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[04/07/11 - 11:04 AM]
Q1 2011 Cable Ratings Recap: "The Game," "Tosh.0" & "Spartacus" See Largest Growth Among Scripted Series
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

Please note: As a courtesy, please do not reproduce these comments to newsgroups, forums or other online places. Links only please.

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The first quarter of 2011 wrapped with mixed results for cable's scripted offerings.

While shows like BET's "The Game" and Comedy Central's "Tosh.0" more than doubled their previous season's audience, four others - USA's "Royal Pains," HBO's "Big Love," TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" and Showtime's "Californication" - saw significant declines in both total viewers and adults 18-49.

Here's a breakdown of how the 16 returning series fared this past quarter*:

CHANGE IN TOTAL VIEWERS

+167.08% - The Game
(4.527 million; BET, 1/11/11-3/29/11 vs. The CW, 10/3/08-1/23/09)

+115.18% - Tosh.0
(3.204 million; Comedy, 1/11/11-3/15/11 vs. 1/13/10-3/10/10)

+58.18% - Spartacus
(1.286 million; Starz, 1/21/11-2/25/11 vs. 1/22/10-2/26/10)

+29.17% - Army Wives
(3.914 million; Lifetime, 3/6/11-4/3/11 vs. 4/11/10-5/9/10)

+20.87% - Pretty Little Liars
(3.116 million; ABC Family, 1/3/11-3/21/11 vs. 6/8/10-8/10/10)

+16.12% - Merlin
(1.462 million; Syfy, 1/7/11-4/1/11 vs. 4/2/10-6/25/10)

+14.62% - Archer
(1.113 million; FX, 1/27/11-3/31/11 vs. 1/14/10-3/18/10)

+3.69% - Greek
(0.956 million; ABC Family, 1/3/11-3/7/11 vs. 1/25/10-3/29/10)

-1.02% - Justified
(2.632 million; FX, 2/9/11-3/30/11 vs. 3/16/10-5/4/10)

-6.88% - Southland
(1.991 million; TNT, 1/4/11-3/8/11 vs. 3/2/10-4/6/10)

-6.88% - White Collar
(3.572 million; USA, 1/18/11-3/8/11 vs. 1/19/10-3/9/10)

-25.38% - Royal Pains
(4.075 million; USA, 1/20/11-2/24/11 vs. 6/3/10-7/15/10)

-29.02% - Big Love
(1.152 million; HBO, 1/16/11-3/20/11 vs. 1/10/10-3/7/10)

-34.03% - Hot in Cleveland
(2.059 million; TV Land, 1/19/11-3/23/11 vs. 6/16/10-8/18/10)

-34.46% - Californication
(0.542 million; Showtime, 1/9/11-3/27/11 vs. 9/27/09-12/13/09)

-37.25% - Stargate Universe
(0.913 million; Syfy, 3/7/11-3/28/11 vs. 4/2/10-4/23/10)

CHANGE IN ADULTS 18-49

+214.29% - The Game
(2.2 rating; BET, 1/11/11-3/29/11 vs. The CW, 10/3/08-1/23/09)

+137.50% - Tosh.0
(1.9 rating; Comedy, 1/11/11-3/15/11 vs. 1/13/10-3/10/10)

+50.00% - Spartacus
(0.6 rating; Starz, 1/21/11-2/25/11 vs. 1/22/10-2/26/10)

+30.00% - Army Wives
(1.3 rating; Lifetime, 3/6/11-4/3/11 vs. 4/11/10-5/9/10)

+22.22% - Pretty Little Liars
(1.1 rating; ABC Family, 1/3/11-3/21/11 vs. 6/8/10-8/10/10)

+20.00% - Archer
(0.6 rating; FX, 1/27/11-3/31/11 vs. 1/14/10-3/18/10)

no change - Merlin
(0.4 rating; Syfy, 1/7/11-4/1/11 vs. 4/2/10-6/25/10)

no change - Greek
(0.4 rating; ABC Family, 1/3/11-3/7/11 vs. 1/25/10-3/29/10)

no change - Stargate Universe
(0.5 rating; Syfy, 3/7/11-3/28/11 vs. 4/2/10-4/23/10)

-7.69% - White Collar
(1.2 rating; USA, 1/18/11-3/8/11 vs. 1/19/10-3/9/10)

-10.00% - Justified
(0.9 rating; FX, 2/9/11-3/30/11 vs. 3/16/10-5/4/10)

-12.50% - Southland
(0.7 rating; TNT, 1/4/11-3/8/11 vs. 3/2/10-4/6/10)

-35.29% - Royal Pains
(1.1 rating; USA, 1/20/11-2/24/11 vs. 6/3/10-7/15/10)

-37.50% - Big Love
(0.5 rating; HBO, 1/16/11-3/20/11 vs. 1/10/10-3/7/10)

-37.50% - Hot in Cleveland
(0.5 rating; TV Land, 1/19/11-3/23/11 vs. 6/16/10-8/18/10)

-50.00% - Californication
(0.2 rating; Showtime, 1/9/11-3/27/11 vs. 9/27/09-12/13/09)

Please note: As a courtesy, please do not reproduce these comments to newsgroups, forums or other online places. Links only please.

Meanwhile, on the newcomer front USA's "Fairly Legal" led the scripted pack in total viewers while BET's "Let's Stay Together" was the top demo draw*:

TOTAL VIEWERS

3.554 million - Fairly Legal
(USA, 1/20/11-3/24/11)

2.526 million - Let's Stay Together
(BET, 1/18/11-3/29/11)

2.241 million - Breakout Kings
(A&E, 3/6/11-4/3/11)

1.477 million - Being Human
(Syfy, 1/17/11-3/28/11)

1.395 million - Skins
(MTV, 1/17/11-3/21/11)

1.360 million - Retired at 35
(TV Land, 1/19/11-3/23/11)

1.240 million - Onion SportsDome
(Comedy, 1/11/11-2/15/11)

1.029 million - Shameless
(Showtime, 1/9/11-3/27/11)

0.828 million - Lights Out
(FX, 1/11/11-3/29/11)

0.508 million - Episodes
(Showtime, 1/9/11-2/20/11)

ADULTS 18-49

1.2 rating - Let's Stay Together
(BET, 1/18/11-3/29/11)

0.9 rating - Fairly Legal
(USA, 1/20/11-3/24/11)

0.9 rating - Breakout Kings
(A&E, 3/6/11-4/3/11)

0.7 rating - Onion SportsDome
(Comedy, 1/11/11-2/15/11)

0.6 rating - Being Human
(Syfy, 1/17/11-3/28/11)

0.6 rating - Skins
(MTV, 1/17/11-3/21/11)

0.5 rating - Shameless
(Showtime, 1/9/11-3/27/11)

0.4 rating - Lights Out
(FX, 1/11/11-3/29/11)

0.3 rating - Retired at 35
(TV Land, 1/19/11-3/23/11)

0.2 rating - Episodes
(Showtime, 1/9/11-2/20/11)

* Source: Nielsen Media Research, 1/2/11-4/3/11; excludes Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, E! & Nickelodeon as their complete data was not available. Comparisons, if possible, made with the same number of episodes aired from previous season or year-to-year period.





  [april 2011]  
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T
W
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F
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· ARCHER (FXX)
· ARMY WIVES (LIFETIME)
· BEING HUMAN (SYFY)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BREAKOUT KINGS (A AND E)
· CALIFORNICATION (SHOWTIME)
· EPISODES (SHOWTIME)
· FAIRLY LEGAL (USA)
· FUTON'S RATINGS SURVIVAL GUIDES (TFC)
· GAME, THE (BET)
· GREEK (ABC FAMILY)
· HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV LAND)
· JUSTIFIED (FX)
· LET'S STAY TOGETHER (BET)
· LIGHTS OUT (FX)
· MERLIN (SYFY)
· ONION SPORTSDOME (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (FREEFORM)
· RETIRED AT 35 (TV LAND)
· ROYAL PAINS (USA)
· SHAMELESS (SHOWTIME)
· SKINS (MTV)
· SOUTHLAND (TNT)
· SPARTACUS (STARZ)
· STARGATE UNIVERSE (SYFY)
· TOSH.0 (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· WHITE COLLAR (USA)




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