'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 ) 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.
|