline to the auidence, which happens in everyday hopsitals all around the world,i.e doctors are married to doctors. Personally i think that by waiting to the last epsiode to deliver a huge storyline regnites our love for this show! It would have been a turnover if they had a these kinda of storylines every week.

quote:

Originally posted by wyle away:
but it hasn't produced wonderful ratings however you look at it, and that's all I was saying.

If it is all about ratings then maybe the producers should call it a day. Everybody they still have under contract could go in the Big Brother house, present the lottery or make a fool of themselves in one of the many reality shows.

I guess the last 2 episodes of the run gave us something to remember the season by.

"21 Guns" was definitely a "stand-out" episode. Though the writers should be told they can put "cliffhangers" in earlier episodes. It was like every possible cliffhanger they could do, it was in there! If the worst came to the worst, next seasons ER might be run by Pratt, with Ray as back-up. They may have to call-up up Carter from Africa.

That gun battle blew up more than the ER room, it created an open-door for nearly every character to leave the show. Perhaps the producers have got the actors sweating over their contracts, or I am reading too much into it?
I never read any spoilers, but you can sort-of guess who will stay. Hope Morris stays & Jerry of course.

It would have been good to have a real "crazy" episode earlier in the season. Episode 22 is too late - (but most welcome).

Theres nothing better than watching our favourite characters in desperate situations and seeing how they come through them. Shades of "Be Still my Heart" and Carter / Lucy, when Luka was trapped helpless on the gurney after being stabbed, then seeing Abby collapse. Very nice.

Always leave the viewers wanting more. Well done makers of ER - you've done it again!

"Two Ships" wasn't crazy enough? This kind of thing has to beused sparingly; I can't count the number of times (yawn) the tank and the helicopter and the quarantine and the Chen-with-gun-to-head and Abby-Abducted are used as criticism of the show.

quote:

Originally posted by Mrs Eyre:
"Two Ships" wasn't crazy enough? .

And for some it wasn't a plane that made the Earth move.

"Two Ships" was okay. A "disaster by numbers" episode. Its been done better before - thats why I could hardly remember it.

I prefer the more intimate disasters, usually based in County General. "Random Acts" in Season 3 when Mark gets attacked in the toilet is so powerful and freaks me out every time I watch it.