TNT

TNT opened August with another big win as basic cable's most-watched network in primetime for the sixth consecutive week. TNT continues to be propelled by its chart-topping original series, with Major Crimes and Rizzoli & Isles delivering basic cable's biggest audiences for the week and the network's blockbuster hit The Last Ship taking first place among scripted series with adults 25-54. TNT's ratings success follows its win for the month of July and its sweeping victory as basic cable's #1 network in Q2 2014.

DVR usage continues to deliver big returns for TNT's summer dramas:

Last Monday's Major Crimes, which featured a guest appearance by Luke Perry, scored the show's biggest Live + 3 deliveries of the season-to-date, with 7.7 million viewers, 2.3 million adults 25-54 and 1.8 million adults 18-49. Major Crimes also scored its season-best Live + 7 deliveries, with the July 14 episode garnering 7.4 million viewers, 2.3 million adults 25-54 and 1.8 million adults 18-49.

Tuesday's episode of Rizzoli & Isles grabbed 7.2 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery, with more than 2.4 million adults 25-54 and 2.0 million adults 18-49. Rizzoli & Isles landed 7.8 milllion viewers in Live + 7 delivery for its July 15 episode, including 2.6 million adults 25-54 and 2.2 million adults 18-49.

The July 27 episode of The Last Ship scored growth over the prior week's episode in Live + 3 viewing, with 6.3 million viewers (+4%), 2.5 million adults 25-54 (+6%) and 2.1 million adults 18-49 (up slightly). Meanwhile the July 20 episode of The Last Ship topped out with a final tally of 6.6 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, including 2.6 million adults 25-54 and 2.3 million adults 18-49, the latter a +3% increase over the prior week.

Falling Skies brought in 4.3 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery for its July 27 episode, a +2% boost over the prior week. In key demos, it drew 1.9 million adults 25-54 and 1.6 million adults 18-49. Falling Skies' July 20 episode scored 4.6 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, including 2.1 million adults 25-54 and 1.8 million adults 18-49.

Last Monday's episode of Murder in the First drew 4.2 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery (+5% vs. the prior week) and grew its demo deliveries by +12% among adults 25-54 (1.3 million) and +23% among adults 18-49 (1.0 million). The July 14 episode of Murder in the First grew to a final total of 4.5 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, matching the previous week. In key demos, the episode brought in 1.2 million adults 25-54

Perception has garnered more than 4.0 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery for its Tuesday episode, including 1.4 million adults 25-54 and 1.0 million adults 18-49. In Live + 7, Perception drew 4.3 million viewers for its July 15 episode (+3% vs the prior week), with 1.5 million adults 25-54 and 1.2 million adults 18-49.

TNT's real-life investigative series Cold Justice scored sizeable growth with its July 25 episode, drawing 2.3 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery (+20% vs. the prior week's episode); 838,000 adults 25-54 (+14%) and 657,000 adults 18-49 (+28%). Demonstrating the growing popularity of Cold Justice, those Live + 3 figures also surpass the show's Live + 7 delivery for the prior week's episode, which topped out with 2.0 million viewers.

Through the first week of August, TNT's dramas continue to dominate the competition. Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes and The Last Ship rank as basic cable's Top 3 most-watched scripted series for the summer-to-date. They are joined by Falling Skies, Murder in the First and Perception in giving TNT six of basic cable's Top 10 scripted series this summer:

In key demos, TNT's new hit The Last Ship and Rizzoli & Isles lead the pack in giving TNT four of basic cable's Top 5 scripted series this summer with adults 25-54. Among adults 18-49, TNT holds three of the Top 5 scripted series this summer.

Collectively, TNT's summer originals are bringing in many more viewers than last year. For the summer-to-date, the network's original series are averaging 5.6 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, a +31% increase over the same time last year. Demo deliveries have grown by double-digit percentages, with this summer's TNT originals bringing in +18% more adults 25-54 and +13% more adults 18-49 than last summer.

Adult Swim

For the first week of August 2014, Adult Swim ranked #1 in Primetime on basic cable among adults 18-34. Adult Swim also swept the young adult demos, claiming #1 for Total Day delivery among adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49.

Among Adult Swim's original series, a new episode premiere of the Emmy-winning Robot Chicken (Sunday, 11:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among all targeted adults/men 18-24-18-34 & 18-49, increasing average delivery among adults 18-34 by 7%, adults 18-49 by 19%, men 18-34 by 16% and men 18-49 by 27% vs. the same time year last year.

Within Adult Swim's TOONAMI block on Saturday night, Attack on Titans (11:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24/18-34 and all targeted male demos, while Bleach (12 a.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24 and all men 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49. Space Dandy (12:30 a.m.), Naruto: Shippuden (1 a.m.), One Piece (1:30 a.m.), Blue Exorcist (2 a.m.) and Black Lagoon (3 a.m.) each ranked #1 in their time periods among adults 18-24 & 18-34 and men 18-24 & 18-34.

Adult Swim's mix of acquired and original programming - including Family Guy, American Dad, Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Cleveland Show, Loiter Squad, Superjail and Squidbillies - accounted for 37 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week among adults 18-34 and 15 of the Top 16 telecasts on basic cable among adults 18-34, more than any other network.

TBS

TBS scored a key victory for the week, ranking as basic cable's #1 network in primetime delivery of adults 18-49.

Sullivan & Son drew significant growth across the board, with an audience of 1.9 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery (+15% vs. the prior week) for Tuesday night's episode. In key demos, Sullivan & Son garnered 1.0 million adults 18-49 (+14% vs. the prior week) and 470,000 adults 18-34 (+51%).

The Big Bang Theory on TBS had another winning week as it delivered basic cable's Top 15 sitcom telecasts for the week among total viewers and adults 18-49.

Cartoon Network

Across the first week of August 2014, Cartoon Network once again ranked as television's #1 network for Total Day delivery of boys 6-11 & 9-14, and #1 for Early Prime (6-8 p.m.) delivery of all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14. Total Day delivery also grew among all kids' demos vs. the same time period last year - kids 2-11 grew by 13%, kids 6-11 up by 9% and kids 9-14 up by 3%. Early Prime delivery increased as well vs. last year, with average kids 2-11 gains of 21%, kids 6-11 of 9%, and kids 9-14 of 4%.

Maintaining its dominance on Thursday nights (6-8 p.m.), Cartoon Network ranked as the #1 television network among kids 9-14 and all targeted boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14, earning impressive double-digit delivery gains across the board ranging between 55% and 78%. Original animated series The Amazing World of Gumball (6:30 p.m.) claimed the #1 telecast of the week among boys 9-14, #1 for the day among boys 6-11 & 9-14, and #1 in its time period among kids 6-11 & 9-14 and all targeted boy demos. Teen Titans Go! (6 p.m.) ranked #1 for the day among boys 2-11 and #1 in its timeslot among kids/boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14. Cartoon Network Studios original series Clarence (6:45 p.m.), Adventure Time (7 p.m.) and Regular Show (7:30 p.m.) each ranked #1 in their respective time periods among all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14. All Thursday night telecasts achieved mostly double and triple-digit delivery gains across targeted demos, ranging between 7% and 163%.

Looking at the rest of the week overall in Early Prime (6-8 p.m.), Cartoon Network scored as the #1 television network on all TV among kids 2-11 and all boy demos on Monday; #1 among all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; and #1 among boys 9-14 on Sunday. Monday night delivery averages increased 11%-16% among kids/boys 2-11. Tuesday night delivery increased 1%-22% among all kids/boys 2-11 & 9-14. Wednesday night delivery increased 2%-15% among kids 2-11 and all targeted boys, and Friday night delivery increased 10% among kids 2-11.

Cartoon Network's Saturday morning line-up (7-11 a.m.) earned year-over-year gains of 5% among kids 6-11, with the new episode premiere of Pokémon the Series XY (8 a.m.) ranking #1 in its time period among boys 9-14.