UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.14.2016

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NETWORK FINALS:  THE BACHELOR gained 0.1 in final numbers, as did COOPER BARRETT and the 7PM rerun of THE SIMPSONS.

Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart  

CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  NOTE–with the exception of Showtime and Food Network, virtually every cable network aired reruns last week against the Super Bowl, so comparisons are to 2 weeks ago.

Even with the usual caveats (the show was available on many platforms, strong competition from AMC and TNT), it’s hard to see the premiere of HBO’s VINYL as anything but a disaster.  Its 0.25 rating (which started at 0.27 in the 1st 15-minute segment and was down to 0.21 by the last) made the post-BOARDWALK EMPIRE “preview” of LUCK at 0.4 look successful, with a rating less than half of Showtime’s venerable SHAMELESS (up 0.13 to 0.60 from its foray against Super Bowl 50), and even below that network’s BILLIONS (up 0.07 to 0.33).  VINYL didn’t even have the excuse many recent premieres do of having been available in advance via VOD/streaming.  Considering the auspices and tens of millions HBO spent producing the 2-hour pilot and marketing the series as an A-level event, this return on investment is paltry.  However, HBO has a record of sticking with its prestige series for at least a 2d season even if low-rated, so VINYL’s goose isn’t necessarily cooked–even LUCK received a Season 2 order, although it was never produced, purportedly due to the death of a horse during a racetrack sequence.  If VINYL gets a similar renewal, it should make sure any animals it employs are kept in the best of health.  To add to the embarrassment, LAST WEEK TONIGHT brought a considerable number of viewers back to the network who had avoided VINYL with a 0.36 rating.  (The other Showtime series, documentary THE CIRCUS, increased 0.02 from last week to 0.05/162K.)

Of course AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD won the night with its midseason premiere, but at 6.75, it was off a substantial 1.23 from the 2015 midseason premiere, which aired against THE GRAMMYS, suggesting that the zombie phenomenon, while still huge, may have seen its best days.  TALKING DEAD returned at 3.10, and while that’s more than double the parallel episode’s 1.49 last year, they aren’t apples-to-apples, since last February TALKING aired after the series premiere of BETTER CALL SAUL (at 3.43) rather than directly after WALKING.  COMIC BOOK MEN returned at 0.57, up 0.08 from last February’s premiere (which was a week after the WALKING/TALKING midseason premieres).  The news was better at TNT, where the NBA ALL-STAR GAME was up 0.17 to 2.72 from last year’s installment, which aired the week after the WALKING DEAD midseason premiere.  (The game also aired on TBS with a 0.59 rating.) 

Elsewhere, Bravo’s REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA dropped three-tenths from 2 weeks ago to 1.04, and REAL HOUSEWIVES OF THE POTOMAC was down 0.16 to 0.59.  On E!, KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS fell 0.07 to 0.82, and HOLLYWOOD MEDIUM was down 0.12 to 0.48.  Adult Swim’s VENTURE BROS did air last week, and gained a big 0.23 to 0.65 without the Super Bowl as competition.  Food Network also aired last week, and WORST COOKS was up 0.08 to 0.44, GUY’S GROCERY GAMES more than doubled, up 0.24 to 0.42, and ALL-STAR ACADEMY was at 0.32, with CUTTHROAT KITCHEN at 0.29.  History’s AX MEN fell 0.12 from 2 weeks ago to 0.38.  Hallmark’s original movie VALENTINE EVER AFTER was at 0.32.  TLC’s LONG ISLAND MEDIUM aired a 1-hour episode at 0.30, down from 0.33/0.31 2 weeks ago for half-hours, and MARRIED BY MOM & DAD fell 0.11 to 0.19. 

Top 50 Original Cable Telecasts with Demographic Detail

Top 150 Original Cable Telecasts
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