or


[01/17/12 - 12:47 PM]
"Hell on Wheels" Reigns as AMC's Second Highest Rated Original Series
AMC spins the numbers for Sunday, January 15.

[via press release from AMC]

"HELL ON WHEELS" REIGNS AS AMC'S SECOND HIGHEST RATED ORIGINAL SERIES

SEASON FINALE DELIVERS 3.8 MILLION VIEWERS

SEASON ONE AVERAGES 3 MILLION VIEWERS

1.3 MILLION ADULTS 18-49

1.4 MILLION ADULTS 25-54

New York, NY - January 17, 2012 - AMC's season finale of "Hell on Wheels," which premiered on Sunday, January 15th at 10 pm EST, delivered a 2.2 HH rating and attracted 2.8 million viewers. The premiere and encore combined delivered 3.8 million viewers (10 pm EST premiere and 11 pm EST encore). Season one averaged 3 million viewers and attracted 1.3 million adults 18-49 and 1.4 million adults 25-54. "Hell on Wheels" finishes as the second highest rated series on AMC following the success of "The Walking Dead." AMC greenlit a second season of "Hell on Wheels" in December.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live+SD 11/6/11-1/15/12.

"The writers, producers, cast and crew of 'Hell on Wheels' have created a multi-layered and complex period drama. It delivers on its Western origins, but adds another level of storytelling that is really about how this nation came to be what it is today. We congratulate our partners and the incredible creative team on ending a terrific season with such momentum. Work on the railroad continues with season two returning to AMC in the fall," said Charlie Collier, AMC's president.

"Hell on Wheels" tells the epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a Confederate soldier (Anson Mount) who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife. His journey takes him west to 'Hell on Wheels,' a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time. It examines the railroad's institutionalized greed and corruption, the immigrant experience, and the plight of the newly emancipated African-Americans during reconstruction. Over time, "Hell on Wheels" chronicles this potent turning point in our nation's history, and how uncivilized the business of civilization can be.

"Hell on Wheels" stars Anson Mount (City by the Sea, Cook County) as Cullen Bohannon, a former soldier hell bent on avenging his wife's death; Colm Meaney (Get Him to the Greek) as Thomas "Doc" Durant, a greedy entrepreneur taking full advantage of the changing times; musician/actor Common (Just Wright, Date Night) as Elam Ferguson, an emancipated slave working to achieve true freedom in a world entrenched in prejudice; Dominique McElligott ("The Philanthropist") as Lily Bell, a newly widowed woman trying to survive in a man's world; Tom Noonan ("Heat") as Reverend Cole; Ben Esler ("The Pacific") as Sean McGinnes and Philip Burke ("Law & Order," "Mercy") as Mickey McGinnes, two young brothers looking to find their fortune in the new West; and Eddie Spears ("Into the West") as Joseph Black Moon, a Native American man torn between his culture and the changing world around him.

Shot on location in Alberta, Canada, the series is produced with assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Film Development Program.

"Hell on Wheels" is created and written by Joe and Tony Gayton (Faster/Uncommon Valor/Salton Sea/Bulletproof), who also serve as executive producers. John Shiban ("The X-Files," "Breaking Bad"), Jeremy Gold, Endemol's SVP of scripted programming and David Von Ancken, who also directed the pilot, serve as executive producers. The series is executive produced by Endemol USA with Entertainment One (eOne) serving as the studio. eOne's Television CEO John Morayniss and EVP of television series Michael Rosenberg oversee production in partnership with co-producers Mike Frislev and Chad Oakes at Nomadic Pictures.

AMC's Joel Stillerman, SVP of original programming, production and digital content, Susie Fitzgerald, AMC's SVP of scripted programming and Jason Fisher, SVP of production oversee development and production for "Hell on Wheels."

"Hell on Wheels" has already been described by InTouch as "Unforgiven meets Glory in this grimy post-Civil War Western series." The New York Daily News said, "AMC rolls out another winner with 'Hell on Wheels'... 4 Stars." The Washington Post calls it, "hands down the most intriguing show in the fall slate." USA Today says, "the show aims for "hellish" and it achieves it" and The Wall Street Journal says "railroads may not seem sexy, but this series brings a 'There Will Be Blood' aesthetic to episodic TV."

About AMC

AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe(R) Award for Best Television Series - Drama for three consecutive years. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC's original stories include "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "The Walking Dead," "The Killing" and "Hell on Wheels." AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with its slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC's Can't Get Enough and AMC's Crazy About. Available in more than 97 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Story Matters HereSM.





  [january 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· HELL ON WHEELS (AMC)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[11/05/26 - 09:30 AM]
"Yaga" Is the #1 Exclusive Series Launch in the History of AMC+
The series also charted as the #1 social drama across all U.S. TV and streaming on its premiere day.

[11/04/26 - 03:37 PM]
Bears-Seahawks Draws 16.4M Viewers, Becomes Most-Watched ESPN-Only "Monday Night Football" Game Since 2019
Bears-Seahawks is also "Monday Night Football's" third most-watched Week 8 game of the ESPN era (2006-present).

[11/04/26 - 12:31 PM]
"Saturday Night Live" Hits Season High with Host Inde Navarrette and Musical Guest Gracie Abrams
It was also the top Peacock performance of the season and best since March 14, 2026, with host and musical guest Harry Styles.

[11/04/26 - 11:01 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of October 26
"The Terminal List," "Carrie," "Reacher," "Neagley," and "Helluva Boss" led all original series worldwide.

[11/03/26 - 03:01 PM]
USA Sports Delivers Most-Watched WNBA Playoff Game Ever; 3.3 Million Viewers Watch Valkyries Win Title in First-Ever Game 7
Viewership was up 128% vs. the 2025 WNBA Finals deciding game (LV-PHX Game 4).

[11/03/26 - 02:42 PM]
"College GameDay" Continues Historic Run Over Halloween at IU, ABC Takes Top Spot and Delivers Three of Top Five Most-Watched Games
ESPN topped all networks in Week 9, with ABC delivering three of the week's five most-watched games and winning the noon and afternoon windows.

[11/03/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of October 26 - "Lupin" Part 4 Captures the No. 1 Spot in This Week's Top 10
"The One About Matthew Perry" debuted in the No. 1 spot on the English TV list, gathering 9.5 million views.

[11/03/26 - 11:01 AM]
CBS Up +12% from Its Week #2 Last Year - Network Places 14 of the Top 20 Series; Top Two Comedies; Top Three New Series
CBS episodes topped the Nielsen live plus 7-days of multiplatform viewership for the week of October 12-18.

[10/31/26 - 10:48 AM]
USA Sports Delivers 1.5 Million Viewers for Valkyries-Dream Game 6 Thursday Matinee
USA Sports' Game 6 coverage delivered the fifth most-watched WNBA Finals game on cable on record.

[10/30/26 - 08:57 AM]
ABC News Wins Across Friday Night, Sunday Morning and Late-Night
"20/20: Help Dale Find Dee" ranked as Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/29/26 - 03:25 PM]
Champions at Last: 14.2 Million Viewers Projected for FOX Sports' Coverage of Milwaukee Brewers World Series Clinch
13,476,000 viewers tuned in for World Series Game 4 presented by Capital One across FOX and FOX Deportes.

[10/29/26 - 12:21 PM]
ABC Thursday Returns Strong with "9-1-1" and "9-1-1: Nashville" Rising Over Previous Season Averages
The Season 10 debut of "9-1-1" (8 p.m.) earned 8.14 million Total Viewers after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, based on Nielsen's competitive multiplatform measurement.

[10/28/26 - 03:31 PM]
Cowboys-Eagles on "Monday Night Football" Delivers 18.8M Viewers
Seven weeks into ESPN's Super Bowl LXI season, "Monday Night Football" is up 26% compared to the same point in 2025, averaging 19M viewers.

[10/28/26 - 11:30 AM]
"The Drew Barrymore Show" Hits All-Time Series High
This season to date, "The Drew Barrymore Show" averaged 1.90 million total viewers, up +36% year over year.

[10/28/26 - 11:01 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of October 19
"The Terminal List," "Carrie," "Reacher," "Neagley," and "Off Campus" led all original series worldwide.