Cable
   
Homepage



'Jon & Kate'
breakup draws 10.6M


Sets record for most-watched cable reality show

Jun 24, 2009

One day after “Jon & Kate Plus 8” set another slew of records for the episode in which the troubled couple announced their separation, TLC said it is suspending production of the show for the next six weeks as the couple sort through their issues.

Monday’s much-hyped episode was the most-watched show on television on any network, averaging 10.6 million total viewers in the 9 p.m. timeslot.

It became the most-watched show in network history, surpassing the show’s season premiere a few weeks ago, which averaged 9.8 million.

It also became the network’s highest-rated show across a slew of demographics, including viewers 18-49 (6.5 million), 18-34 (3.7 million) and several male and female demographics.

“Jon & Kate” even outdrew the broadcast competition en route to becoming the most-watched nonscripted show in cable history.

Still, just hours after the episode aired, TLC said it is sending the Gosselins on hiatus until Aug. 3 to give the family time to regroup. Next week the network will air a “Jon & Kate” clip show.

TLC has ordered 40 episodes for season five, but fewer than 10 have aired.

During Monday’s episode, both parents said that the show, which was envisioned as a slice-of-life reality show about the challenges of raising twins and sextuplets, will continue despite their marital woes.

Kate, who was married to Jon for 10 years, filed divorce papers on Monday. The two have been dogged by rumors of mutual infidelity and become tabloid staples the past few months.

In fact, an In Touch cover that showed Kate spanking one of their eight kids led to a record showing for the magazine, which outsold even People last week, according to the New York Post’s Keith J. Kelly.


Toni Fitzgerald is a staff writer for Media Life.




Latest headlines
CBS takes its first Thursday, a slow one
Preparing for life after 'Oprah' wraps up
'Happily Ever Faster,' don't bet on it
In Union Square, dunk Joey the Clown
Do you understand web measurement?
Agencies to Nielsen: Reinstate live stream
Rachel, help, we're being left in the dark
Best tube bets this weekend

BBC America president Garth Ancier steps down
Nicke Bergstrom becomes creative director at Mother New York
Nathan Hackstock becomes West Coast CD at Sapient Interactive
Frank Hahn and Naoki Ito become ECDs at W+K Tokyo

Catherine Balsam-Schwaber becomes SVP of marketing at iVillage
Chris De Luca becomes sports editor at the Chicago Sun-Times
Jennifer Howard rises to senior reporter at the Chronicle of Higher Education
James Van Der Beek files for divorce after six years



© 2009 Media Life Privacy Statement