'Rescue' preem fires up FX
Debut episode was second only to 'The Shield's' bow
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Created by and starring Denis Leary as a New York City firefighter, hourlong drama ranked as the No. 1 program on Wednesday night, catapulting FX to the top of primetime basic cable rankings.
For FX, debut of "Rescue Me" came second only to the record-setting bow of "The Shield," which netted 4.8 million viewers in March 2002.
In the key adults 18-49 category, the 10 p.m. episode notched a 2.0 national rating/6 share and 2.5 million viewers -- the third highest tally for a basic cable series premiere. "Rescue Me" also posted high marks in the men 18-34 (2.2/7) and men 18-49 (2.1/6) demos.
"It is really gratifying to get off to such a great start," said FX entertainment prexy John Landgraf. Skein built impressively on its lead-in ("Independence Day"), which took in 2.4 million viewers (1.4 million in 18-49).
Combined Nielsens for the preem and its encore run at 11 p.m. totaled 5.6 million.
