Galactic Battles Episode Outperformes Orange Islands Episodes

[Kazamatsuri]

So you may have heard that last Saturday (3/13/10), CartoonNetwork aired the episodes at the tall-end of Orange Islands (though officially, they are the first episodes of Johto Journeys) beginning at 10:00 AM.

So I decided to check out the Cynopsis website for ratings as I do every week, and this time, I found the results to be very interesting. The 7:00 AM airing of DP: Galactic Battles actually got more viewers than the Orange Islands episodes, whose results were displayed from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Here are the Cynopsis Ratings for last weekend:

CARTOON NETWORK 1.6/8 Avg. (7a-1p)
Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl Galactic Battle 1.7/15; Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds 1.8/12; Ben 10: Alien Force 2.4/14; Star Wars: Clone Wars 1.7/8; Hot Wheels: Battle Force 1.9/9; Bakugan 1.8/8; Pokemon 1.4/6; Pokemon 1.3/6; Pokemon 1.2/6; Pokemon 1.2/6; Pokemon 1.4/7; Pokemon 1.4/7

Source:

These results say a few things.

For one, these results (as well as results from previous weekends) prove that even in such an inconvenient time-slot, Pokemon can still retain a competitive edge.

Secondly, it proves that episodes from Kanto, Orange Islands, and Johto, however popular they may have been a decade ago, don't draw in as many consumers as the newer and more recent Diamond & Pearl episodes do today in 2010.

 

[Frost]

Why is this surprising? When it comes to ANY TV show, reruns generally don't outperform first-run episodes. The Orange Islands episodes are decade-old repeats and the Galactic Battles episode was new.

The ratings points score between the two isn't that different, and Galactic Battles probably has a much bigger rating share because it's on so early. It's a shallow victory for DP at best.

 

[Jukain]

If it were the real Johto eps, it could've been worse, but sincerely, this is a pretty shallow means to say the new eps are better. Of course the new eps get more views, that is the way all TV has been since the beginning. The only thing I have to say is "Are you convinced we don't matter anymore?"

 

[Grave-E]

If it were the real Johto eps, it could've been worse, but sincerely, this is a pretty shallow means to say the new eps are better.

Of course you can't judge the quality of entertainment by ratings, but I don't really think that's what he's getting at. There have been numerous comments (granted, usually from the minority) around here stating that if they aired the old series it would attract a larger audience and bulldoze the newer episodes. Evidently, that's not the case.

 

[Cybersai]

Here's the real reason:

Most of us have watched those Orange Island episodes 100 times. I own Orange Islands on DVD. I have no reason to watch it on TV when I own those eps and have seen them a billion times.

The Galactic Battle ep was a brand new episode, hence the difference.

Oh, and I honestly have to laugh at CN's screw-up of airing Orange Island eps to promote HGSS instead of Johto episodes. But seeing Johto avoided isn't anything new.

 

[Piplup]

Here's the real reason:

You didn't really say anything new - as they said before you, most of people prefer to watch new eps rather than old eps
And that includes non-new eps of a newer season over very old eps from years ago...

Most of us have watched those Orange Island episodes 100 times.

Even if they'll air Galactic Battles 364624 times and then air season 1 after years, I'm sure season 12 will beat it...

I own Orange Islands on DVD. I have no reason to watch it on TV when I own those eps and have seen them a billion times.

Most of people don't own the whole show on DVD

Oh, and I honestly have to laugh at CN's screw-up of airing Orange Island eps to promote HGSS instead of Johto episodes. But seeing Johto avoided isn't anything new.

Johto wasn't avoided, maybe only in your crazy mind
It's simply that most of people are stupids who think opening song is a season
So they thought Johto is "season 3" and aired the first eps of season 3 - which includes the last 11 eps of Orange
That's why I always try to explain how the real official seasons go, but a lot of people apparently can't understand something as simple as 52=season (well, usually 52... 9 was 47 and 10 was 51)

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Nothing surprising really,its obvious that new seasons will get higher TV ratings over older ones which were watched many times through reruns,DVDs or through illegal ways(like internet).

I have to agree with Scott here,its normal that there will be bigger hype about episodes which have never been seen yet.

Now if Orange Islands were to air for the first time along with DP than it would be another story with outcome being much more unpredictable.
Some people prefer new,others older so its hard to say which series in that case would get higher TV ratings,but from what i seen on some sites i would give slight advantage to older ones.

 

[Frost]

You can't just take Orange Islands out of the context of summer 2000 and say it could do just as well given the dub's current airing situations. Pokemon was at the height of its fad stage back then and it also aired on network TV at a better time slot than 7 AM. So who really knows how Orange would do if well if it was doing first-run episodes right now?

But, I think the fact that the rating points of a RERUN marathon were almost as high as a FIRST-RUN EPISODE is something that can't be ignored. 1.4 vs. 1.7? Seriously?

 

[Chosen of Mana]

The real screw-up was not announcing the marathon ahead of time, then stopping smack-dab in the middle of the fight with Drake for Movie 2. >_>;

 

[Cybersai]

You can't just take Orange Islands out of the context of summer 2000 and say it could do just as well given the dub's current airing situations. Pokemon was at the height of its fad stage back then and it also aired on network TV at a better time slot than 7 AM. So who really knows how Orange would do if well if it was doing first-run episodes right now?

Not to mention it used to air on KidsWB, unlike now where Pokemon airs on cable.

And I really don't see what people are trying to prove here. Do people honestly care that newer episodes get higher ratings than older episodes, or vice versa?

This is not a popularity contest. CN is not going to air the older episodes often and we have DVDs or the internet to watch the original seasons if we want.

 

[Matt3225]

The real screw-up was not announcing the marathon ahead of time, then stopping smack-dab in the middle of the fight with Drake for Movie 2. >_>;

I know in my opinon one of the best battles in the series and they only showed half of it

 

[Magmortar123]

They seriously had that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have so watched it if I knew arghhh now I'm angry!!! lol

 

[PlatinumDude]

I'm not surprised by this. I like the Galactic Battles saga better anyway.

 

[Lugnut]

I watched it because I was sick and stuck on the couch, so it really worked out for me. Anyway, I think the reson it did poorly was because not alot of people knew about it. They didn't advertise at all, so if you didn't check the website or look at a TV guide, then you really had no clue. Thats opposed to the normal 7:00 showing of DP which doesn't ever change and people expect to be there.

 

[ashita]

Meh not that surprising
Why would a repeat do better than a newer episode?
Also how well as repeat does would also depend on what it was scheduled up against

 

[Cybersai]

I doubt CN will ever air anything pre-DP again unless they have another game to advertise.

It is something that CN has like 500+ episodes of Pokemon purchased yet has no desire to air them. As long as the DVDs keep coming though I couldn't care less what CN airs.