FOX's 'Utopia' Hits New Low in Ratings, Reality Series in Danger of Cancellation?
"Utopia," FOX's first reality series, showed signs of promise when the show was announced. With master reality show creators John De Mol (Big Brother), Conrad Green (Dancing with the Stars), Jon Kroll (The Amazing Race), and David Tibballs (Dragon's Den) behind it, it seemed like nothing could go wrong with the show.
However, "Utopia" has had a serious drop in ratings week after week, and it is in danger of becoming one of the biggest flops of the season -- and all after the show creators reportedly spent $50 million to make it.
Though the show drew 4.63 million viewers when it premiered on Sept. 7, it had a rapid drop in ratings on the second episode, with only 2.48 million viewers tuning in.
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On Sept. 19, it hit an all-time low in ratings, garnering only a total of 1.52 million total viewers, and according to TVLine, the show has had a steady decline in ratings, going down by 25 percent week after week since it premiered.
With numbers like these, it seems that the reality show could face cancellation, unless the show runners could do something drastic to boost the ratings immediately.
"Utopia" is described to be a social experiment, wherein 14 strangers were thrown together in a remote location without electricity or plumbing and they will build their own society from scratch. They are expected to do so for one whole year, which marks a first for any reality series as typically, one season is equal to about 3 months or so.
"They've got limited supplies, wildly diverse backgrounds, and zero bathrooms. The Utopians will make every decision about how they live and work," the show's premise states. "Will they choose democracy, or dictatorship? Capitalism or socialism? Fidelity or free love? Which religion, if any, will prevail? Will they punish or forgive? Keep or share?"
According to the show's official website, any Utopian could be voted off and replaced by another person vying to join. Casting for "Utopia" is ongoing.
"Utopia" airs Tuesdays and Fridays at 8/7c on FOX.
