Debut episodes are cable's top reality shows
By Tom Conroy Dec 9, 2009
“Steven Seagal: Lawman” kicked butt in the ratings last week. The action star’s new reality show drew A&E’s biggest series-premiere audience ever.
The show not only may give a career boost to Seagal — many of whose recent films have gone straight to video — but may also signal the resurgence of a subgenre of reality TV: the celebrity self-portrait documentary.
The two episodes that aired last Wednesday averaged 3.5 million total viewers. Encouragingly for Seagal, the second episode’s viewership built slightly, placing it at No. 10 for the week for all cable shows among viewers 25-54 and No. 11 among 18-49s.
The episodes were also cable’s highest-rated reality shows for the week. The next-highest was the second-season premiere of A&E’s “Hoarders,” which had set a channel record in adult demos for a season premiere only two nights before.
“Steven Seagal: Lawman,” in which a documentary crew follows Seagal’s work as a volunteer deputy sheriff in Jefferson County, La., is unlike many celebrity vanity projects in that it may actually help burnish the actor’s brand.
Ever since the success of “The Osbournes,” which drew as many as 6.6 million viewers in its heyday back in 2002, career-stalled celebrities have been lining up to have their wacky lives taped. But as Whitney Houston, Britney Spears and Paula Abdul learned, one’s real self can sometimes come across as vain, addled or stupid. (Lindsay Lohan, who has been reportedly developing a series about her own comeback attempts, should take note.)
Though critics were divided over whether Seagal seemed silly or cool in his self-portrait as a Zen-inspired cop, many seemed surprised at how likable and even charismatic he is — and at how serious his commitment to the sheriff’s department seems to be.
If this show gives a boost to the real-life celebrity genre, that’s good news for A&E. This Sunday the channel will be premiering its six-part series “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty,” which will chronicle the lives of four of Michael Jackson’s brothers as they prepare a reunion tour.
Meanwhile, the celebrity-reality genre that has been getting the most attention in recent years — the non-documentary genre in which stars live in a house with other B-listers, try to learn to dance or pretend to be looking for a new romance — seems to be flagging.
The most-watched show last week on VH1, which has made a specialty of celebrity-looking-for-love shows, was “For the Love of Ray J 2,” in which the R&B singer Ray J is making a second attempt at finding a soul mate. It drew only 1.5 million viewers.
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In cable ratings for the week ended Dec. 6:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): ESPN, USA, FX, ABC Family, TBS
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): ESPN, USA, ABC Family, Fox News Channel, FX
Top movie (18-49s): ABC Family’s “Santa Clause 3” (Tuesday, 8 p.m.) 1.63 million
Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN’s “Monday Night Football: Patriots/Saints” (Monday, 8:30 p.m.) 21.4 million
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: ESPN’s “Monday Night Football: Patriots/Saints” (Monday, 8:30 p.m.); FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” (Tuesday, 10 p.m.); ESPN’s “College Football Thursday Night” (Thursday, 8:53 p.m.); ESPN’s “SportsCenter” (Monday, 11:37 p.m.); Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” (Saturday, 9 p.m.).
Show on the rise: FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” Tuesday 10 p.m. The drama's second-season finale averaged 2.99 million viewers 18-49, up 30 percent from 2.3 million the previous week.
Show on the decline: NFL Network’s “Jets/Bills,” Thursday 8:20 p.m. The lackluster game averaged 3.07 million total viewers, off nearly 50 percent from the 6.12 million who watched the week before for a Thanksgiving game between the Giants and Broncos.
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending December 6
Rank
Primetime
Total Day
Net
(000)
Net
(000)
1
ESPN
3401
NICK
1806
2
USA
2478
NAN *
1316
3
FOXN
1728
ESPN
1215
4
FAM
1519
USA
1184
5
AEN
1505
TNT
1053
6
TNT
1504
FOXN
995
7
FX
1499
ADSM*
916
8
NAN
1482
AEN
779
9
HALL
1340
FAM
752
10
TBSC
1204
HALL
729
11
HGTV
1042
TBSC
729
12
AMC
1037
TOON
729
13
LIF
991
FX
689
14
HIST
985
LIF
655
15
SPK
920
HIST
598
16
SYFY
919
TRU
587
17
TOON
911
HGTV
576
18
FOOD
843
SPK
560
19
TRU
843
FOOD
557
20
DISC
795
AMC
510
21
TLC
775
DISC
506
22
CMDY
673
TVLD
456
23
CNN
672
SYFY
449
24
BRAV
624
CNN
429
25
TVLD
580
CMDY
406
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS Ranked on Households
Week Ending December 6
Rank
Program
Net
(000)
1
Patriots/Saints
ESPN
14872
2
Monk
USA
6276
3
iCarly Movie: I Quit iCarly
NICK
5338
4
Sportscenter
ESPN
4422
5
College Football-Thursday Night
ESPN
4150
6
White Collar
USA
3849
7
iCarly
NICK
3718
8
NCIS
USA
3573
9
President's Address/Analysis
FOXN
3561
10
NCIS
USA
3508
11
Monk
USA
3414
12
WWE Raw
USA
3252
13
iCarly Movie: I Quit iCarly
NICK
3192
14
iCarly
NICK
3180
15
Monday Night Countdown
ESPN
3151
16
Spongebob
NICK
3143
17
Presidential Address
FOXN
3141
18
The O'Reilly Factor
FOXN
3127
19
Sons Of Anarchy
FX
3096
20
WWE Raw
USA
3055
21
iCarly
NICK
3049
22
The Penguins Of
Madagascar
NICK
3040
23
iCarly Movie: I Quit iCarly
NICK
3031
24
Spongebob
NICK
3003
25
iCarly
NICK
2969
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS Adults 18-34
Week Ending December 6
Rank
PRIME TIME
TOTAL DAY
Net
(000)
Net
(000)
1
ESPN
1150
ADSM*
485
2
USA
623
ESPN
457
3
TBSC
571
NICK
359
4
FAM
542
NAN *
313
5
FX
542
TBSC
307
6
SPK
487
USA
281
7
AEN
389
FAM
268
8
MTV
357
TNT
256
9
CMDY
341
FX
248
10
TNT
341
SPK
238
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS Adults 18-34 Week Ending December 6
Rank
PROGRAM
NET
(000)
1
Patriots/Saints
ESPN
5393
2
The Ultimate Fighter
SPK
1783
3
Sportscenter
ESPN
1724
4
Sons Of Anarchy
FX
1573
5
College Football-Thursday Night
ESPN
1331
6
Family Guy
ADSM
1327
7
Family Guy
ADSM
1289
8
Family Guy
ADSM
1259
9
The Ultimate Fighter
SPK
1234
10
Family Guy
ADSM
1203
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS Adults 18-49 Week Ending December 6
Rank
PRIME TIME
TOTAL DAY
Net
(000)
Net
(000)
1
ESPN
2315
ESPN
852
2
USA
1368
ADSM*
665
3
FX
1146
TNT
631
4
FAM
1075
USA
627
5
TBSC
962
NICK
589
6
AEN
896
NAN *
572
7
TNT
867
TBSC
547
8
SPK
836
FX
516
9
AMC
675
FAM
503
10
SYFY
638
AEN
458
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS Adults 18-49
Week Ending December 6
Rank
PROGRAM
NET
(000)
1
Patriots/Saints
ESPN
11196
2
Sportscenter
ESPN
3369
3
Monk
USA
3198
4
Sons Of Anarchy
FX
2985
5
The Ultimate Fighter
SPK
2757
6
College Football-Thursday Night
ESPN
2562
7
Monday Night Countdown
ESPN
2293
8
WWE Raw
USA
2212
9
WWE Raw
USA
2121
10
White Collar
USA
2119
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS Adults 25-54
Week Ending December 6
PRIME TIME
TOTAL DAY
Rank
Net
(000)
Net
(000)
1
ESPN
2322
ESPN
783
2
USA
1404
TNT
652
3
FX
1099
USA
647
4
FAM
974
NAN *
518
5
AEN
957
TBSC
483
6
TNT
933
FX
477
7
TBSC
819
AEN
475
8
AMC
745
NICK
474
9
SPK
714
FAM
447
10
SYFY
687
ADSM*
445
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS Adults 25-54 Week Ending December 6
Rank
PROGRAM
NET
(000)
1
Patriots/Saints
ESPN
11249
2
Monk
USA
3739
3
Sportscenter
ESPN
3281
4
Sons Of Anarchy
FX
2767
5
College Football-Thursday Night
ESPN
2546
6
White Collar
USA
2254
7
Monday Night Countdown
ESPN
2220
8
The Ultimate Fighter
SPK
2196
9
WWE Entertainment
USA
2137
10
Steven Seagal: Lawman
AEN
2090
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
