or


[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]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· 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)




most recent ratings | view all posts
[09/25/26 - 10:35 AM]
ESPN Delivered Its Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Ever!
Across 29 games, the WNBA on ESPN networks averaged 1.37M viewers, up 17% year-over-year and ranking as ESPN networks' most-viewed WNBA regular season on record.

[09/24/26 - 12:25 PM]
ABC News Wins Across the Board in Late Night and Friday Night
"20/20" ranks as Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, drawing its largest audience in two months and growing year to year in all key measures.
[09/23/26 - 02:56 PM]
Giants-Rams Becomes ESPN's Most-Watched Week 2 "Monday Night Football" Game Ever with 19.4 Million Viewers
Through the first two weeks, "Monday Night Football" is averaging 21.4 million viewers, up 29% compared to the first two weeks of the 2025 season.
[09/23/26 - 11:01 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of September 14
"Reacher," "Neagley," "Sterling Point," "El Juicio," and "The Grand Tour" led all original series worldwide.
[09/22/26 - 03:08 PM]
Record-Breaking Week 3: ESPN/ABC Claim Every Saturday Window; "College GameDay" Continues Historic Start to the Season
ESPN networks delivered the top five most-watched games of Week 3 and accounted for two-thirds of all college football viewing.
[09/22/26 - 02:34 PM]
FOX's "America's Game of the Week" Scores Regular Season High 27,212,000 Viewers in Week 2
Said coverage was up +8% vs. last year's full season average of 25,269,000 viewers.
[09/22/26 - 02:17 PM]
Colts-Chiefs Overtime Thriller Is Most Watched Week 2 NBC "Sunday Night Football" Game Since 2015, Averaging 24.3 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock
The audience for Colts-Chiefs peaked at 27.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock in the second quarter (9:15-9:30 p.m. ET).
[09/22/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of September 14 - "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Again?" Holds No. 1 for a Second Week
"Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story" debuted at the top of the English TV list with 12.1 million views.
[09/22/26 - 12:00 PM]
"Dateline" Is the #1 Friday Newsmagazine in Both Key Demos for Second Consecutive Broadcast Season
The broadcast remains the #1 most-watched news magazine franchise and #1 most-watched true-crime franchise in total linear minutes watched for the season, with 151.2 million total viewers, up +4% vs. last season.

[09/21/26 - 07:02 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Season 35 "Two-Night Premiere: Night 2" Swings to 6.44 Million Total Viewers as the Ladies Take Their Turn in the Ballroom
"Dancing with the Stars" ranked as TV's No. 1 show in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 on both Tuesday and Wednesday across all entertainment programming.
[09/18/26 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Wins Late Night Across the Board
For the sixth week running, "Nightline" increased year to year in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54.
[09/18/26 - 12:58 PM]
Marking a Somber Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks, ABC News' 9/11 Special, Anchored by David Muir, Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer, Draws Over 4 Million Total Viewers
The special was also the No. 1 non-sports program of the night in Adults 25-54 (802,000) and Adults 18-49 (559,000).

[09/16/26 - 02:41 PM]
"Monday Night Football" Opens Super Bowl LXI Season with Record-Setting Audience; Broncos-Chiefs Becomes Most-Watched Week 1 Game of ESPN's "MNF" Era
The season opener between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs delivered an audience of 23.2 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL+.
[09/16/26 - 02:30 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Leaps Back Into the Ballroom as Tuesday's No. 1 Show, Delivering Nearly 7 Million Total Viewers - Scores Show's Biggest Season Premiere in 6 Years
Among Adults 18-49, the "Dancing with the Stars" season opener jumped +40% over last year's premiere, with the show's best premiere performance in the key Adult demographic in nine years.
[09/16/26 - 12:20 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of September 7
"Reacher," "The Grand Tour," "Sterling Point," "Off Campus," and "LOL Next" led all original series worldwide.