'Royal' premiere rules Thursday
USA drama averages 5.6 million viewers
More Articles:
Most Viewed:
'New Moon' shines at box office(7900 views)'New Moon' takes opening day record(1366 views)Vivendi holds up NBC Universal deal(590 views)ABC adopts 'Find My Family' show(581 views)The Blind Side(560 views)Animated short films get on short list(501 views) |
In its bow Thursday at 10 p.m., "Royal Pains" averaged 5.6 million viewers, including 2.3 million adults 18-49 -- coming in higher than the preems of the hit USA originals "In Plain Sight" and "Burn Notice."
"Royal Pains," which stars Mark Feuerstein as a "concierge doctor" to rich residents of the Hamptons, retained more than 90% of its lead-in from "Burn Notice" on Thursday (6.0 million viewers overall, 2.5 million adults 18-49). In its timeslot, it beat out NBC's premiere of drama "The Listener" (5.3 million viewers overall, roughly 1.8 million adults 18-49).
"Burn Notice," cable's No. 1 scripted skein in key demos, was up 7% in 18-49 and 11% in total viewers vs. its second-season preem in July 2008.
The perfs by the USA dramas are all the more impressive since they came opposite Game 1 of the NBA Finals on ABC.
Final ratings for the hoops action, meanwhile, were unavailable due to Nielsen processing delays Friday.
But based on affiliate-based prelims, it's expected that Thursday's opener -- an easy victory for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Orlando Magic -- won't quite approach the 2008 Game 1 between the Lakers and Boston Celtics (5.5 rating/16 share in adults 18-49, 13.44 million viewers overall) but should come in well above the 2007 Game 1 between Cleveland and San Antonio (3.6/11, 8.87m).
