Why after TLD the number of viewers kept falling?... 
This is surprising.

I've just read TFP transcript courtesy of Ariane. She mentions something in the end notes that I'd like especially our resident Brits to comment on:

I particularly think that making Culverton Smith so horrifically similar to a real-life British monster was a huge mistake and was the main reason why the general British viewing public abandoned the show in droves after that.

http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/92287.html

It has never occurred to me that CS might be such a trigger for so many people but I lack the cultural awereness of course (in fact, I haven't heard anything about that "real-life British monster" until Liberty mentioned him here).

So what do you think? Have you heard of similar reactions? That might be a good explanation for the low ratings. But - roughly 2 Mio viewers fewer?! Seriously? On one hand, I'm not sure it's significant compared to the show's ratings and we shouldn't forget that TFP was still the most watched program; on the other hand, it's a lot as an absolute number.

That also would explain why Moftiss thought TLD to be divisive...

Thoughts? Ramblings? Insults?

Thank you for your insight, bb.
I too think that it was a brave and important decision. The RL parallels made the story even more chilling and significant - in my from under the rock opinion.

I don't know! I didn't think it distasteful at all but I don't have that terrible drama ingrained into my emotional/cognitive make-up.

The 9,03 Mio is a consolidated number (incl. delayed viewings).

The link in the first post takes you to the overview where you can compare the ratings of the whole show. HLV counted 11,38 Mio viewers, just like TSOT.

I have a feeling that the ratings have nothing to do with anything o.o THOB isn't among my favorites but if I watch a show (even just casually) I'm not stopping because of an odd episode.

I don't think many UK viewers could have profited from the leak... a few hundred very impatient die-hard fans, but not the casual viewers, surely?

Lis wrote:

I wonder if the leak had any real impact on viewing figures for TFP?

I can understand the drop in figures form TST to TLD but TLD was such an amazing episode that I can't imagine that after watching it people would not tune in to watch TFP. I didn't think that Culverton being similar to Jimmy Saville was an issue and if it was for some people I can't imagine them not wanting to see the next episode because of it, but that's just me.

TLD was a very good episode, IMHO, but I understand why some people could be put off by it. Besides Culverton Smith, it featured things like:

- Sherlock as an unscrupulous junkie
- John and Sherlock gravely estranged
- John beating Sherlock viciously
- Mrs. Hudson having financial gain from criminal activities
- Wham ending where Sherlock´s sister is introduced from nowhere

Although these things were explained in the plot, both casual viewers and dedicated Holmesians could feel that these features are OOC and it could discourage them from watching the next instalment....

Why unscrupulous? To me he seemed never more human than in his best moments of TLD. The scenes with Eurus were wonderful, he was caring even though he was drugged to the gills.