NIP/TUCK CARVES UP ITS HIGHEST RATINGS EVER
Season 2 Finale Draws 5.2 Million Viewers and 3.6 Million Adults 18-49
Delivers More Adults 18-49 Than Any Episode of a Basic Cable Series in 2004
Last Night�s Two-Telecast Gross (premiere at 10 PM and encore at midnight) Totaled 6.8 Million Total Viewers and 4.7 Million Adults 18-49
Nip/Tuck Is Basic Cable�s #1 Series in Delivery of Adults 18-49 in 2004-to-Date
LOS ANGELES, October 6, 2004 � The second season finale of FX�s critically acclaimed drama Nip/Tuck (TV-MA) delivered spectacular ratings Tuesday night posting a 4.5 household rating, 5.2 million total viewers and 3.6 million Adults 18-49, making it the most-watched episode of an original series in FX history and ranking it as the highest delivery of Adults 18-49 of any single episode of a basic cable original series in 2004.
The 5.2 million viewers for last night�s commercial-free season finale sponsored by Stacker 2, topped FX�s previous series high set by the series premiere of The Shield which drew 4.8 million total viewers (3/12/02). Nip/Tuck�s previous highs were set earlier this season with a 3.7 HH rating, 4.3 million total viewers and 3.1 million Adults 18-49 (8/31/04). Last night�s two-episode gross (premiere at 10 PM and encore at midnight) of Nip/Tuck totaled 6.8 million total viewers and 4.7 million adults 18-49.
The Nip/Tuck cliffhanger finale was icing on the cake for the Golden Globe� nominated series� 16-episode sophomore season, which showed strong ratings growth compared to season one and ranks in the top five in every FX target demo among all original series in basic cable. Listed below are season two averages of Nip/Tuck first-run episodes with increase versus season one and the rank among all basic cable original series 2004-to-date:
HH Rating Total Viewers Adults 18-49 Women 18049 Men 18-49
Season 2 Average 3.2 3.8 million 2.6 million 1.5 million 1.1 million
% Growth vs. Sn. 1 +9% +16% +18% +29% +6%
Basic Cable Rank #4 #3 #1 #5 #3
�It is rare that a series which reaches record network viewership levels in its first season is able to unilaterally improve upon those high standards in its second season in every key demographic,� said Steve Leblang, Senior Vice President of Research and Strategic Planning. �It is a tribute to the quality of the series and the appetite of the basic cable audience for this level of quality that Nip/Tuck has achieved such exceptional accomplishments.�
Throughout its second season, Nip/Tuck continued to deliver one of the highest concentrations of Adults 18-49 of any basic cable series with a season average of 69% of its audience comprised of that demo. The audience gender split for the season was 55% women, 45% men.
FX now boasts three of the top 20 original series in basic cable among its target audience of Adults 18-49. Along with Nip/Tuck which ranks #1, the critically acclaimed freshman drama Rescue Me starring Denis Leary, which concludes its first season next Wednesday, October 13 at 10 PM ET/PT, is averaging 1.9 million Adults 18-49 and ranks #11. FX�s Emmy� and Golden Globe� winning drama The Shield, which concluded its third season in June, averaged 1.7 million Adults 18-49, which ranks #16 among all basic cable original series in that demo.
Set in Miami, Nip/Tuck follows the lives of two plastic surgeons and business partners who run McNamara/Troy, a booming South Beach plastic surgery practice. Nip/Tuck was created and is executive produced by Ryan Murphy. Greer Shephard and Mike Robin serve as executive producers. The series is produced by The Shephard-Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Productions Inc.
An FX original drama series, Nip/Tuck was nominated for a Golden Globe� Award for Best Drama Series for its first season � the only show on basic cable to receive that honor in 2004. Series regular Joely Richardson was also nominated for a Golden Globe� Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Drama. Last month, Nip/Tuck received five Emmy� nominations, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for creator Ryan Murphy.
FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 85 million homes. The diverse schedule includes a growing roster of distinctive original series and movies, an established film library with box-office hits from 20th Century Fox and other major studios, an impressive roster of acquired hit series, and marquee sports such as NASCAR.
SOURCE: Nielsen Media Research, Coverage Area Ratings, Qualifications Available Upon Request
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