Tag Archives: ratings

TV reminder: ‘The Walking Dead’ premieres tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: The ratings are in…]

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Michonne. The Governor. Woodbury. The prison. There has been so much excitement about what’s coming next on The Walking Dead and now the time has finally arrived to regroup with Rick and our gang of zombie apocalypse survivors. Eye this season’s key art above that features Rick Grimes front and center (once again) atop an overturned bus outside the zombie-infested prison. Gotta love the tagline: “Fight the dead. Fear the living.” Next dive in the galleries below to view character profiles and pictures from tonight’s season premiere, “Seed.”

The Walking Dead premieres tonight (10/14) at 9PM on AMC. And don’t forget to tune into Talking Dead immediately following the episode; host Chris Hardwick will be talking to showrunner Glen Mazzara and Michonne–er, Danai Gurira.

Ramp up anticipation by watching the season 3 trailer a couple more times. It’s that good.

Update: Get used to it–AMC’s The Walking Dead shatters records when it premieres. 10.9 million viewers tuned into the season three premiere last night; that’s up 50 percent from the season two opener. It also performed extremely well in the two coveted demos; in adults 18-49 it attracted 7.3 million viewers (up 52 percent from the season two premiere) and in adults 25-54 it attracted 6.1 million viewers (up 46 percent). If you include the two encore airings of the episode, a grand total of 15.2 million people saw “Seed.” The show managed to garner this many viewers while Dish subscribers were left out in the cold due to a contract dispute. AMC can rightfully boast that last night’s return of The Walking Dead is most-watched drama telecast in basic cable history and in the 18-49 demo it is the highest-rated series this fall–including cable and broadcast offerings. Hats off to the zombies. I don’t think you’ll ever have to tell this show to break a leg going into a premiere. Oops, sorry Hershel…too soon?

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[Images via AMC]

NBC grants full season orders to ‘Revolution’, ‘Go On’ & ‘The New Normal’

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If you’ve been glued to the intriguing drama Revolution and eccentric but heartfelt comedies Go On and The New Normal, it’s time to celebrate because NBC has granted these three new series full season orders! This means these selected shows will fill out their premiere seasons with new episodes that will run into spring.

NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke released the following statement.

“We’re impressed with the imagination and creative direction of the entire team on Revolution, not to mention the immediately strong response we got from the audience. Ordering the full season of this show is a pleasure. Thanks to J.J. Abrams, Erik Kripke, Jon Favreau, and everyone at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television for their dedication to making a truly unique series. And I personally love to escape into a world where there is no power, the phone doesn’t ring, and the pace of life slows down — if only for one hour a week!”

“We’re also very proud of our new comedy block of Go On and The New Normal. In partnering with Matthew Perry for Go On, creator Scott Silveri has created a comedy with a highly original voice that deftly combines humor and emotion. And Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler have created a truly unique family in The New Normal that is reflective of the changing dynamics of the world we live in. These shows are both welcome additions to our new lineup!”

If you’re into the ratings numbers, Revolution is averaging 3.6/9 in adults 18-49 and 9.8 million viewers (it’s also been noted as the fall’s strongest DVR performer thus far); Go On is averaging 3.2/9 in the demo and 8.6 million viewers; and The New Normal is averaging 2.2/6 in the demo and 6.0 million viewers.

The network is on a roll this week. In addition to granting the aforementioned FSOs, the Peacock was named the “winner of premiere week” averaging the highest share ratio in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic; they received a 2.9 and that’s up a solid 12% from last fall. The network can thank programming like Revolution, The Voice, and Sunday Night Football for the prize. In total viewers, however, NBC trails CBS and ABC averaging 8.2 million viewers (but that’s up 9% from last fall).

The fates of other new comedies Animal Practice and Guys with Kids hang in the balance. New drama Chicago Fire debuts next week.

Revolution airs Monday nights at 10. Go On and The New Normal air Tuesday nights at 9 and 9:30, respectively.

[Via Deadline; EW 1, 2]

TV reminder: ‘Game of Thrones’ returns tonight at 9PM on HBO [Update: record ratings]

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Ten months, five trailers, numerous posters, and one 22-minute featurette later, HBO’s wildly popular fantasy series Game of Thrones is finally back. War is coming, friends, and the battle for the Iron Throne is already in progress. We return to the Starks and the Lannisters breathing down each other’s necks, Jon Snow leading the Night’s Watch beyond the Wall into supernatural territory, and Daenerys training her dragons. The season 2 opener is titled “The North Remembers” and it starts precisely tonight (4/1) at 9PM on HBO.

The gallery below contains some new posters hyping tonight’s must-see event. Warning: one contains a major season 1 spoiler, so if you haven’t caught up yet (what are you waiting for?!) don’t go digging just yet.

Update:  The ratings are in and boy are they spectacular. So many more people tuned into the second season premiere of Game of Thrones compared to the first season. Here are the record-setting facts. A grand total of 3.9 million viewers tuned into “The North Remembers” at the 9PM hour; that’s up a significant 74 percent from the first season premiere. This is also the most watched episode of Thrones to date; it beat out the previous record holder, the season one finale “Fire and Blood” (that episode clocked in just over 3 million viewers). When you factor in all three airings from Sunday night, a grand total of 6.3 million viewers took in the premiere. HBO greenlighting season 3? Now it’s only a matter of time.

TV reminder: ‘Mad Men’ returns tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: record ratings]

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Tonight marks the season 5 premiere of AMC’s breakout drama Mad Men. Can you even recall the last time you watched an original episode on TV? To refresh your memory, the date was October 17, 2010. Those were the days…

I hope you’re excited to be reacquainted with the likes of Sterling Cooper Draper Price because tonight’s (3/25) premiere is extra long maxing out at two hours. It all starts at 9PM on AMC. Check out some cool stills in the gallery below, and watch a promo after the break.

Update: Last night’s Mad Men season 5 opener brought about record ratings for the period drama. 3.5 million total viewers tuned in to the two-hour premiere (that’s up a significant 21% from season four debut), crowning this episode the series’ most watched episode to date. And so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the important demo numbers are way up, too: in adults 18-49 the show drew 1.6 million viewers (an increase of 30% from the season four debut) and in adults 25-54 it attracted 1.7 million viewers (up 17%). Here’s one more tally for you to nod your head in amazement at: if you include the encore airing of the premiere, a total of 4.4 million people watched last night’s episode. These ratings can’t touch AMC’s other staple The Walking Dead but still I say, hot damn. AMC president Charlie Collier says, “Almost five years ago, with a focus on distinction and quality, AMC launched Mad Men as the first series in its commitment to original scripted dramatic television. Mad Men set the bar high and we are incredibly proud that it continues to engage audiences looking for unexpected, unconventional and uncompromising television.”

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TV reminder: ‘Touch’ premieres tonight at 9PM on FOX [Update: The ratings are in…]

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If you were touched by the one hour “preview event” that FOX aired of the Tim Kring (Heroes) / Kiefer Sutherland (24) drama in January, then let this be a friendly reminder that the story of interconnectedness continues tonight (3/22) with the “world premiere” of Touch. Last week the network re-aired the emotional and highly rated pilot episode, and tonight things continue where they were left off in the second episode titled “1+1=3.” FOX will air the 13-episode season uninterrupted through May and if the ratings remain strong throughout then you can expect a second season order shortly thereafter.

Touch airs Thursday nights at 9PM on FOX. Follow the journey leading up to the premiere right here.

Update: The ratings are in, and even though they aren’t as high as the numbers from January’s preview episode, they are impressive nonetheless. 11.7 million total viewers tuned into last night’s episode (down 3% from the pilot which clocked in 11.9 million viewers) and scored a 3.2/9 among adults 18-49 (that’s down 18% from the pilot which logged a 3.9/10 in the demo). Paired with American Idol, Touch helped FOX dominate the night in total viewers and the 18-49 demo. All told, Touch is still primed to be a breakout drama for the network. Let’s hope ratings stabilize around these numbers (or better yet–grow!) so that FOX won’t have to sweat it out when it comes time to announce its plans for the 2012-13 TV season.

TV reminder: ‘Community’ returns tonight to NBC! [Update: solid ratings]

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Human Beings, rejoice! After an extended and dreadful three month hiatus, Community is back.

The 2+ minute trailer embedded above shouts “One community will rise again and everything we know will Chang.” It also previews what’s in store for the second half of the cult comedy’s third season: so much funny.

Hailed as “the entertainment event of the year” by the deep-voiced trailer narrator, Community makes it big comeback tonight (3/15) at 8PM on NBC. For the sake of all that is good in this world, do tune in, tell your friends, and make an effort to support a season renewal of this smart and refreshingly unique sitcom.

Update: The Community comeback episode was up a solid 47% in the ratings from its last original airing on December 7 in the all-important 18-49 demo (2.2/7); that’s a season high. 4.9 million total viewers were accounted for, and that’s up 36% from the last episode. A couple of accolades have been awarded to last night’s airing: it’s been crowned the #1 program in adults 18-34 and men 18-34 during its 8-8:30PM timeslot among the other big networks, beating out FOX’s juggernaut American Idol. Keep in mind, however, that all this went down when CBS aired March Madness in place of their own ratings monster The Big Bang Theory. Still, if Community stabilizes around these numbers and doesn’t drop too far from here a season renewal might be in the comedy’s future.

TV reminder: ‘The Walking Dead’ returns tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: record ratings]

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A friendly reminder: The Walking Dead returns from its extended hiatus tonight at 9PM on AMC. Refer to this previous post for a sneak peek at the midseason premiere episode “Nebraska.” Six episodes will run uninterrupted through March 18. Peer in the gallery below to view a handful of new stills. Also returning tonight is the Walking Dead after-show Taking Dead hosted by Chris Hardwick. Tonight’s guests are showrunner Glen Mazzara and musician Dave Navarro.

Update: The ratings are in and The Walking Dead has done it again. The midseason premiere hit series highs in all major categories: it attracted 8.1 million total viewers, 5.4 million in the adults 18-49 demo, and 4.4 million in adults 25-54. These are record-breaking figures; they managed to beat out the previous record holder–the season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead. The midseason premiere was up 12% and 6% in the two aforementioned demos, respectively. As far as AMC is concerned, this show will remain on the air for much of the foreseeable future. Dead heads, rejoice.

[Images via IGN]

Super Bowl XLVI: The Commercials! [Update: record ratings]

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It’s a fact: there is a giant segment of people out there who watch the Super Bowl every year for one reason and one reason only: for the commercials. Companies like Anheuser Busch and E*Trade think up of ways to capture the wild imaginations of the public and deep way down their pockets to score spots between all the football action. This year a 30-second spot costs companies on average $3.5 million! In the end it’s all about attracting eyeballs and that’s what the Super Bowl spectacle does best. Last year a record-breaking 111 million viewers tuned into the game. And with a matchup like the Patriots versus the Giants this year’s viewership is bound to jump even higher.

With the world watching and so much money spent, this year’s commercials are expected to go above and beyond what we’ve ever seen before. Prior to the big game, companies have released teasers and even full-length ads that will be aired on Sunday. The two most popular ones so far have been Honda’s Ferris Bueller-inspired spot and Volkswagen’s Star Wars-themed “The Bark Side” starring a collection of dogs barking the Imperial March. Watch these now after the break.

Following the game on Sunday, check back here to revisit your favorite Super Bowl 46 commercials. They will all be embedded after the break!

Update: The game is over (the Giants beat the Patriots, YEAH!) and the most buzzed about commercials are posted after the break, along with the theatrical trailers that aired (Avengers, anyone?).

Update 2: What did I tell yah? A whopping 111.3 million people tuned into the Super Bowl yesterday, topping last year’s viewership (111 million) to become the most watched program in TV history. Continue reading Super Bowl XLVI: The Commercials! [Update: record ratings] →

TV reminder: ‘Touch’ preview event airs tonight on FOX [Update: solid ratings]

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Tonight FOX is airing the pilot episode of Tim Kring’s new drama Touch ahead of the show’s official March 19 premiere. Kiefer Sutherland (24) stars as Martin Bohm, a man who is estranged from his autistic son. In Touch, the Heroes creator tells an emotionally and spiritually uplifting story about a mute child who communicates with numbers and discovers patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events around the world. Though the show will take place in a myriad of locales and touch the lives of strangers, at the heart of this series is the relationship between Sutherland’s character and his gifted son. Watch the extended trailer once and you should immediately start anticipating tonight’s one-hour preview event. And then the wait until March will become all the more unbearable.

Touch airs tonight at 9PM on FOX.

Update: The ratings are in and it turns out many people were touched by Sutherland’s new show last night. The Touch pilot attracted 11.9 million viewers and scored a 3.9/10 among adults 18-49. This makes it the second highest rated new drama series this TV season. (ABC’s Once Upon a Time premiere still remains the highest rated drama series this season so far: 12.8 million viewers, 4.0 demo rating among the 18-49 crowd.) This bodes extremely well for Kring’s latest. People are positively buzzing about the show, and anticipation is high for the spring premiere. Did Touch grip you last night? Spill your thoughts in the comments section below.

AMC renews ‘The Walking Dead’ for third season

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Having been back on the air for only two weeks, AMC has gone ahead and renewed The Walking Dead for a third season. This news really shouldn’t come as a surprise. The season 2 opener drew 7.3 million total viewers and 4.8 million viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic, a record for basic cable. Heading into the second episode those numbers dropped only a bit to 6.7 million and 4.5 million for total viewers and adults 18-49, respectively. AMC president Charlie Collier had this to say about the renewal. “Today we are pleased to announce that the ‘dead’ shall live as we proudly renew The Walking Deadfor a third season. We are thankful for everyone’s contribution in front of and behind the camera as we continue to make The Walking Dead a unique television experience. And, we are so proud as it continues to set viewership records around the world.”

The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9PM on AMC.

[Via TVLine; EW]

TV reminder: ‘The Walking Dead’ returns tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: The ratings are in…]

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Rick Grimes and company return tonight in the season 2 premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead. There’s a new showrunner in town (season 1 producer Glenn Mazzara has replaced Frank Darabont at the top), but you can expect the epic storytelling and zombie-infested thrills to absolutely remain in tact. If the season 2 trailer that debuted at Comic Con has anything to say, it’s that this time around every aspect of this amazing show is only going to get better. The creative team led by Darabont and comic book originator Robert Kirkman quickly found their footing in the premiere season, introducing the wide range of characters with precision, emotional impact, and top notch storytelling. This time around AMC is allotting the show 13 episodes; if you were wowed by all that went down in season 1 (which contained a 6-episode story arc), we can only imagine what they are going to do with over double the amount of time. After eyeballing the season 2 poster (which rivals the season 1 poster in how awesome it is), it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the survivors will reach Hershel’s farm, an important stop on their journey to salvation as the readers of the comics already know. As a personal aside, I really hope that Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) returns as The Governor!

The Walking Dead returns tonight at 9PM on AMC in an expanded 90-minute episode. FYI, the season will be split in two. Seven episodes will air consecutively this fall and then the show will go on an extended hiatus starting November 4. The remaining six episodes will air beginning February 12 in the new year. Lastly, don’t forget to watch Talking Dead, a live half-hour after-show hosted by Chris Hardwick that will air immediately follow each episode and recap and discuss it. Sunday night is about to become the best time of the week.

Gallery 1 contains shiny character profiles; in the one below that you’ll find stills from the premiere ep “What Lies Ahead.”

Update: The Walking Dead season 2 premiere scared up quite the audience. Check out these record-breaking numbers for a cable program: the premiere at 9PM drew 7.3 million total viewers and 4.8 million viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Compared to last year’s pilot, that’s up 38 percent in total viewers (last year: 5.3 million), 36 percent in 18-49 (3.6 million), and 35 percent in 25-54 (3.1 million). And if you factor in the two encore presentations that followed at 10:30PM and 12:30AM, a grand total of 11 million tuned into the season 2 opener. This marks a series high for AMC’s gory staple.

AMC president Charlie Collier shared his excitement over the big ratings. “The Walking Dead is one of those rare television programs that reaches both a core genre fan as well as broad audiences simply looking for a great, character-based story. That The Walking Dead is now the most watched drama in the history of basic cable is staggering, just like our zombies.”

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[Images via IGN; Deadline]

2011 MTV VMAs: Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Adele big winners

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Last night the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards was underwhelming without a host, and yet it seemed to get the job done anyhow. Lady Gaga opened the show as her male alter ego Jo Calderone. After a dizzying monologue she finally showed off her mega-pipes and belted out a memorable rendition of “You and I” on the piano with assistance from Queen’s Brian May. Kudos must be handed out to Gaga for managing to keep herself in one dress (and personality) for the entire duration of the show. She totally stole the spotlight away from Britney Spears when the pop queen was presented the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award. Other highlights from the night include… Kanye West and Jay-Z performed a low-key version of their Watch The Throne single “Otis” in front of a cheering crowd; Russell Brand’s tribute to Amy Winehouse was heartfelt in all the right ways, Tony Bennett’s prerecorded duet with the late jazz singer was uplifting, and Bruno Mars’ “Valerie” was full of retro flair and fitting to close out the tribute; Adele’s “Someone Like You” performance was only rivaled by Beyonce’s “Love On Top.” During the pre-show Beyonce announced that she is pregnant with first child; rap king Jay-Z is the baby daddy. Immediately following the entrancing performance (you can’t help but get lost in Beyonce’s glowing face and rockin’ bod), she dropped the mic, unbuttoned her shirt and showed off her slight baby bump. Now that’s a way to walk off the stage. Speaking of walking off the stage, that’s exactly what Lil Wayne should have done before opening his mouth to rap (if you even want to call it that). Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Weezy’s music, but man was that a lousy way to close the VMAs. Over the top auto-tune doesn’t work live, especially if you can’t sing and it hurts when your song contains so many expletives that viewers only hear half the lyrics. Chris Brown’s medley didn’t do it for me either; the crooner can move (hell, he can even fly), but I was expecting him to sing a bit and wearing that headset was just redundant.

But I don’t want to wrap things up on such a sour note. Overall, yes, the show was underwhelming (there was no hostful opening monologue, acceptance speeches were kept to a minimum, the telecast was controversy-free), but it worked because for the most part the performances were solid (I’m thinking about Gaga, The Throne, Adele, Bruno Mars, Beyonce) and the show never felt like it was dragging along (expect maybe the part when Jonah Hill proved that he’s not funny when he’s skinny). Kevin Hart could have made a great host; his mini-monologue and commercial break segments were enjoyable. Maybe next year.

And now let’s turn to the night’s big winners. A geometry-influenced Katy Perry took home the coveted Video of the Year award for “Firework.” (I still can’t believe that beat out the Beastie Boys’ “Make Some Noise”; oh well.) She also scooped up Best Collaboration and Best Visual Effects for “E.T.” Kanye West was on hand and kept cool to accept the award with Perry. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” won two awards for Best Female Video and Best Video with a Message. Adele won the most awards (4), but they are all in the technical categories so unfortunately she never made it on stage to make an acceptance speech. Other notable winners include: Tyler, The Creator is Best New Artist, Justin Bieber’s “U Smile” somehow nabbed Best Male Video, Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” was Best Hip-Hop Video, Foo Fighters won Best Rock Video with “Walk”, and “Till the World Ends” gave Britney Spears the award for Best Pop Video. Jump after the break for the full list of winners.

Update: The numbers are in. This year’s Video Music Awards drew 12.4 million total viewers, making it MTV’s most-watched telecast ever. That’s up 8% from last year’s show which attracted 11.4 viewers. See what happens when MTV airs music-related content? Craziness!

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