The CW network’s attempt to get a jumpstart on the competition by airing two brand new shows premieres before other networks officially kick off the fall season has stuttered at the opening hurdle. The second season premiere of the new “90210”, coupled with the first season premiere of the much hyped “Melrose Place” reboot, failed to set the ratings alight yesterday evening.
“90210” scored just over two and a half million viewers, while the new “Place” scored even lower, with just under two and a half million, and dropping off further in its second half hour. The shows did score well with women viewers aged between eighteen and thirty four, however, who are CW’s primary target audience.
The “90210” scores, while poorer than the first season premiere last year, are still up on the show’s average during the May ratings ‘sweeps’ period. The question now is how both shows – with “Melrose” particularly open to question – will perform over the coming weeks and months.
In other US ratings news, Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” continued to perform very well (scoring just over seven and a half million and over eleven and a half million viewers respectively), while over at CBS, “Big Brother” took over eight million, its largest audience this summer. The reality series has just been renewed for its twelfth season in the US, in stark contrast to its cancellation in both the UK and Australia.
The best news for scripted drama was on cable, with FX motorbike drama “Sons of Anarchy” taking just under two million viewers, the ever rating for a single broadcast of a series episode on FX.
