Here’s some fodder for the Burn Notice vs. The Closer commenters!
The fifth season premiere of “The Closer” at 9 p.m. delivered its typically enormous cable viewership of 7.1 million. “Closer” had ad-supported cable’s biggest audience for a scripted series telecast so far this year, though it was 9% off last summer’s bow
But then half of TNT’s audience changed the channel at 10 p.m. and missed the second season debut of “Raising the Bar,” which garnered 3.6 million viewers, down 53% from last year’s premiere. “Bar” was expected to take a hit given its record-setting “Closer”-level opener last summer (and subsequent drop off) and the legal drama remained above the show’s first-season average.
via THR.com.
Here’s TNT’s press release:
TNT Gets Summer Off to a Sizzling Start with Outstanding Performances by THE CLOSER and RAISING THE BAR
THE CLOSER Scores as Top Scripted Series Telecast for the Year-to-Date with 7.1 Million Viewers and 5.3 Million Households
TNT’s dramatic summer launched last night with spectacular results as THE CLOSER delivered 7.1 million viewers and 5.3 million households, ad-supported cable’s biggest audience for a scripted series telecast for the year-to-date. RAISING THE BAR, meanwhile, kicked off its second season with 3.6 million viewers and 2.8 million households, out-delivering the series’ first-season average.
“We’re thrilled to get the summer off to a terrific start with the return of these popular, acclaimed series,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming, TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “We look forward to continued success next week with the launch of WEDDING DAY and HAWTHORNE, plus the return of SAVING GRACE. Next month, we’ll celebrate the return of LEVERAGE and the launch of DARK BLUE.”
“These shows demonstrate the network’s commitment to working with the very best talent in the industry to create a high-quality lineup that reflects positively on the network’s drama brand,” Wright said.
The following is a rundown of THE CLOSER and RAISING THE BAR’s performance:
· Last night’s season-five premiere of THE CLOSER was watched by 7,139,000 viewers and 5,349,000 households, ranking it as ad-supported cable’s most-watched scripted series telecast for the year-to-date.
· THE CLOSER out-delivered its overall fourth-season average among viewers and households, as well as among adults 18-49 (2,249,000) and adults 25-54 (2,938,000).
· THE CLOSER scored a 5.4 coverage household rating and a 4.7 national household rating.
· RAISING THE BAR launched its second season last night by out-delivering its overall first-season average among viewers (3,568,000), households (2,764,000) and adults 25-54 (1,415,000). The episode was on par with the show’s overall first-season average among adults 18-49 (1,134,000).
TNT’s extensive roster of original series this summer will continue to expand next Tuesday with the premiere of two new series: WEDDING DAY, TNT’s first unscripted drama, which is executive-produced by Mark Burnett, and HAWTHORNE, a character-driven hospital drama starring Jada Pinkett Smith. In addition, next week will also see the third season premiere of the provocative series SAVING GRACE, starring Oscar® winner Holly Hunter.
On Wednesday, July 15, LEVERAGE, starring Oscar winner Timothy Hutton and executive-produced by Dean Devlin, will return for its second season, followed by the premiere of DARK BLUE, starring Dylan McDermott and executive-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; Hawthorne, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace,ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
All I can say is that I was right in saying that TC will beat BN.
Go The Closer!
saw that coming a mile away, but I’m surprised your comment wasn’t “Thank yewwww, thank yewwww so much!”
I would like to see how these cable shows would do in the regular season. Good for the Closer.
Like most procedurals, The Closer has always reached an older audience. I bet Burn Notice does better than The Closer in most if not all of the younger than 50 demos.
Shem, it would be interesting anal in the case of The Closer premiere last night, it did ~15% better last night that it did during its finale during the “regular” season. But Burn Notice’s premiere in the summer was pretty much the same as it’s finale during the regular season.
QW, no need to wonder, the numbers are in, and Burn Notice’s premiere indeed tops The Closer’s premiere for adults 18-49.
Burn Notice: Avg viewers 5.992 million, 2.5 million 18-49
The Closer: Avg. Viewers 7.1 million, 2.248 million 18-49
The Closer obviously did brilliantly and whilst Raising The Bar didn’t do embarrassing numbers TNT has to be slightly disappointed that at least half of The Closer’s audience didn’t stick around for it. And whilst I’m not usually a big retention guy you do have to wonder if TNT could be making better use of The Closer lead-in.
The Closer is slipping and bleeding hard. It being a procedural is helping keeping it afloat right now. Dark Blue is the next big TNT series. Burn Notice is no where near done with its growth as there’s still a whole bunch of viewers that it has yet to cater to.
for comparitive purposes, neither show would have been in the broadcast top 30 (all I saw, rankings wise) among adults 18-49. Both trailed even Thursday’s “I’m a Celebrity…” (2.61M)
Hot Pocket, How about we actually see the show before declaring it the next big series?
Not a Closer watcher because Kyra Sedgwick’s fake accent bugs the hell outta me, but props to the show!
I already know its going to be good based on the commercials. Maybe I say hit too early especially since its going against CBS procedural repeats but its definitely going to be the next big TNT show unless Hawthorne hits this summer.
Hot Pocket I tend to completely disagree with you about Dark Blue everything I’ve read about and seen of it looks awful. It looks like the worst kind of cliché ridden cop show but then again maybe that’ll appeal to people. I’ll reserve judgemenet until I see a full episode but I’m not holding my breath on it right now.
i will be whacing Dark Blue and Hawthorne hey Rasing the Bar did improve thats always good for a show
Our tnt channel went out at the halfway mark of last night’s premiere. So, we’re going to have to catch the repeat tonight.
Good for The Closer but bad for Raising the Bar, I wonder if we could see a switch between Dark Blue if ratings fall in the few weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is axed at the end of the season.
I think HawthoRNe and Dark Blue will do quite well, HawthoRNe has a recognisable name in Jada Pinkett Smith and Dark Blue has Dylan McDermott and Jerry Bruckherimer.
“The Closer” is for the “Murder She Wrote” crowd while “Raising The Bar” is geared more toward the “NYPD Blue” set. It (RTB) is far and away the better show and I’m stymied at its loss of half the lead-in.
Gee, Hot Pocket, do you always believe everything in commercials? We’d like to see it if you don’t mind.
Bring it on TNT.
I’m lovin all your shows & “thankful” for making summer t.v a more enjoyable.
Repeats can be a total bitch. Excuse me….boring.