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Hi all- today we start Part One of a three part Comet series in the weekly reminders. Should be a bit different!

1. On the message board awhile back there was a suggestion about running another ad in support of PREY. Our last two ads ran in Variety and received good coverage and attention. Due to a typesetting error in ad # 2, Variety told me that they would take 25% off of a future ad. That would make the cost around $800 for an ad that would run in both the New York and LA editions. Variety is seen by virtually everyone in the industry. They have a subscription of around 35,000 and a pass around estimated readership of 100,000. Quite a lot of industry people by any standards. November is "sweeps month" again for the networks and a time when Neilsen ratings are scrutinized carefully. We were able to place our PREY ad on the same page as the Neilsens before and that would certainly place it in a good position during the month of November. Other factors to consider- many new shows are not fairing well and there is sure to be a good number of replacement shows needed by spring. I contacted Mr. Schmidt about the idea of running another ad and he replied that he saw no problem with it and that- "Viewer passion may mean something concrete sooner rather than later". I think another ad would be a good idea. We have sent weekly reminders for 3 months now. A well-worded ad along with the strong presence on the WB board and our own weekly reminder efforts should be a decisive statement that we remain committed to PREY and seeing it return to television. I have some interesting statistics that I will share later on in this update about the numbers that are now being considered "successful" with the growing erosion of network viewers.

I would like to see how you all feel about running another ad. I would need at least a week's lead time to prepare and send the copy to Variety in both LA and New York. I think a placement before Thanksgiving would be great and that would give us time to raise the funds, if you want to do this. As we did before, if you feel this is something you would like to see happen and are willing to contribute, please email me and let me know that you would like to do this and how much you feel you would like to contribute. Please know that I am not saying we have to do this and certainly I don't want anyone feeling uncomfortable. I just wanted to respond to the suggestion. I will support your decision either way. Let me know how you feel by next Wednesday, October 27th and I will share what your decision is in my update Thursday October 28th. Email me at GEvers3@aol.com

2. In Update #51, I shared the picture of Lee Ann with Ms. Messing at the VQT convention. I did not include the photographer's credits at the time ( didn't have the info). I have amended the update to show that the picture was taken by Gerry Ashely and was used with his permission. Thanks Gerry!

3. For those of you who have not visited Tiffany's "We Are The Prey" site lately, you are in for a treat. Tiffany has reworked her site and the home page is a neat DNA model with some great pictures. Stop by and visit at http://home.att.net/~mysfyt/prey.htm. Make sure you hit reload to insure that you see the new site and not the last image stored in your computer's cache.

4. Several entertainment sources have been reporting on the declining viewership on network television during primetime. The 4 network household share season-to-date is 56%, down 6% from last year. It was 65% at this point in 1996 and 67% in 1995. In that all important demographic group of the 18-49 year olds the figures are down 9%. Basic cable though has gained 13% in that group. The real winner so far is Warner Brothers which is a whopping 43% ahead of last year in the 18-49 year old group ( and even larger in the young female viewers). However, let's consider what constitutes success in today's network environment. "ER" , the top rated show, pulls in a 19.6 share ( about 19,460,000 viewers). WB's top show, "Dawson's Creek" was 76 out of 124 shows and pulled a 5.2 share. If you look at the top 20 shows as measured by last week's Neilsen ratings, all of them with the exception of "Jesse" (which, by the way, is produced in association with WB) were returning shows, again pointing out the need to develop audiences for shows, especially dramas. In the ultra competitive world of television, shares that years ago would be considered unsuccessful are now considered successful. Many of the top 20 shows have shares in the 10- low teen range. PREY could be an excellent program for a network that is willing to develop and nurture their dramas. WB has given the go ahead for a full season of all three of their new dramas ( Felicity, Charmed, and Hyperion Bay). They aggressively promote their shows and seem to be willing to let them develop their audiences. Certainly seems like there is some correlation there somewhere!

5. As I mentioned before, this week starts the first of a 3 part comet reminder series. As you know, Carol suggested we tie in the fictitious return of Kewley's comet in October with our reminder gifts. Sharon L. searched the Smithsonian and came up with items for the first 2 weeks and I have been able to locate the 3rd item online. Details to follow each week ( trying to keep it a surprise :-) ). This week in Part One, the card describes the tie in with the comet in PREY and how both PREY and comets are multi-layered beauties. The gift is a beautiful bookmark featuring the Hale Bop comet. Below please find the image that will be on the cover of the card for all 3 weeks and the inside of this week's card. If you are reading this in an email or on the message board, be sure to visit our campaign site to see the image. Our campaign site- http://start.at/prey

inside text in card:

Dear_________

 Since humans first looked to the sky, comets have both intrigued and terrified. As early as the 4th century BC, the Chinese recorded the appearance of comets and told of the calamities each one produced. In PREY, the arrival of the fictitious Kewley's comet, scheduled for October of this year, was described as the beginning of a great upheaval in the battle between the species. Indeed, comets have often been viewed as the harbinger of disastrous events to come.

In this week's first of three celestial reminders, you see an image of a comet. The image, imprinted on the enclosed bookmark, is a beginning point for the appreciation of this remarkable phenomenon. It hints at the beauty, the depth and the majesty of the real thing, but it is only a beginning. The vision behind PREY is a rich, multi-layered tapestry, filled with potential and passion. One episode, one script, one look at PREY is fascinating and intriguing, but, like the comet, there is more than meets the eye in a cursory glance. PREY has a heart and soul that moves you and draws you in. It shines and stands out, leaving a trail of memories and images that continue to move fans long after the last episode aired.

In a cycle as old as the universe, comets revisit us, sharing their brilliance with a new generation of viewers. We hope PREY can do the same, but of course in this generation :-)! You can't mistake the brilliance of a comet in the night sky and you can't mistake the brilliance of PREY. Both of them are marvels. Next week- Comets- Part Two, The Representation. Stay tuned!

Gina Evers

As always, let's try to follow up our reminders with letters to the network executives. PREY has a future on television, I believe that. Let's continue to work to make that future a reality. Thanks for your continuing love and support for PREY. I believe in the talented people who created the show, I believe in the quality of the show, and I believe in you all, the people who love this show. Together our love and passion for the quality that is PREY is a strong force. Let's keep using it.

Gina