Bill posted the numbers last night, but here's the official press release from USA with a bit more detail, including Friday's fall finale of "White Collar."
9.4 MILLION VIEWERS OBSESS OVER MONK SERIES FINALE
MONK Finale Becomes Basic Cable's Most-Watched Original Drama Episode Ever
USA’s Newest Original Series WHITE COLLAR Also Hits Series Highs
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – December 7, 2009 – After eight successful seasons on the air, the series finale of the USA Original MONK on Friday Night (9pm) set records as it became the most-watched basic cable original drama series telecast of all time in total viewers. Hitting series highs for its final episode, a rare feat in the TV landscape shared by only an elite group of iconic series, the finale brought in 9.4 million total viewers, beating the prior series high by +37% (MONK had never been above 7 million total viewers in its eight seasons). The series that experts say started the resurgence of original programming on cable garnered seven best comedy actor Emmy nominations (and three wins) for Tony Shalhoub in the title role throughout the run.
- The finale delivered series high in P18-49 with 3.2 million beating the prior series high by +10% (This was the first time MONK surpassed the 3 million benchmark in this demo).
- MONK delivered 3.7 million P25-54 viewers beating the prior series high by +2%.
- The MONK finale now holds the title of USA's top original series telecast of all time among total viewers, is #2 among P25-54 and #3 among P18-49.
- MONK easily topped everything on broadcast for the night in P2+, P18-49 and P25-54 based on fast nationals for broadcast.
- Among cable entertainment telecasts for 2009TD, the MONK finale on Live+Same is the #1 P25-54 scripted telecast on basic or pay cable, the #1 scripted telecast on ad-supported basic cable in total viewers and the #1 P18-49 scripted telecast on basic cable.
The fall season finale of USA’s newest original WHITE COLLAR (10pm) also hit series highs. The show delivered 5.55 million total viewers topping the series premiere – the prior series high – by +3%. This is the best performance for USA in the Fri 10-11 time slot in total viewers in more than three years. The finale also garnered amazing demo deliveries, including 2.1 million P18-49 (topping the series premiere by +18% and best in time slot since 1/11/08) and 2.25 million P25-54 (topping the series premiere by +3% and best in time slot since 2/15/08). WHITE COLLAR also beat new originals on broadcast in total viewers and key demos (based on fast national data).
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 98.5 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
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So, does this mean that Friday night isn’t as dead as the networks make it seem? Cable seems to be able to program for respectable ratings on it, although I do realize that cable has a lower bar for respectable, these numbers aren’t bad. In total viewers it looks like Monk was the highest rated show on Friday, and White Collar had higher ratings than any Network show that wasn’t on CBS. The demos were all better than the all the networks if I’m reading things right. Go USA! I hope the schedule change works for them.
excellent episode of White Collar. i eagerly await it’s return next month.
LindH, Monk beat everything on broadcast all night in the demos, but White Collar just tied for first with CBS and ABC during the 10pm hour. Still great, but it didn’t beat everything the way Monk did.
Cable programs do very well on fridays. However broadcast networks seem to do awful. Monk’s finale exceeded my expectations but it ended up doing amazing.
Best episode of White collar by far. I really hope they pick up a second season soon
I think USA will, the series’ real test will be airing on its own and agianst broadcast’s The Good Wife, The Forgotten and TNT’s Southland. I think it will hold up.
Congrats to Monk (Wowsa at the numbers!) and WC! Two great shows!
If the networks put something worth watching on Friday and Saturday nights, they’ll get viewership. Since they don’t, the cable networks do and get numbers that are just as strong.
I agree with the feedback from Chad and Jared. Excellent White Collar finale. One of the best cliff hangers I’ve seen lately.
Well CBS does well on fridays with their trio, yet every other broadcast network (especially FOX) has trouble. A word of advice is that what FOX could do to help fridays is move COPS/AMW to fridays and air House/Bones repeats on Saturdays. Networks have essentially given up airing new scripted programming on saturdays and I think its for the best. Its cheaper for them to focus on 6 nights a week rather than 7.
I know there’s been some really negative feedback on the White Collar cliffhanger but I absolutely loved it. Going into that episode, I was almost positive I wouldn’t be following the show regularly when it returned as, much like Royal Pains, it just wasn’t interesting or enjoyable enough for me. That ending is the exact kind of shake-up this show needed. It certainly has me intrigued and excited for its return.
Who says Friday Nights are done?
If you program the night aggressively with watchable shows then you will see success, something the broadcasters have failed to realize yet.
With White Collar’s 2.1 million viewers in 18-49, what would the rating be? Is it around 1.5-1.8?
Forg you can divide viewers by 1.32 million to approximate and that gets you to the 1.6 (1.59) adults 18-49 rating reported.
Thanks for the formula Robert
Excellent White Collar episode – little hints dropped since the beginning and then a very nice twist that uses those hints. Nice entertaining TV, nothing grand (basically a remake of It Takes a Thief) but still fairly solid entertainment. I wish more networks would take note and quit trying to be fancy and just try to be competent. Everyone can’t be Sons of Anarchy. lol
Excellent White Collar, look forward to January shows – and Mr. Bomer is great!
Wow….thats like 5X the audience that most FOX shows can get on Friday nights.
Someone from FOX should be looking to steal a few people from USA to show them how to run television channel.
Maybe White Collar will lose to the forgotten.
hahahahahaha
Hopefully White Collar can keep these numbers going when it comes back. Knowing USA it probably will.