‘STARGATE ATLANTIS’ AND ‘SANCTUARY’
FINALES TRIUMPH ON SCI FI
New York, NY – January 12, 2009 – SCI FI had two of the top ten programs in cable entertainment on Friday, January 9, 2009 with the series finale of Stargate Atlantis and the season 1 finale of Sanctuary. This led Sci Fi to become the #4 cable entertainment network among Adults 25-54 and #5 among Adults 18-49 in primetime for the evening.
The series finale of Stargate Atlantis entitled “Enemy at the Gate” (9 pm) delivered a 1.5 HH rating with 973,000 Adults 18-49, 1.15 MM Adults 25-54 and 2.02 MM total viewers (P2+). This marks a season high in all key measures and is the best performance for an Atlantis episode since the season 4 finale on March 7, 2008. The second half of the Sanctuary two-part season finale “Revelations” (10pm) delivered a 1.6 HH rating with 900,000 Adults 18-49, 1.13 MM Adults 25-54 and 2.0 MM total viewers (P2+). This is the best performance for the series since its premiere on October 3, 2008 in total viewers and among Adults 18-49.
Season program highlights include:
- For its fifth and final season (including all available timeshifting data), Atlantis averaged a 1.6 HH rating with 1.06 MM Adults 18-49, 1.24 MM, Adults 25-54 and 2.1 MM total viewers (P2+). Compared to season 4 Atlantis is up +14% in HH ratings, +5% in Adults 25-54 and +5% in total viewers (P2+).
- For its full first season (including all available timeshifting data), Sanctuary has averaged a 1.8 HH rating with 1.04 MM Adults 18-49, 1.36 MM Adults 25-54 and 2.35 MM total viewers (P2+). This is the best performance for a first-year original scripted series on SCI FI since the 2006 debut of Eureka.
- Stargate Atlantis and Sanctuary were the #9 and #10 cable programs for the day among Adults 25-54.
Stargate Universe, the newest installment of the hit Stargate franchise and the second season of Sanctuary will premiere later this year.
Stargate Atlantis follows the adventures of an intrepid team of military and civilian explorers who travel the distant Pegasus galaxy by means of a Stargate, a portal created long ago by a highly advanced alien civilization called the Ancients. In their never-ending quest to seek out other technologies left behind by the Ancients, the Atlantis team encounters alien cultures – some friend, some foe. The exceptional ensemble cast is led by Joe Flanigan, Robert Picardo, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Jewel Staite and Jason Momoa.
Sanctuary features the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population — a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans. Along with her new recruit, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), her quirky tech wiz Henry (Ryan Robbins) and her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), Magnus seeks to protect this threatened phenomena as well as unlock the mysteries behind their existence. The series also stars Christopher Heyerdahl as the sinister John Druitt.
SCI FI Channel is a television network where “what if” is what’s on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com <http://www.scifi.com>) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.
So the season finale of Sanctuary does better than the series finale of Atlantis. Ouch.
Go Amanda.
Look at this way:
A five year old show does .1 less than a brand new show. Means that Atlantis is quite popular after all.
You suck, Sci-fi/MGM!
To magictrick, it does stand to reason that a new successful show would do better than a show thats been running for five years. And I am glad that SGA’s final season has done so well. Hopefully the movie does even better.
Wow Magictrick, did you even read the press release? SGA had 20,000 more viewers than Sanctuary.
Not all that great for a series finale.
series finale should have been 2 part
yay for both shows! ;)
whatever, who cares?
obviously, not scifi
ratings mean nothing to me. I do not think it is an accurate representation on how many people watch the show.
Goodbye Sweet Actors. I hope you all find projects that we will see you all in again soon. I will miss that good looking Joe Franklin and his cocky attitude. He really made the show, he and Tori. I think when she left it killed the show. As in the final episode of Star Trek TNG, “ALL GOOD THINGS”.
I shed a little tear for you and for me. Good-Bye
This might have something to do with the gact that the ending sucked and weall now it. It was made to be two parts and they threw some of these scenes togehter in five minutes and it really shows. I look forward to seeeing the movie however and optimistic for the franchise as a whole!
WHOOOT! WTG AMANDA! I know me & my family and friends watched the Atlantis finale because Sam was back. Too bad i blinked & missed her scenes. :) Just proved to me once again, that it was a good decision that she chose Sanctuary over Atlantis-
And Sanctuary kicked butt! THAT was an awesome season finale! Quite the cliffhanger….can’t wait for next season and many more :) Cheers
First off you can’t really trust ratings. People tivo the show, or download it after it airs and watch the episodes on their time. Friday nights tend to be everyones cut loose night and not all stick around home to watch TV. Second Amanda Tapping would have been the leader of Atlantis for the entire 5th season but because of Sanctuary she didn’t have time to do both. In anyones opinion the lead in a show compared to a shared co-lead is a big improvement for anyone, so it goes to stand that her parts in atlantis are limited. The… Read more »
Atlantis had more viewers than Sanctuary.
Glad both did well.
If I could ask just one question. Just who exactly was the woman who came into the infirmary at the end to invite the ocupant (name withheld for spoiler purposes) to see something supposed to be? A buddy of mine and I have been trying to figure it out
@dgv142: It was Amelia Banks, the kick-butt gate technician.
yeah, Amelia does kick ass, more suited for you-know-who in the infirmary than the other whiner. The finale was very good, but as some one else mentioned, it should have been a two parter. I was constantly feeling as the episode was being rushed, and everything and their uncle, plus the kitchen sink was being shoe-horned into a 45 min episode.
Hope the great actors find other Projects suitable for their great talents. May all your seasons be long ones, and all roles recurring. For the person who called Joe Flannigan Joe Franklin, I just roll my eyes.
ah ok thanks, guess I should have been paying more attention
Just finished watching EatG over iTunes, and while it did appear to cram a whole lot of stuff into the episode, I thought it was absolutely brilliant. It would have been nice to see this as a two-parter, maybe have the first part be the lead-up and end with the Hive arriving at Earth, then the 2nd half is the battle, with whatever else expanded.
Most everyone posting here loves Atlantis, but be realistic, a 1.5 rating is not, not, not good at all. Incesant reruns of HOUSE get a 2.6. Yes we love the show, but we are in the minority of the viewing public. And though our foreign friends don’t like to hear it, the US broadcast is what drives prodution of this show. If it was produced by an English televison network and only run here (IE Dr. Who) maybe SCIFI would be satisfied with a 1.5 high ratings mark. As it stands, it doesn’t pull enough dollars in to pay the… Read more »
cmuty your kiddin right? House is completely different kind of show. a 1.5 is good considering what kind of show it is and where it is being broadcast on. House is a nationalized public show. Atlantis is a cable network show and science fiction. there is a difference. koodos to atlantis. i will miss it. im excited with the new series. the show didnt get cancelled because of the ratings although it had some part. its between the writers and MGM (mainly writers). if the ratings were still off the chart like it was doing on season 1. the writers… Read more »
Just watched the last Atlantis and WOW what a great last episode, so sad to see it go as i was with SG1….good luck to all the brill actors…and i must say i tear come to my eyes when they re-named the pheonix to the GENERAL HAMMOND..respect!
ricko30
I was talking about reruns of HOUSE on the USA cable network that run 5 times during a weekend. It doesn’t matter that this is a scifi show, the rules of economics effect it the same way.
You can go on thinking a 1.5 rating is good and a 1.8 is “off the charts”, but the reality is that you are wrong. If this show had 4 million viewers it would still be on the air regardless of Universe or any SG movies being done.
I agree with some of u it was a bit rushed and shold have been a two parter but it was not i am looking forward to the movie(s) but i will miss the show but they could revive the show as it is on a cliffhanger (how will a heavily damaged atlantis get back to the pegasus galaxy ) but they probably wont but 5 years and 100 episodes is a testiment to the stargate franchise i am looking forward to the new show but i hope they dont ruin it while trying to mack it more appeling to… Read more »
Bottom Line it would have been a great episode but it felt way rushed.
It was a great episode but it was rushed and should have been a 2 parter, it just had something missing. I have to admit though I really enjoyed Vagas as much as this one.
It was for a season ending show with that anticipated “to be continued feel” BUT not a season finale.
Upset and disapointed SGA fan
THE FIGHT FOR MORE STARGATE TRAVEL HAS JUST BEGUN! Trust me folks, it’s not a question of IF the Stargate will open again, it’s a question of WHEN! If we let our voices be heard, it will be sooner rather than later! :D