'Enterprise' Ratings Drop For 'Storm Front'

See Also: 'Storm Front, Part I' Episode Guide

Enterprise's viewership levels dropped for the fourth year in a row yesterday, as viewers turned out to be more compelled by the American presidential debate than by "Storm Front, Part One's" Alien Nazis.

According to fast national ratings provided by Zap2It, Star Trek: Enterprise received a 2.0 rating with a 4 share, meaning that 2% of American households with televisions were tuned in to the show, as well as 4% of those actually watching TV at 8:00pm. The final ratings as well as the actual number of viewers for Enterprise will be available sometime next week, but historically, the fast national ratings are a good indication of these numbers. When these numbers become available, there is a possibility that "Storm Front, Part One" will beat "Damage's" unfortunate record of least-watched Star Trek episode ever.

These ratings represent a drop of around 20% from last year's season average. The third season season finale, "Zero Hour," received a 2.5/4 fast national and a 2.7/4 final rating, while last year's season premiere scored a 2.6 final rating. Percentage-wise, the drop from last year is comparable to that between the second and the third seasons, but not as large as that between the first and the second seasons.

In the 8pm timeslot, Star Trek: Enterprise still managed to tie for fourth place with FOX's The Complex: Malibu. The most-watched show of the hour was CBS's Joan of Arcadia, followed closely by NBC's Dateline and ABC's sitcom block. Last was the WB, which aired a combination of What I Like About You and Grounded For Life. Enterprise also was the most-watched UPN show of the night, as an America's Next Top Model ended up in last place in its timeslot with a 1.8 rating.

Enterprise wasn't helped by the debate between President Bush and Senator Kerry, which in many markets aired directly opposite Enterprise. All four major networks as well as many cable channels aired the debate, with most attracting more viewers than they usually would for their normal programming. Enterprise also suffered from being pre-empted in several major markets, where local UPN affiliates decided to show coverage related to the presidential debate.

Zap2It's full ratings report can be found by following this link. Final ratings will be available sometime next week, while on Friday "Storm Front, Part Two" will have an opportunity to prove itself without debate competition.

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