Cable
   
Homepage

Tabloid turnoff:
'J&K' takes a tumble


TLC reality show averages 4.1 million for two episodes

Aug 5, 2009
Share |

After weeks of nonstop tabloid coverage following Jon and Kate Gosselin’s split, viewers were a lot less interested in watching their antics on television.

Four million people tuned in to the first of two “Jon & Kate Plus 8” episodes on TLC Monday night, with 4.2 million watching the second.

That was less than half the 10.6 million who watched the previous episode, in which the Gosselins decided to separate.

The show was still up from what “J&K” was averaging in the three weeks before it went on hiatus, when it drew around 3 million viewers.

Since then, the tabloids have given nearly nonstop coverage to the Gosselins, from Jon’s new girlfriend (or girlfriends, depending on which magazine you read) to Kate’s new condo to Jon’s new clothing line.

That may have caused some “J&K” fatigue, or it may just be that the gawkers who tuned in to the most recent episode weren’t really interested in seeing the family cope with the mundaneness of post-separation life. There was nothing juicy in this week’s show.

Much of the fun of “J&K” has always been watching an exasperated Kate badger her husband. Monday night, the show depicted the couple in separate outings with their kids.

Still, “J&K” was hardly a bust for TLC. The 9:30 p.m. episode ranked as the No. 1 show on broadcast or cable among women 18-49 and 18-34 as well as adults 18-34.

And both the 9 and 9:30 episodes tripled TLC’s average third quarter ratings in primetime among key demos.
***
 
 
Subscribe to Media Life
Latest headlines
Super Bowl sets record with 111.3 million viewers
Early numbers: Third-best Super Bowl ever
Milwaukee: Flat rates and lots of inventory
Halftime shocker: M.I.A. gives the finger
So, how do you rate the Super Bowl ads?
Your client at antique shows
'Smash,' old-fashioned drama that works
The quiet revolution reshaping local media

Sara Rad rises to director of advertising Good Housekeeping
Paul FitzPatrick becomes CEO at RLTV
Jim Oliphant becomes deputy magazine editor at National Journal
Catherine Mayer rises to Europe editor at Time
Andre Braugher joins ABC's 'Last Resort'
Paul Singer becomes politics editor at USA Today
L.A. Reid remaining on Fox's 'X Factor'
Portia De Rossi joins ABC's 'The Smart One'
 
 
 
 


Diego Vasquez is a staff writer for Media Life.




© 2012 Media Life Privacy Statement