or


[01/05/12 - 09:00 AM]
2011 Ratings Recap: Cable's Scripted Dramas - What's Up? What's Down? What's on Top?
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) -- 67 scripted dramas made their way to the cable networks in 2011, many of which delivered broadcast-like numbers. So which were the cream of the crop in 2011? Which are tending up? We've broken out our electronic abacus to find out.

SEASON AVERAGE RANKED BY TOTAL VIEWERS (IN MILLIONS)
1. 6.636 - The Closer S7.1 (TNT)
2. 6.453 - The Walking Dead S2.1 (AMC)
3. 6.377 - Rizzoli & Isles S2.1 (TNT)
4. 5.504 - The Closer S7.2 (TNT)
5. 5.181 - Royal Pains S3.1 (USA)
6. 4.971 - True Blood S4 (HBO)
7. 4.932 - Rizzoli & Isles S2.2 (TNT)
8. 4.901 - Burn Notice S5.1 (USA)
9. 4.787 - Falling Skies S1 (TNT)
10. 4.384 - Covert Affairs S2.1 (USA)
11. 4.183 - Necessary Roughness S1 (USA)
12. 4.161 - Suits S1 (USA)
13. 4.075 - Royal Pains S2.2 (USA)
14. 3.912 - White Collar S3.1 (USA)
15. 3.870 - Sons of Anarchy S4 (FX)
16. 3.808 - Law & Order: Criminal Intent S10 (USA)
17. 3.615 - Army Wives S5 (Lifetime)
18. 3.572 - White Collar S2.2 (USA)
19. 3.554 - Fairly Legal S1 (USA)
20. 3.505 - In Plain Sight S4 (USA)
21. 3.288 - Leverage S4.1 (TNT)
22. 3.160 - Hell on Wheels S1.1 (AMC)
23. 3.116 - Pretty Little Liars S1.2 (ABC Family)
24. 3.064 - Memphis Beat S2 (TNT)
25. 2.847 - Psych S6.1 (USA)
26. 2.821 - American Horror Story S1 (FX)
27. 2.780 - Burn Notice S5.2 (USA)
28. 2.757 - Switched at Birth S1.1 (ABC Family)
29. 2.731 - Boardwalk Empire S2 (HBO)
30. 2.724 - Covert Affairs S2.2 (USA)
31. 2.649 - Justified S2 (FX)
32. 2.642 - Pretty Little Liars S2.1 (ABC Family)
33. 2.639 - Franklin & Bash S1 (TNT)
34. 2.598 - The Glades S2 (A&E)
35. 2.568 - Secret Life of the American Teenager S4.1 (ABC Family)
36. 2.515 - Game of Thrones S1 (HBO)
37. 2.508 - Hawthorne S3 (TNT)
38. 2.431 - Secret Life of the American Teenager S3.2 (ABC Family)
39. 2.264 - Drop Dead Diva S3 (Lifetime)
40. 2.166 - The Killing S1 (AMC)
41. 2.133 - Warehouse 13 S3 (Syfy)
42. 2.052 - Eureka S4.2 (Syfy)
43. 1.991 - Southland S3 (TNT)
44. 1.971 - Leverage S4.2 (TNT)
45. 1.919 - Dexter S6 (Showtime)
46. 1.890 - Breakout Kings S1 (A&E)
47. 1.867 - Breaking Bad S4 (AMC)
48. 1.846 - Haven S2 (Syfy)
49. 1.845 - Alphas S1 (Syfy)
50. 1.828 - Single Ladies S1 (VH1)
51. 1.695 - Teen Wolf S1* (MTV)
52. 1.639 - Make It or Break It S2.2 (ABC Family)
53. 1.636 - Against the Wall S1 (Lifetime)
54. 1.586 - Men of a Certain Age S2.2 (TNT)
55. 1.493 - Merlin S3 (Syfy)
56. 1.489 - Being Human S1 (Syfy)
57. 1.461 - Rescue Me S7 (FX)
58. 1.452 - TNT Mystery Movie Night S1 (TNT)
59. 1.395 - Skins S1 (MTV)
60. 1.369 - The Protector S1* (Lifetime)
61. 1.336 - Nine Lives of Chloe King S1 (ABC Family)
62. 1.286 - Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Starz)
63. 1.279 - The Lying Game S1.1 (ABC Family)
64. 1.262 - Sanctuary S4 (Syfy)
65. 1.252 - Homeland S1 (Showtime)
66. 1.152 - Big Love S5 (HBO)
67. 1.107 - Glory Daze S1.2 (TBS)
68. 1.029 - Shameless S1 (Showtime)
69. 0.997 - Sanctuary S3.2 (Syfy)
70. 0.958 - Stargate Universe S2.2 (Syfy)
71. 0.956 - Greek S4 (ABC Family)
72. 0.940 - Camelot S1** (Starz)
73. 0.838 - The Borgias S1 (Showtime)
74. 0.813 - Lights Out S1 (FX)
75. 0.639 - Torchwood: Miracle Day** (Starz)
76. 0.574 - Treme S2 (HBO)
77. 0.456 - Boss S1** (Starz)

SEASON AVERAGE RANKED BY ADULTS 18-49 RATING
1. 3.4 - The Walking Dead S2.1 (AMC)
2. 2.7 - True Blood S4 (HBO)
3. 2.0 - Sons of Anarchy S4 (FX)
T4. 1.6 - American Horror Story S1 (FX)
T4. 1.6 - Falling Skies S1 (TNT)
6. 1.5 - Royal Pains S3.1 (USA)
7. 1.4 - Burn Notice S5.1 (USA)
8. 1.3 - Suits S1 (USA)
T9. 1.2 - Army Wives S5 (Lifetime)
T9. 1.2 - Covert Affairs S2.1 (USA)
T9. 1.2 - Necessary Roughness S1 (USA)
T9. 1.2 - Rizzoli & Isles S2.1 (TNT)
T9. 1.2 - The Closer S7.1 (TNT)
T9. 1.2 - White Collar S2.2 (USA)
T9. 1.2 - White Collar S3.1 (USA)
T16. 1.1 - Boardwalk Empire S2 (HBO)
T16. 1.1 - Game of Thrones S1 (HBO)
T16. 1.1 - Hell on Wheels S1.1 (AMC)
T16. 1.1 - Pretty Little Liars S1.2 (ABC Family)
T16. 1.1 - Royal Pains S2.2 (USA)
T16. 1.1 - Secret Life of the American Teenager S4.1 (ABC Family)
T16. 1.1 - Switched at Birth S1.1 (ABC Family)
T23. 1.0 - Burn Notice S5.2 (USA)
T23. 1.0 - Law & Order: Criminal Intent S10 (USA)
T23. 1.0 - Pretty Little Liars S2.1 (ABC Family)
T23. 1.0 - Psych S6.1 (USA)
T23. 1.0 - Secret Life of the American Teenager S3.2 (ABC Family)
T23. 1.0 - Single Ladies S1 (VH1)
T23. 1.0 - The Closer S7.2 (TNT)
T30. 0.9 - Covert Affairs S2.2 (USA)
T30. 0.9 - Dexter S6 (Showtime)
T30. 0.9 - Fairly Legal S1 (USA)
T30. 0.9 - Franklin & Bash S1 (TNT)
T30. 0.9 - In Plain Sight S4 (USA)
T30. 0.9 - Justified S2 (FX)
T30. 0.9 - Leverage S4.1 (TNT)
T30. 0.9 - Rizzoli & Isles S2.2 (TNT)
T38. 0.8 - Breaking Bad S4 (AMC)
T38. 0.8 - Breakout Kings S1 (A&E)
T38. 0.8 - Warehouse 13 S3 (Syfy)
T41. 0.7 - Alphas S1 (Syfy)
T41. 0.7 - Drop Dead Diva S3 (Lifetime)
T41. 0.7 - Eureka S4.2 (Syfy)
T41. 0.7 - Hawthorne S3 (TNT)
T41. 0.7 - Memphis Beat S2 (TNT)
T41. 0.7 - Southland S3 (TNT)
T41. 0.7 - Teen Wolf S1* (MTV)
T41. 0.7 - The Glades S2 (A&E)
T49. 0.6 - Being Human S1 (Syfy)
T49. 0.6 - Glory Daze S1.2 (TBS)
T49. 0.6 - Leverage S4.2 (TNT)
T49. 0.6 - Make It or Break It S2.2 (ABC Family)
T49. 0.6 - Rescue Me S7 (FX)
T49. 0.6 - Skins S1 (MTV)
T49. 0.6 - Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Starz)
T49. 0.6 - The Killing S1 (AMC)
T57. 0.5 - Against the Wall S1 (Lifetime)
T57. 0.5 - Big Love S5 (HBO)
T57. 0.5 - Haven S2 (Syfy)
T57. 0.5 - Homeland S1 (Showtime)
T57. 0.5 - Shameless S1 (Showtime)
T57. 0.5 - The Lying Game S1.1 (ABC Family)
T63. 0.4 - Camelot S1** (Starz)
T63. 0.4 - Greek S4 (ABC Family)
T63. 0.4 - Lights Out S1 (FX)
T63. 0.4 - Men of a Certain Age S2.2 (TNT)
T63. 0.4 - Merlin S3 (Syfy)
T63. 0.4 - Nine Lives of Chloe King S1 (ABC Family)
T63. 0.4 - Sanctuary S4 (Syfy)
T63. 0.4 - Stargate Universe S2.2 (Syfy)
T63. 0.4 - The Protector S1* (Lifetime)
T72. 0.3 - Sanctuary S3.2 (Syfy)
T72. 0.3 - TNT Mystery Movie Night S1 (TNT)
T72. 0.3 - Torchwood: Miracle Day** (Starz)
T75. 0.2 - The Borgias S1 (Showtime)
T75. 0.2 - Treme S2 (HBO)
77. 0.1 - Boss S1** (Starz)

RANKED BY % CHANGE IN TOTAL VIEWERS FROM 2010
1. 31.22% - Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Starz, vs. Blood and Sand S1)
2. 24.98% - Law & Order: Criminal Intent S10 (USA, vs. S9)
3. 23.24% - The Walking Dead S2.1 (AMC, vs. S1)
4. 23.07% - Breaking Bad S4 (AMC, vs. S3)
5. 19.74% - Sons of Anarchy S4 (FX, vs. S3)
6. 16.91% - Merlin S3 (Syfy, vs. S2)
7. 11.44% - Army Wives S5 (Lifetime, vs. S4)
8. 9.60% - Justified S2 (FX, vs. S1)
9. 9.19% - Rescue Me S7 (FX, vs. S6)
10. 3.69% - Greek S4 (ABC Family, vs. S3.2)
11. 2.48% - Pretty Little Liars S2.1 (ABC Family, vs. S1.1)
12. 2.04% - In Plain Sight S4 (USA, vs. S3)
13. 0.02% - True Blood S4 (HBO, vs. S3)
14. -0.16% - Haven S2 (Syfy, vs. S1)
15. -1.29% - Leverage S4.1 (TNT, vs. S3.1)
16. -1.66% - Psych S6.1 (USA, vs. S5.2)
17. -3.76% - Dexter S6 (Showtime, vs. S5)
18. -4.90% - Royal Pains S3.1 (USA, vs. S2.1)
19. -5.05% - The Closer S7.2 (TNT, vs. S6.2)
20. -6.88% - Southland S3 (TNT, vs. S2)
21. -6.88% - White Collar S2.2 (USA, vs. S1.2)
22. -7.39% - Rizzoli & Isles S2.1 (TNT, vs. S1)
23. -8.01% - The Closer S7.1 (TNT, vs. S6.1)
24. -8.08% - White Collar S3.1 (USA, vs. S2.1)
25. -10.74% - Secret Life of the American Teenager S4.1 (ABC Family, vs. S3.1)
26. -11.86% - Eureka S4.2 (Syfy, vs. S4.1)
27. -12.62% - Drop Dead Diva S3 (Lifetime, vs. S2)
28. -13.40% - Warehouse 13 S3 (Syfy, vs. S2)
29. -13.44% - Sanctuary S4 (Syfy, vs. S3.1)
30. -13.62% - Burn Notice S5.1 (USA, vs. S4.1)
31. -13.74% - Boardwalk Empire S2 (HBO, vs. S1)
32. -15.51% - Covert Affairs S2.1 (USA, vs. S1)
33. -15.59% - Memphis Beat S2 (TNT, vs. S1)
34. -15.65% - The Glades S2 (A&E, vs. S1)
35. -17.98% - Leverage S4.2 (TNT, vs. S3.2)
36. -18.83% - Hawthorne S3 (TNT, vs. S2)
37. -23.75% - Secret Life of the American Teenager S3.2 (ABC Family, vs. S2.2)
38. -26.13% - Treme S2 (HBO, vs. S1)
39. -27.99% - Make It or Break It S2.2 (ABC Family, vs. S1.2)
40. -29.02% - Big Love S5 (HBO, vs. S4)
41. -33.70% - Stargate Universe S2.2 (Syfy, vs. S1.2)
42. -35.20% - Burn Notice S5.2 (USA, vs. S4.2)
43. -37.73% - Men of a Certain Age S2.2 (TNT, vs. S1)

RANKED BY % CHANGE IN ADULTS 18-49 RATING FROM 2010
1. 50.00% - Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Starz, vs. Blood and Sand S1)
2. 25.93% - The Walking Dead S2.1 (AMC, vs. S1)
3. 20.00% - Army Wives S5 (Lifetime, vs. S4)
4. 17.65% - Sons of Anarchy S4 (FX, vs. S3)
5. 14.29% - Breaking Bad S4 (AMC, vs. S3)
6. 12.50% - In Plain Sight S4 (USA, vs. S3)
7. 11.11% - Law & Order: Criminal Intent S10 (USA, vs. S9)
8. 11.11% - Pretty Little Liars S2.1 (ABC Family, vs. S1.1)
9. 0.00% - Dexter S6 (Showtime, vs. S5)
10. 0.00% - Eureka S4.2 (Syfy, vs. S4.1)
11. 0.00% - Greek S4 (ABC Family, vs. S3.2)
12. 0.00% - Haven S2 (Syfy, vs. S1)
13. 0.00% - Justified S2 (FX, vs. S1)
14. 0.00% - Leverage S4.2 (TNT, vs. S3.2)
15. 0.00% - Merlin S3 (Syfy, vs. S2)
16. 0.00% - Psych S6.1 (USA, vs. S5.2)
17. 0.00% - Sanctuary S4 (Syfy, vs. S3.1)
18. 0.00% - The Closer S7.2 (TNT, vs. S6.2)
19. 0.00% - Warehouse 13 S3 (Syfy, vs. S2)
20. -6.25% - Royal Pains S3.1 (USA, vs. S2.1)
21. -6.90% - True Blood S4 (HBO, vs. S3)
22. -7.69% - White Collar S2.2 (USA, vs. S1.2)
23. -7.69% - White Collar S3.1 (USA, vs. S2.1)
24. -8.33% - Secret Life of the American Teenager S4.1 (ABC Family, vs. S3.1)
25. -9.09% - Secret Life of the American Teenager S3.2 (ABC Family, vs. S2.2)
26. -10.00% - Leverage S4.1 (TNT, vs. S3.1)
27. -12.50% - Drop Dead Diva S3 (Lifetime, vs. S2)
28. -12.50% - Memphis Beat S2 (TNT, vs. S1)
29. -12.50% - Southland S3 (TNT, vs. S2)
30. -12.50% - The Glades S2 (A&E, vs. S1)
31. -14.29% - Make It or Break It S2.2 (ABC Family, vs. S1.2)
32. -14.29% - Rescue Me S7 (FX, vs. S6)
33. -14.29% - The Closer S7.1 (TNT, vs. S6.1)
34. -15.38% - Boardwalk Empire S2 (HBO, vs. S1)
35. -17.65% - Burn Notice S5.1 (USA, vs. S4.1)
36. -20.00% - Rizzoli & Isles S2.1 (TNT, vs. S1)
37. -20.00% - Stargate Universe S2.2 (Syfy, vs. S1.2)
38. -22.22% - Hawthorne S3 (TNT, vs. S2)
39. -25.00% - Covert Affairs S2.1 (USA, vs. S1)
40. -33.33% - Burn Notice S5.2 (USA, vs. S4.2)
41. -33.33% - Treme S2 (HBO, vs. S1)
42. -37.50% - Big Love S5 (HBO, vs. S4)
43. -50.00% - Men of a Certain Age S2.2 (TNT, vs. S1)

* regular prime airings only

** denotes not all episode data was available

Source: Nielsen Media Research, Live+SD (original airings from 1/1/11-12/31/11, seasons that are split are listed separately)





  [january 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· AGAINST THE WALL (LIFETIME)
· ALPHAS (SYFY)
· AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
· ARMY WIVES (LIFETIME)
· BEING HUMAN (SYFY)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
· BORGIAS, THE (SHOWTIME)
· BOSS (STARZ)
· BREAKING BAD (AMC)
· BREAKOUT KINGS (A AND E)
· BURN NOTICE (USA)
· CAMELOT (STARZ)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· COVERT AFFAIRS (USA)
· DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
· DROP DEAD DIVA (LIFETIME)
· EUREKA (SYFY)
· FAIRLY LEGAL (USA)
· FALLING SKIES (TNT)
· FRANKLIN & BASH (TNT)
· FUTON'S RATINGS SURVIVAL GUIDES (TFC)
· GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
· GLADES, THE (A AND E)
· GLORY DAZE (TBS)
· GREEK (ABC FAMILY)
· HAVEN (SYFY)
· HAWTHORNE (TNT)
· HELL ON WHEELS (AMC)
· HOMELAND (SHOWTIME)
· IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA)
· JUSTIFIED (FX)
· KILLING, THE (NETFLIX)
· LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (USA)
· LEVERAGE (TNT)
· LIGHTS OUT (FX)
· LYING GAME, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· MAKE IT OR BREAK IT (ABC FAMILY)
· MEMPHIS BEAT (TNT)
· MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE (TNT)
· MERLIN (SYFY)
· NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (USA)
· NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (FREEFORM)
· PROTECTOR, THE (LIFETIME)
· PSYCH (USA)
· RESCUE ME (FX)
· RIZZOLI & ISLES (TNT)
· ROYAL PAINS (USA)
· SANCTUARY (SYFY)
· SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· SHAMELESS (SHOWTIME)
· SINGLE LADIES (CENTRIC)
· SKINS (MTV)
· SONS OF ANARCHY (FX)
· SOUTHLAND (TNT)
· SPARTACUS (STARZ)
· STARGATE UNIVERSE (SYFY)
· SUITS (USA)
· SWITCHED AT BIRTH (FREEFORM)
· TEEN WOLF (MTV)
· TORCHWOOD (STARZ)
· TREME (HBO)
· TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
· WALKING DEAD, THE (AMC)
· WAREHOUSE 13 (SYFY)
· WHITE COLLAR (USA)




most recent ratings | view all posts
[10/06/25 - 10:04 AM]
ESPN Sets Multiple MLB Wild Card Series Viewership Records
ESPN networks averaged 4,625,000 viewers across 11 games, making it the most-watched Wild Card Series ever under the current format.

[10/03/25 - 02:46 PM]
With Largest Viewership in 7 Years, "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Demos for Season Premiere
"Nightline" drew its largest overall audience in nearly 2 years and delivered its strongest Adult 25-54 performance in 20 months.
[10/03/25 - 02:45 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's No. 1 Newsmagazine in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49
"20/20" opened its new season with its strongest performance in Total Viewers (2.752 million) and Adults 25-54 (386,000) in over 3 months.
[10/03/25 - 02:17 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting '25 MLB Wild Card Series
Across eight games, the MLB Wild Card Series is averaging 4.4 million viewers, up 65% from last year.
[10/03/25 - 12:07 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues to Shatter Records - Growing Two Weeks in a Row Since Season Premiere for First Time Since 2005
Plus: "High Potential" hit a season high in Total Viewers (4.24 million), growing by double digits over the show's comparable third episode from last fall.
[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.
[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.
[10/02/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" Season Premieres Hit Their Largest 3-Day Streaming Viewerships Ever
The "Survivor" season 49 premiere grew to 6.83 million viewers with three days of multiplatform viewership; while "The Amazing Race" season 38 premiere grew to 4.01 million viewers.
[10/02/25 - 09:38 AM]
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" Scores on Friday Nights with Biggest Total Viewer Audience in Nearly Two Years
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" stood as the No. 1 program of the night, rising by double digits in Total Viewers over its previous season premiere.
[10/01/25 - 10:27 AM]
"Big Brother" Season Finale Is Most-Watched Episode in Over Three Years
The finale was up +33% from its year ago finale and up +33% from this season's average.
[09/30/25 - 03:44 PM]
ESPN and ABC Win College Football's Week 5; "College GameDay's" Most-Viewed Season Rolls On
ABC is off to its best start ever with 7.1 million average viewers per game, and the network has aired eight of the top 10 most-viewed games this season.
[09/30/25 - 02:08 PM]
Packers-Cowboys OT Thriller Averages 26.9 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock, As NBC Sports Opens with Best Four-Week Audience Average in 20 Seasons of NBC "SNF"
The audience peaked at 29.9 million viewers in the second quarter (9-9:15 p.m. ET).
[09/30/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of September 22: "Wayward" Lures Viewers at No. 1, "KPop Demon Hunters" Sets Top 10 Record
New on Netflix this week is "House of Guinness," a historical drama series created by Steven Knight, which debuted at No. 3 on the English TV list with 5.2 million views.
[09/30/25 - 10:24 AM]
"High Potential" Season Premiere Vaults to Nearly 16 Million in First Week Across Platforms
This marks ABC's best season premiere for a drama among Total Viewers in five years.
[09/29/25 - 06:06 AM]
ESPN's 2025 MLB Game Viewership Up 21 Percent from Last Year
Coverage delivered 1.8 million viewers on average across 30 games this season.