CABLE - It was another week of big premieres on cable, led by the return of True Blood (5.2m/2.9) on HBO. That’s just a tenth off the 3.0 for last season’s premiere episode. Burn Notice (3.87m/1.2) and Suits (3.47m/1.1) were the other returning premieres. On the series premiere front, TNT got a nice viewer number for the premiere of Dallas (6.86m/1.5), although the demo was a bit low. ABC Family was also in the game with the unfortunately titled Bunheads (1.64m/.6). I’d wager a better name could have helped that number. And for what it’s worth, that premiere had the biggest shocker of any of them.
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ABC - Thanks to the NBA Finals (16.2m/6.9 – 16.67m/7.1), ABC was able to upset NBC’s apple cart. Countering with the NHL didn’t help the peacock’s prospects at all. The crazy success of the game does again make one wonder what it is that ABC sees in Jimmy Kimmel. His Game Night pre-shows were largely ignored (3.28m/1 – 2.91m/.9) The rest of the week was made up of a Goldilocksesque collection of reality programming.
Highwire Over Niagra (10.14m/2.5) seemed way too high. Duets (3.95m/1.1) seemed way too low. And the rest — Secret Millionaire (5.36m/1.5), Extreme Makeover Weight Loss (4.62m/1.5), The Bachelorette (7.43m/2.3), and Greatest Megastunts (5.71m/1.2) — were probably just right.
NBC - As mentioned, the Stanley Cup Finals (4.93m/2) paled in comparison to the NBA. America’s Got Talent (11.18m/3) again led everything on the network, and it was actually going up against the NBA. Elsewhere, Ninja Warrior (4.99m/1.7) and Love In The Wild (4.82m/1.5) remain serviceable summer programming. And the pleasant surprise for the week was growth of 700,000 viewers for week two of Saving Hope (3.98m/.7).
FOX - To hammer this NBA/NHL point home just one last time… Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef looked a lot better facing the NHL on Monday (6.25m/2.8 – 5.95m/2.7) than they did facing the NBA on Tuesday (5.32m/2.2 – 4.83m/2.1). So You Think You Can Dance (6.71m/2.5) remained solid with the final round of regional auditions. And the Thursday duo of Take Me Out (2.64m/1.1) and The Choice (3.64m/1.6) remains a bit suspect.
CBS & CW – In the most unfortunate result of the week, the CBS broadcast of the Tony Awards (6.01m/1) didn’t exactly come in at Oscar levels. I get that I’m in the great minority having been to over 100 shows already this year, but I’m still surprised that people haven’t caught on to the fact that it is the best of the major awards shows. (Good lord, I sound like a hockey fan!) CBS also offered Dogs In The City (5.55m/1.1) while the CW had The Catalina (.55m/.2) and Breaking Pointe (.82m/.3).
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Jun 18, 2012 @ 12:03 EST5EDT
I love theater, and I love the Tony Awards not because I’ve seen any of the shows nominated, but simply to see the sheer exuberance and gratefulness the winners exude. It’s rare (it does happen, but it’s rare) to see an Oscar winner that truly humbled to win an award. Those reactions make the lack of knowledge about the shows, or even the winners in a lot of cases, worth watching the awards. I guess most people in the middle of the country just don’t watch because they know even less about the shows than I do.
*POST AUTHOR*
I think you’ve hit on exactly what I was getting at, but didn’t define, when I said that it is the best of the major awards shows. For you, an internet high-5! Also, I’m totally going to a play reading tonight… and a cabaret on Thursday… and two more plays on Friday and Saturday… There is just no end to the great stuff in this city. :D
There was an article in the local paper about a theater boom here in Baltimore with some local groups building new facilities, so it’s quite exciting the mix of local and touring shows we’re getting.
*POST AUTHOR*
Nice! A little variety is a good thing.