As you can see below, the season started out strong at the premiere and then fell back a million viewers from 2.1 million to 1.1 million, but has rebounded strongly since then and is doing much better than season one’s average of ~900,000 viewers per episode.\
Update: 10/27 with season finale detail. Additional detail about the season finale and season two ratings is available here.
| Premiere Dates | Episode | Time | Total Viewers (Millions) |
| Sunday, July 27, 2008 | 201 FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG | 10:00P -10:52P | 2.059 |
| Sunday, August 03, 2008 | 202 FLIGHT 1 | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.326 |
| Sunday, August 10, 2008 | 203 THE BENEFACTOR | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.255 |
| Sunday, August 17, 2008 | 204 THREE SUNDAYS | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.073 |
| Sunday, August 24, 2008 | 205 THE NEW GIRL | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.473 |
| Sunday, August 31, 2008 | 206 MAIDENFORM | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.456 |
| Sunday, September 07, 2008 | 207 GOLD VIOLIN | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.671 |
| Sunday, September 14, 2008 | 208 A NIGHT TO REMEMBER | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.87 |
| Sunday, September 28, 2008 | 209 SIX MONTH LEAVE | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.6 |
| Sunday, October 05, 2008 | 210 THE INHERITANCE | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.3 |
| Sunday, October 12, 2008 | 211 THE JET SET | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.5 |
| Sunday, October 19, 2008 | 212 THE MOUTAIN KING | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.4 |
| Sunday, October 26, 2008 | 213 MEDITATIONS IN AN EMERGENCY | 10:00P -11:00P | 1.75 |
Data is for the initial Sunday 10pm airing of original episodes. Data for subsequent airings is not included.
All numbers are live viewing plus same day DVR viewing and do not include seven days worth of DVR viewing (I’d love to see those numbers though!)
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
So, nu?
I find it odd that AMC takes so long to put these numbers out. If the numbers were huge, the release would have been right away.
Bad marketing.
I take it that it is not my refresh button and that ratings have not been released since September 28?
I am completely stunned that the show’s ratings actually dropped for the episode that aired after the big Emmy win.
I find it odd that AMC takes so long to put these numbers out. If the numbers were huge, the release would have been right away.
Bad marketing.
One thing I would not accuse AMC of is bad marketing. Bad scheduling, yes, but not bad marketing. But still there is something that is not right here, my guess is that there are a number of cooks stirring the pot and that is playing a role here.
it’s not your refresh button, I have seen data for one or two episodes since then, but haven’t gotten any official numbers since the 9/28 episodes. I’ll reach out to my contact at AMC and see if I can get this updated. I will delete your “testing” comment
IMO, this show is overrated.
I am appreciative of both the substance and the format of your data. I found it frustrating not to have data after 9/28, but relieved the numbers are holding up, relatively. I do not know what the future holds for this series, even assuming a season 3, but looking back over the decades to my own first recall of television beginning at or around 1960, this is about the best. I am convinced this will set the standard for the future. I just hope the actors (plural) are not lured away by ‘offers they cannot refuse’ in Hollywood that make continuing Mad Men no longer feasible. You have an audience, I am convinced it will only expand as word spreads about this amazing show Matt Weiner has made possible.
Next season should begin earlier in the summer, so that the finale happens before heavy competition sets in from returning/premiering network shows, football, baseball playoffs, etc. The ratings fell off toward the end of last season, too.