Premiere of 'Over There' Posts Big Ratings

SERIES PREMIERE OF OVER THERE POSTS BIG RATINGS

Series Opener Delivers 4.1 Million Total Viewers and 2.4 Million Adults 18-49 and Ranks in Top 10 for Highest Ever Basic Cable Series Premieres

Premiere at 10 PM and Encore Run at 11 PM Combined for a Two-Telecast Gross Audience of 5.8 Million Total Viewers and 3.4 Million Adults 18-49

Ranks #1 Among All Shows in Cable Wednesday, July 27

FX Airs Encore Runs of the Premiere Episode of Over There on Saturday at 10 PM, Sunday at 11 PM and Tuesday at 11 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2005 - Last night's (7/27, 10 PM) series premiere of Over There (TV-MA), FX's critically acclaimed Iraq war drama from Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo, delivered strong opening night ratings, posting a 3.2 household rating, 4.1 million total viewers and 2.4 million Adults 18-49. The 10 PM premiere telecast of Over There and its encore airing at 11 PM combined for a two-telecast gross audience of 5.8 million viewers and 3.4 million Adults 18-49.

Over There series premiere numbers place it in the top 10 among all basic cable series premieres in total viewers and Adults 18-49. Over There was the #1 ranked show on cable television on Wednesday in total viewers (4.1 million), Adults 18-49 (2.4 million), Adults 18-34 (1.2 million) and Adults 25-54 (2.3 million).

"This is a fantastic series premiere number and we're grateful to Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo for delivering an extraordinary show," said John Landgraf, FX Networks President and General Manager. "To have our fourth consecutive drama series launch so successfully is another big step in the growth of FX."

FX now has three of the top 10 most-watched series premieres in basic cable history and three of the top 10 premieres in delivery of Adults 18-49. The Shield remains FX's highest series premiere with 4.8 million viewers and 3.0 million Adults 18-49 (3/12/02). Last year's series premiere of the critically acclaimed drama Rescue Me delivered 4.1 million total viewers and 2.5 million Adults 18-49 (7/21/04). The Golden Globe(R) Award winning drama series Nip/Tuck, which was basic cable's #1 show of 2004 in Adults 18-49 (2.6 million A18-49 avg.), registered 3.7 million total viewers and 2.7 million Adults 18-49 for its series premiere (7/22/03).

Listed below are the 10 highest basic cable series premieres:

TOP 10 BASIC CABLE SERIES PREMIERES

Total Viewers Adults 18-49 1. The Closer, TNT 7.0 million 2. Dead Zone, USA 6.4 million 3. Peacemakers, USA 5.2 million 4. Monk, USA 4.9 million 5. The Shield, FX 4.8 million 6. Kojak, USA 4.5 million 7. Stargate Atlantis, Sci-Fi 4.2 million 8. Rescue Me, FX 4.1 million 8. Over There, FX 4.1 million 8. Anna Nicole Show, E! 4.1 million

Adults 18-49 1. Dead Zone, USA 4.0 million 2. The Shield, FX 3.0 million 3. The Osbournes, MTV 2.8 million 4. Anna Nicole Show, E! 2.7 million 5. Real Gilligan's Island, TBS 2.7 million 6. The Closer, TNT 2.6 million 7. Rescue Me, FX 2.5 million 8. Over There, FX 2.4 million 9. Monk, USA 2.2 million 10. Punk'd, MTV 2.1 million 10. Stargate Atlantis, Sci-Fi 2.1 million

In next Wednesday's second episode of Over There, "Roadblock Duty" (August 3, 10 PM ET/PT), U.S. forces clear out an Iraqi town to locate a stash of stolen stinger missiles and the fire team is assigned to guard a remote checkpoint to prevent any insurgents from escaping town. Emotions run high when Bo's (Josh Henderson) replacement Tariq (Omid Abtahi), an Arab-American, joins the unit. Especially skeptical of Tariq is Smoke (Kirk "Sticky" Jones), but he quickly earns the respect and support of Dim (Luke Macfarlane), Angel (Keith Robinson) and Sergeant Scream (Erik Palladino). Meanwhile, Bo is traumatized by his injury and his wife Terry (Sprague Grayden) arrives from the States to be by his side in the hospital. She grows terrified by his talk of returning to combat. (Episode written by Chris Gerolmo; Directed by Nelson McCormick)

Leading into next Wednesday's second episode is Ridley Scott's acclaimed movie Black Hawk Down beginning at 7 PM ET/PT. Last night's lead-in to Over There, the world premiere of the movie XXX (7:30 PM), posted a solid 1.9 household rating, 2.2 million viewers and 1.2 million Adults 18-49.

FX will air encore telecasts of the premiere episode of Over There this Saturday (7/30) at 10 PM, Sunday (7/31) at 11 PM, and Tuesday (8/2) at 11 PM ET/PT immediately following an all new episode of Rescue Me.

Over There centers on the members of a U.S. Army Unit sent to Iraq for their first tour of duty, exploring the effects of war on soldiers on the front lines and their families back home. Avoiding the politics of the war, the series focuses on the physical, emotional and cultural challenges the soldiers face on a daily basis. It is the first scripted television series set in a current, ongoing war involving the United States.

Over There features and ensemble cast including Josh Henderson as Bo; Luke Macfarlane as Dim; Erik Palladino as Sergeant Scream; Keith Robinson as Angel; Kirk "Sticky" Jones as Smoke; Omid Abtahi as Tariq; Lizette Carrion as Doublewide; Nicki Aycox as Mrs. B; Sprague Grayden as Terry; Brigid Brannagh as Vanessa Dumphy; Lombardo Boyar as Sergio del Rio; and Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak as Eddy.

Over There is produced by Steven Bochco Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television. The series was created by Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo who serve as Executive Producers.

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network of the Fox Networks Group. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 87 million homes. The diverse schedule includes a growing roster of distinctive original series and movies, an established film library with box-office hits from 20th Century Fox and other major studios, an impressive roster of acquired hit series and NASCAR.

SOURCE: Nielsen Media Research, Coverage Area Rating (1/1/95-7/27/05), Basic Cable Networks, Excludes Children's Programming, Live Sports and Limited/Miniseries (Six Episodes or Fewer)