#dm s3

SYFY channel just went through a rebranding and their new slogan is « It’s a Fan Thing » which they tag #ItsAFanThing. I find #ItsAFuckYouThing more accurate. Or #ItsAMoneyThing if you want to stay polite.

So, where does that leave us?  Besides cancelled of course?  Well, as many of you have pointed out, there are other options we could pursue, although finding someone to step in and take SYFY’s place is easier said than done (for reasons I’ll save for another blog entry).

For now, know that we’re doing everything possible to save the show. It may take weeks before we have our answers but I promise to let you know as soon as I hear anything. In the meantime, do you part by keeping Dark Matter alive.  Tweet, retweet, post and respond!  Let ’em know what they’re missing!

Keep your eyes on @dark-matter-of-opinion and Joseph Mallozzi’s weblog as well as yours truly for news. Cancelled shows have been picked up by other networks in the past, movies have been made, comics have been launched.

Let’s make sure @SYFY hear from the Dark Matter community. Our voice have been loud and we haven’t been listened, but if the Raza Crew have taught me anything, it is the importance of resilience. And that can only be tested through hardship.  

We are now campaigning hard to get NETFLIX’s attention.

This is what Joseph Mallozzi (Dark Matter co-creator) had to say on the subject:

« It’s a very sensitive time of year right now where the network is going to be deciding, and, on the one hand, their new motto is “it’s a fan thing,” and a lot of Dark Matter fans would love a renewal, but, on the other hand, they’ve got a lot of original stuff coming down the pipeline and, at the end of the day, who knows. I’m feeling basically 50/50 about renewal. It would be nice to get those numbers up. »

From what I understand, the ratings of the friday shows on Syfy rank from best to worst as follow : Killjoys, Dark Matter and Wynnona Earp. Killjoys and Dark Matter are still waiting for renewal, but Wynnona Earp - which gets lower ratings than the other two - was picked up for a 3rd season last week. Killjoys and Dark Matter are both waiting for a season 4 pickup, and Killjoys is faring slightly better than Dark Matter with a smaller drop in ratings compared to their former season. But Wynnona Earp being renewed despite its lower ratings might not mean much as it is only at its second season.

We are still waiting for news.

As of today, the only shows on Syfy looking for renewal or cancellation are Blood Drive, Killjoys and Dark Matter.

Blood Drive (s1) gets fairly inconsistent numbers, but it’s not doing too bad for a Wednesday 10/9c show. Killjoys (s3) season finale will air next week, and its average numbers are similar to Dark Matter’s.

One thing is certain : the DVRs ratings have been insane for the last few episodes. This is what Joseph Mallozzi had to say on the subject:

Last week’s numbers [for Episode 310] showed Dark Matter tying for the #1 spot in the key demo (adults 18-34) with a whopping 200% increase.

This week’s results for Episode 311, “The Dwarf Star Conspiracy”, has the show once again leading the pack in the #1 spot with an even more impressive 300% increase.

This is amazing, but remember : these are DVRs rating (Live + 7 Days). As far as the bottom line goes, it sadly doesn’t make much of a difference for Syfy. It’s not insignificant, but it won’t be the determining factor. What is significant are the Live + Same Day Viewing. Meaning live program viewing plus any DVR viewing that happens up until 3am the morning after the program airs.

And here comes the real good news. These numbers are good :

Dark Matter has been averaging at 608 000 viewers this season. This makes Dark Matter the most watch show on Syfy behind Z Nation (871 000 viewers), The Magician (788 000 viewers), Van Helsing (672 000 viewers) and Killjoys (627 000 viewers).

And, more important : it did better than 4 of the shows Syfy already renewed for another season [The Expanse (562 000 viewers), Channel Zero (543 000 viewers), Wynnona Earp (505 000 viewers) and 12 Monkeys (346 000 viewers)].