via press release:
TNT’s Successful Three-Night Strategy of Original Programming Continues with 3.9 Million Viewers Tuning in to the Season Premiere of LEVERAGE and 3.5 Million Viewers for the Series Premiere of Dark BlueLEVERAGE Outperforms First Season Average
23.5 Million Viewers Watch TNT’s Monday-Wednesday Originals this Week
Last night, TNT launched its third successful night of original programming as3.9 million viewers tuned in for the second-season premiere of LEVERAGE, from executive producer Dean Devlin and starring Oscar® winner Timothy Hutton, and 3.5 million viewers watched Dark Blue, the new series from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer and featuring Golden Globe® winnerDylan McDermott. LEVERAGE also outdelivered its first-season average among viewers and households.
The success of TNT’s Wednesday night lineup is the latest step in the network’s plan to create three nights of outstanding original programming, which this week was watched by a combined 23.5 million viewers. TNT’s Monday night original series lineup features The Closer and RAISING THE BAR, while Tuesday night pairs HAWTHORNE with SAVING GRACE.
“Last year, we laid out a strategy to create three nights of high-quality, original programming on TNT,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “The success of LEVERAGE and Dark Blue proves once again what can happen when you work with the very best talent in the industry.”
Last night’s second-season premiere of LEVERAGE was watched by 3,890,000 viewers and 2,724,000 households. It also scored a 2.8 coverage household rating/2.4 national household rating. The episode outdelivered its first-season Live + Same Day average, with viewers up 24% and households up 20%. It also elevated TNT’s Wednesday 9-10 p.m. time period over the same night last year, with viewers up 113% and households up 70%.
Dark Blue continued the success of its LEVERAGE lead-in by delivering 3,542,000 viewers and 2,717,000 households. It also garnered a 2.8 coverage household rating/2.4 national household rating. When compared to the same night last year, Dark Blue raised TNT’s Wednesday 10-11 p.m. time period deliveries by 129% among viewers and 104% among households.
On Mondays, TNT’s The Closer continues to rank as ad-supported cable’s #1 series, averaging 6.5 million viewers and 4.8 million households for its fifth season. The second season of RAISING THE BAR has been the #1 entertainment program in its time slot among viewers (3.3 million, +7% vs. last season) and households (2.6 million, +5% vs. last season).
TNT’s successful Tuesday night lineup of originals kicks off withHAWTHORNE, which in its first season is averaging 3.3 million viewers and 2.6 million households. HAWTHORNE is followed by SAVING GRACE, which is averaging 3 million viewers and 2.3 million households in its third season.
Sponsors for the premiere of LEVERAGE included Hyundai and Sprint, while premiere sponsors for Dark Blue included The Weinstein Group, which presented special footage from Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film Inglourious Basterds.
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.
good Job TNT
so nice to see Grace and Breand with the Emmy Nods again this year
Really happy for both Leverage and Dark Blue. Leverage was a good, but not great premiere. But, I loved Dark Blue. It felt like a 45 minute feature film. Looks like Bruckheimer has got another hit to his resume as Producer.
Leverage = Great cable TV.
Yay for Leverage!
Fabulous numbers for Leverage! And great news for Dark Blue! TNT knows how to woo an audience!
Leverage is one great show! Downloaded the season two premiere last night, but haven’t watched it yet.
Here’s a scene from season one:
Leverage – Why I Hate Guns
And another funny scene:
Elliot Spencer Explaining Knife Usage
And this one from the pilot:
Elliot Spencer – Leverage – What I Do..
Thank goodness for cable channels willing to broadcast scripted dramas. We can’t rely on much from the big networks.
I love Leverage. You might find the British version interesting. Hustle, starring of Robert Vaughn (U.N.C.L.E.). It’s available on Net Flix.
In keeping with today’s theme, I really don’t like the way this is trending. USA and TNT being rewarded for I’m sorry, I really am, mediocre crime dramas. ( OK, crime or ” intrigue!!” ) I have a friend who loves Monk, I mean is crazy about it. All I see there is a misfit-does-good angle which if you’re my age you saw a dozen times at least in the 70′s. Carson even did funny bits about Barnaby Jones, Cannon,etc. because it got so absurd – a blind cop,a deaf mute cop,a cop with amnesia,a cop with hemophilia …( About the best of those shows was Ironsides. Raymond Burr was terrific, better than he was in Perry Mason.) Every time I decide to check out Burn Notice on a boring rainy afternoon,again, i see one ad after another and I just boycott shows when that happens. The Closer – a joke. Not even good as a cop drama. Anyway, at least the old Silk Stalkings ( remember that anyone? On USA?) actually DID have sexual chemistry back when that was OK – the woman lead ( it is shameful I can’t remember her name – think I’ll google her for old times sake) was just fine and from what I hear Rob Estes wasn’t exactly hideous. To wind this rambling up, for me, just for me, I would rather see cable at this price after ten at night go more in the ” Dirt,” ” The Riches,” even “NipTuck” and Rescue Me direction than the ” Meet the Fat Black Guy Again” or ” plucky heroine in a man’s world who even tho she’s attractive and smart juuuust can’t seem to get any.” direction. Seen it,seen it, and seen it.
Good numbers for Leverage. I found the premiere pretty slow-moving though, and I HATE Sophie’s new haircut, it makes poor Gina Bellman look about 10 years older. I wonder whose idea it was?
Jay, I remember Silk Stalkings (though I was way too young to be watching the show at the time). And the actress’s name was Mitzi Kapture.
Leverage 2nd season premiere was not that good, but I am sure it will improve,
I hope it maintains its original premise and doesnt turn into a quirky irreverant
semi- comedy like Boston Legal did and totally self-destucted, in my opinion.
Was impressed with Dark Blue..
I liked Leverage, but I loved Dark Blue. This is a great line up, and I’m glad it got good ratings.
Very good for Leverage and Dark Blue, I think Dark Blue would have done better if it had been behind The Closer but we’ll have to wait and see how it does in the coming weeks especially since Leverage is splitting its season.
The reception for Dark Blue has been mixed by critics but it seems to have had a positive reaction by viewers, I wonder if we could see Dark Blue improving on Leverage like Burn Notice/Royal Pains and L&O:CI and IPS.
Great for Leverage. Hopefully its rating continue to improve over the weeks. I enjoyed the season premiere. I really enjoyed the scenes with Hardison and Parker.
Leverage is perfect summer fun, just what the doctor ordered. I like the entire cast and they work great as a team on screen. I almost don’t care about the stories as much as their shenanigans, and that means a lot. Also, Beth Riesgraf is simply adorable.
Leverage is by far the best show on TNT out of the six first run scripted shows. Dark Blue was interesting but I think the storyline is problematic. It will be interesting to see where they take it.
Lizard
i love raising the bar. it has been great this season