TV Ratings

Posted: Sun., Mar. 8, 2009, 1:14pm PT

'Burn Notice' finale tops cable ratings

USA spy thriller hits series high

'Burn Notice'

USA's 'Burn Notice' proved it could generate ratings pyrotechnics even against stiff broadcast competish during the first quarter.

USA Network spy thriller "Burn Notice" is now the hottest show on cable.

The skein finished its second season Thursday with two series highs: 6.1 million total viewers and 2.7 million adults 18-49.

Starring Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar, "Burn Notice" originally became a hit for USA running in the summer months. Yet the series notably garnered its best numbers in the just-completed second leg of season two by going directly against broadcast competish at 10 p.m. during the first quarter of the year.

On Thursday, the show faced off against an "ER" episode featuring the returns of Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle, as well as a new episode of CBS' "Eleventh Hour."

While "Burn Notice's" numbers during the latter half of its second season were competitive with those 10 o'clock broadcast dramas, they also outstripped basic cable's incumbent ratings champion, TNT's "The Closer," during its first-quarter run on Monday nights.

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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