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"Century City" - did network air episodes out of order in attempt to boost ratings? (1 Viewer)

Gary Cliff

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
176
I have been watching this series on the "Space" network (in Canada), and I noticed some details from episode to episode that suggested the episodes are not being shown in the intended order. I checked with epguides.com and sure enough, the episode numbers and production numbers match only for the first and last episodes of this 9-episode series; the 7 inbetween appear to be scrambled randomly. Is there some story behind this? Perhaps after the airing of the pilot, the rating were so poor that the network pulled up what they thought would be the strongest remaining episode (the one slated to go in week 6) and aired it in hopes of a boost in the ratings?
 

Rick P

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 18, 2003
Messages
690
bingo. Got it in one. The series did have come continuing lines and airing it out of order really messed it up.

(and it looks a heckuva lot better in Widescreen on UniversalHD)
 

LizH

Second Unit
Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
343
Looks like CBS took a page from FOX. :rolleyes

They pulled the same crap with "Firefly". :frowning:
 

Jason Seaver

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
9,303
Well, to say it "really messed it up" is disingenuous. Yes, there were some small recurring storylines, but in terms of confusing the audience, you'd cause about the same amount of trouble playing Law & Order: Special Victims Unit out of order. When a show is shedding many viewers by Episode 2, playing episodes out of order isn't a large factor.

And I say that as someone who loved Century City. The show just wasn't going to connect with a large audience.
 

Jason Seaver

Senior HTF Member
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Jun 30, 1997
Messages
9,303
No, CBS showed 3 or 4 here on the East Coast (and possibly one more on the West Coast after a live event/news coverage).
 

Chris Lockwood

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 21, 1999
Messages
3,215
That's about what I thought. With all the law shows on the air, too bad they couldn't at least let this one run for all the episodes that were made.

Any chance of DVDs for this one?
 

Jason Seaver

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
9,303
Universal hasn't done much with truncated-run series, I don't think. They never got around to releasing the Ed O'Neill Dragnet which had been announced at one point.

Personally, I'm kind of shocked that this hasn't shown up on the Sci-Fi channel yet. NBC/Universal owns it, after all, and it could be good Friday-night filler between half-seasons of Galactica and Stargate like Strange World was.
 

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