While readers of our weekly cable ratings posts know that USA has been on a roll, we typically don’t see “seasonal” averages for cable networks, so this is an interesting note:
As the summer season peaks, USA Network is on track to post cable’s most-viewed primetime in the season’s history.
USA has averaged 3.6 million viewers in prime this summer. If it can hold on to that, it will beat previous record-holder Disney Channel, which averaged 3.1 million viewers in summer 2007.
The network’s performance has been driven in part by new hit Royal Pains, which has grown since its June 4 launch and drew 6.5 million total viewers (2.8 million among adults 18-49) on June 16. It’s also seen an uptick for Royal Pains lead-in Burn Notice and received consistent performances from off-network dramas like NCIS. [...]
TNT (2.16 million viewers in prime) is second, though it has diminished numbers in total and demo viewers in the past four summers. But The Closer (nearly 6.7 million viewers) is the top drama on cable and rookie HawthoRNe averages 3.8 million viewers (1.5 million in 18-49), holding strong from its premiere to its second episode.
via Broadcasting & Cable.
Not that I think Royal Pains is a crappy series, but it doesn’t even approach the quality of The Closer in terms of acting and writing yet it’s neck-and-neck in the ratings. I watch Royal Pains in part because there’s nothing else on that I’m interested in and it does have some fun moments, but I’m surprised at just how successful (in cable terms) it’s been.
To paraphrase Kate Jackson, Royal Pains is such a big piece of fluff, that if you dropped it from the ceiling, it would take a month to reach the floor.
Royal Pains is awesome. The show tells intruiging stories, is well acted and just great. I love it!
It seems Royal Pains arrived at the perfect time. Imagine a show about a concierge doctor. It is the in topic right now. USA’s original programs are unique. A detective with OCD with phobias, two best friends solving crimes while pretending to have psychic abilities, a burnt spy in Miami, US Marshal’s and the witness protection program, a reluctant concierge doctor in the Hampton’s. You don’t see these on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, or CW. I love USA’s shows and watch them every day.
Good to see they’re continuing to do well. Does anyone here know the fate of Criminal Intent?
TNT should improve once Leverage is back on on July 15th.
The CLOSER is #1
“TNT should improve once Leverage is back on on July 15th.”
So instead of sucking hard they’ll suck normally.
To each their own….Royal Pains is a great, fun show to me. And apparently millions of other viewers! So kudos to the USA Network for keeping up with its special brand of fun, intriguing characters! With Leverage returning in a week and Dak Blue bowing the same night, I see TNT’s viewership on a continued trajectory growth! Congrats!
It’s all about the brand on cable, and USA is doing a good job of creating series that feel & look original. What I like about Royal Pains is the setting. I don’t remember seeing the Hamptons before in a regular series. (I’m assuming what we see is actually the Hamptons.) That really makes this very light series visually fun to watch. I think like Burn Notice before, location and the visual style of the series has a lot to do with its success.