It’s really starting to look that way, and I find it rather surprising. Did anyone see it coming? I like Mark Feuerstein and everything, but my best guess was that the show would enjoy modest success and work as a nice companion to the bigger hit, Burn Notice. So far, that’s just not the case. Last week, Burn Notice (5.8m/1.9) was back to usual levels, but Royal Pains (6.5m/2.1) was up, again. Where will it stop? Meanwhile, on the broadcast networks, it was more of the same. Lots of repeats, and much of the original programming left something to be desired where the numbers were concerned.
Cable - None of them were up to Royal Pains level numbers, but there were some other notable premieres higher up the dial last week. On TNT, Saving Grace (3.47m) returned. That was following the premiere of Hawthorne (3.83m). Those numbers are OK, but nothing for the network to get too excited about. Over at A&E (remember when that stood for the Arts & Entertainment network?), the big excitement came in the form of the Hammertime (1.12m) premiere. Well, judging from that number it wasn’t exciting for the viewers, and probably not for the network, but I’m sure Hammer was excited.
Hammer, unfortunately for A&E, isn’t a housewife from New Jersey. With 3.47 million viewers, the Real Housewives managed the highest rated broadcast of the series. The big episode also bested all of the broadcast networks in the demo for the timeslot. That is some much needed good news for Bravo. Their response to losing Project Runway, the inferior copy called The Fashion Show, is not doing well. So far, it’s averaging just under a million viewers an episode. The last Bravo season of Runway was somewhere closer to four million per.
Finally, we’re a little late, but the numbers were released for the True Blood premiere. The 3.7 million viewers were the most the network has seen since the Sopranos finale. That’s good news for fans of vampire stories, and fans of Anna Paquin’s boobs. Moving to the broadcast networks….
CBS - After seeing the results the other networks are getting with all of their original summer programming, the CBS all-repeat-all-the-time plan is just looking better and better. Despite a schedule that consisted of two hours of new programming, Password (6.69m/1) and Harper’s Island (3.79m/.9), CBS still managed to be the most watched network five of the seven nights. And they even won the demo on two nights.
ABC - The week got off to a nice start, thanks to the NBA Finals (10.12m/4.17) easily winning Sunday. The Bachelorette (6.79m/2.4) was down slightly on Monday, but remains solid. There was also good news on Wednesday, with the continued success of Wipeout (7.97m/2.7) and, to a lesser degree, the premiere of I Survived A Japanese Game Show (5.43m/2.1). After that, the original programming left a bit to be desired. Here Come The Newlyweds (4.17m/1.6), Cupid (2.14m/.7), The Unusuals (3.91m/1.3), Surviving Suburbia (2.59m/.6), The Goode Family (1.59m/.5), and Eli Stone (2.5m/.5) were all disappointing.
NBC - The peacock was in a similar boat, just without any of the successes. Someone decided that four nights of I’m A Celebrity seemed like a good idea, and it really wasn’t. Monday (4.94m/1.8), Tuesday (4.65m/1.7), Wednesday (4.16m/1.5), and Thursday (4.98m/1.8) would seem to suggest that remaking a reality show that failed miserably the first time wasn’t such a good idea. The other original programming for the week came in the form of The Listener (3.82m/1), Chopping Block (1.94m/.6), and Kings (1.94m/.5). Yeah… Kings was beaten by the fucking Chopping Block. Good grief.
FOX - Much as the regular season is powered by Idol, the FOX summer rides on the strength of So You Think You Can Dance. The Wednesday (8.38m/3) and Thursday (8.02m/2.9) editions were both strong. I have concerns about how the show is going to perform when moved to the fall schedule, against real competition, but it is certainly a summer hit. The other new entries this week were from Mental (4.74m/1.5) and Don’t Forget The Lyrics (3.63m/1.1).
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Jun 22, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
I tried Royal Pains, and found it to be a royal pain. Not surprisingly, the rest of the country seems to love it. If I had loved it, the ratings would be fairly poor. I cannot believe it did better than Burn Notice. WTF?
Hawthorne? Nah – I don’t think I’ll check in a second time. Didn’t watch Nurse Jackie past the first episode, either. They may WANT me to be interested in nurses, but I’ll pass.
Harper’s Island isn’t doing too bad for a Saturday night. Maybe some day it won’t be a home only for the dying.
Hrml… demo still above 1 but if this continues it’ll be a wonder if they run the whole show… but no, let’s stay optimistic, let’s say it was awfully cheap and that they just air all thirteen episodes and that it’ll return next summer.
*POST AUTHOR*
I could join you in your optimism that the show gets to run all thirteen episodes, because what else do they have to put on? Returning next summer though? That’s a little harder to see.
Wow…Royal Pains ratings are much higher than I would have expected. I like the show, despite that I am more annoyed with the brother every episode. I don’t have a problem with the privileged as some others. That is the point of the show.
Glad to see it doing well, because I think it has much more potential.
It’s not surprising I’m A Celebrity was given another go, the original UK series is massive, and with most successful US reality TV shows being based on UK reality TV shows that do well (they all do well) it makes sense they’d want to milk it. I feel like I should apologise seeing as though I’m a Brit. So, Sorry.
It’s like there is some weird conspiracy going on.
actually, Anna Paquin’s boobs are a problem for me. I remember her as the little girl from the Piano and Fly Away Home. I know that actresses grow up, but having her be in such sexual situations is actually bothersome to me. But I’ve been a fan of the Sookie books since the second one came out and I discovered them. So I keep watching and feeling like a prude when I look away during the sex scenes.
No love for Nurse Jackie? by all accounts, it’s a strong new show for Showtime.
This has been a strong summer season for new cable premieres. None have been completely horrible and quite a few have got season passes. it’s important to remember that Burn Notice was only okay the first season and it took The Closer a while to find its stride as well. Judging a new show on its first few episodes of its first season is not necessarily going to give you an accurate outlook. if there’s anything you like about the show, give it a while to see if they build on that interest.
*POST AUTHOR*
Jim, we’re just going to have to agree to disagree about Anna Paquin’s boobs. Fortunately, I’m not burdened by recollections from her acting past.
As far as Nurse Jackie, I did mention it in last week’s ratings post, and I also brought up the fact that it has already been renewed. Unfortunately, getting ratings info for anything on cable in a timely manner is a bit hit and miss.
I also have fond memories of Fly Away Home. The squicky part for me was remembering the great relationship between Paquin and Jeff Daniels as her father in that movie, then seeing their characters having a student-teacher affair in The Squid and the Whale.