or


[06/13/06 - 12:00 AM]
TNT's Hit Original Series the Closer Smashes Record as Ad-Supported Cable's Top Scripted Series Telecast of All Time

[via press release from TNT]

TNT�s Hit Original Series THE CLOSER Smashes Record As Ad-Supported Cable�s Top Scripted Series Telecast of All Time

SAVED Scores as Ad-Supported Cable�s #1 Debut of the Year For a New Original Scripted Series

With more than 8.2 million viewers and 6 million households, TNT�s acclaimed hit series THE CLOSER, starring Kyra Sedgwick, smashed its own record-setting performance from last year, with the second-season premiere Monday night ranking as ad-supported cable�s top scripted series telecast of all time, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. Meanwhile, SAVED, TNT�s new stylish, character-driven drama starring Tom Everett Scott, landed as ad-supported cable�s #1 debut of the year for a new original scripted series. Both series premiered uninterrupted and commercial-free, with THE CLOSER sponsored by Audi and SAVED sponsored by Dodge and Quiznos.

�With a record-shattering performance from THE CLOSER and a stellar debut of our new series SAVED, TNT is proving that lightning can indeed strike the same place twice,� said Steve Koonin, executive vice president and chief operating officer for TNT and sister network TBS. �We are proud to have created original drama series full of characters and situations that truly resonate with our viewers and look forward to more ratings wins with these two high-quality dramas throughout the summer.�

Ratings highlights for the second-season premiere of THE CLOSER and the debut of SAVED:

� TNT�s THE CLOSER kicked off its second season by setting ad-supported cable records for the largest delivery of persons 2+ (8,278,000) and highest ever household coverage rating (6.7)1 for a scripted series telecast.

� THE CLOSER also set a record as ad-supported cable�s top scripted series telecast ever with a delivery of 6,039,000 households and a 5.5 national household rating, beating its own record from last year, when the season one premiere of THE CLOSER scored a 5,259,000 household delivery and 4.8 national household rating.

� THE CLOSER ranked as cable�s top program for the night among persons 2+, households and adults 25-54 (3,571,000).

� THE CLOSER outdelivered all programs in its time slot on ABC, NBC, FOX, UPN and The WB among persons 2+ and households.

� THE CLOSER showed strong growth vs. last year�s season average:

Demo Season 1 Average2 Season 2 Premiere Growth

Adults 18-49 1,935,000 2,630,000 +36%

Adults 25-54 2,380,000 3,571,000 +50%

Persons 2+ 5,451,000 8,278,000 +52%

Households 4,005,000 6,039,000 +51%

� The premiere telecast of TNT�s new character-driven drama SAVED ranks as ad-supported cable�s #1 debut of the year for a new original scripted series among adults 18-49 (2,080,000); adults 25-54 (2,613,000); persons 2+ (5,101,000); and households (3.5 national rating / 4.3 coverage rating / 3,864,000 household delivery).

THE CLOSER follows the ever-challenging world of Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (Sedgwick), a transplant from Atlanta who heads up the Priority Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. Her position on this elite detective squad, which handles high-profile cases of a sensitive nature, is a tenuous balancing act. She faces sometimes-antagonistic roadblocks, even from her own peers within the department, and must manage a team that remains wary of her unconventional style. Meanwhile, she finds herself trying to keep her head above water in the rushing mayhem of Los Angeles, finding comfort with her FBI Agent boyfriend or sometimes in a package of snack cakes.

THE CLOSER�s Screen Actors Guild Award�-nominated ensemble cast also features J.K. Simmons (Law & Order, Spider-Man) as Assistant Police Chief Will Pope; Corey Reynolds (The Terminal, Tony nominee for Hairspray) as Sgt. David Gabriel, Brenda�s right-hand man; Robert Gossett (Arlington Road, The Net) as Commander Taylor, head of the Robbery Homicide Division; G.W. Bailey (M*A*S*H, St. Elsewhere, Police Academy) as quick-witted veteran Detective Lt. Provenza; Tony Denison (Melrose Place, The Amy Fisher Story) as disgruntled Detective Andy Flynn; Michael Paul Chan (Robbery Homicide Division, The Insider) as technology-minded Detective Mike Tao; Raymond Cruz (Collateral Damage, Training Day) as Detective Julio Sanchez; and Gina Ravera (The Temptations, Soul Food) as Detective Irene Daniels.

THE CLOSER comes to TNT from The Shephard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television and is executive-produced by Greer Shephard (nip/tuck, The D.A.), Michael M. Robin (nip/tuck, The D.A., NYPD Blue) and James Duff (The D.A., The Agency) and produced by Andrew J. Sacks (The D.A, Adaptation and Two Soliders). Gil Garcetti, Los Angeles district attorney from 1992 to 2000, is a consulting producer on the series.

SAVED follows the life of Wyatt Cole (Scott), a conflicted individual and something of a �slacker hero� who has taken a job as a paramedic working the streets of Portland, Ore. He is uncertain of what he wants in life, other than to feel truly alive and connected. And he feels it most when he�s interacting with his co-workers and the people he rescues or encounters in his daily work.

Originally destined to follow in the footsteps of his demanding father (David Clennon � thirtysomething, Syrianna), a legendary surgeon now serving as chief of residency at a local hospital, Cole instead dropped out of med school and rejected the traditional path set out for him. Dumped by his girlfriend Alice (Elizabeth Reaser � The Family Stone), who is now an emergency room physician, and occasionally sidetracked by late-night card games that feed his gambling fever, Cole spends his days traveling the city in his ambulance with fellow paramedic Sack (Omari Hardwick � Beauty Shop, Sucker Free City), who has family troubles of his own. Also working for the same EMT company are Angela de la Cruz (Tracy Vilar � The Steve Harvey Show, ER) a tough, assertive paramedic saddled with newbie Harper Sims (Michael McMillian � What I Like About You, Firefly), a Mormon whose faith is frequently challenged by the things he sees on the job.

SAVED comes to TNT from Fox 21, Imagine Television and Sarabande Productions, with Sarabande�s David Manson (Nothing Sacred, Thief), Imagine�s Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code) and David Nevins (Arrested Development) serving as executive producers.

Turner Network Television (TNT), a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., is television�s destination for drama and one of cable�s top-rated networks. It offers original movies and series, including the detective drama series The Closer, starring Golden Globe� and Screen Actors Guild Awards� nominee Kyra Sedgwick; Saved, a new character-driven drama starring Tom Everett Scott; and this summer�s eagerly anticipated anthology series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. TNT is also home to such powerful one-hour dramas as Law & Order, Without a Trace, Las Vegas, Cold Case, ER, Charmed and Judging Amy; broadcast premiere movies; prime-time specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards�; and championship sports, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is also available in high definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.

1. Tied with a 1998 episode of South Park.

2. Based on premiere telecasts only.

All claims exclude kids programming.

Source: Turner Research from Preliminary Nielsen Media Research data, based on most current data available (Live+SD). Complete and final data (Live+7) will be available in two weeks. Prime time is M-Su 8-11pm. Total Day reflects total programming hours for each network as reported by Nielsen. The following networks do not program the entire M-Su 6a-6a daypart: A&E, ABC Fam, ADSM, Bio, CMDY, CNBC, Court TV, Discovery, ENT, FX, FOOD, GAME, HIST, HGTV, Lifetime, NAN, NGC, NICK, OXY, HALL, TLC, TSOU, WE, WGN and SPIKE. All ratings based on Total U.S. Television Universe of 110,200,000 homes. Movie rankings include all ad-supported program telecasts coded as feature films in Nielsen Media Research systems. (Data for Sunday 3 a.m.-6 a.m. not yet available.)





  [june 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· AGENCY, THE (CBS)
· ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (NETFLIX)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· DA, THE (ABC)
· FIREFLY (FOX)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· NIP/TUCK (FX)
· NYPD BLUE (ABC)
· ROBBERY HOMICIDE DIVISION (CBS)
· SAVED (TNT)
· SOUL FOOD (SHOWTIME)
· STEVE HARVEY SHOW, THE (WB)
· SUCKER FREE CITY (SHOWTIME)
· THIEF (FX)
· WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (WB)





[12/23/24 - 02:36 PM]
College Football Playoff Scores 10.6 Million Average Viewers Across ESPN Platforms and TNT Sports
Tennessee/Ohio State and Indiana/Notre Dame on ESPN/ABC become two of top three most-watched games of the season.

[12/23/24 - 01:22 PM]
"Yellowstone" 5B Finale Continues Its Record-Breaking Run with 13.1M Total Viewers in L3 Marking the Biggest Episode in Series History
Said run marked the most watched season in the series' history with 13.6M total viewers.

[12/23/24 - 01:15 PM]
For the 4th Consecutive Year, ABC News' "20/20" Is Friday's No. 1 Newsmagazine Across the Board
"20/20" outdelivered "Dateline" in all key target demos for the 4th consecutive year - since 2021.

[12/23/24 - 01:02 PM]
NBC Is Set to Ring in the New Year with a Live Broadcast of the 136th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on Wednesday, Jan. 1
"Today" co-anchor Hoda Kotb and weather and feature anchor Al Roker will return to the booth for this year's telecast from "TV Corner."

[12/23/24 - 11:13 AM]
Award-Winning Danish Miniseries "Bullshit" Makes Exclusive US Debut Thursday, January 30, 2025 on Viaplay
This coming-of-age Danish language historical drama tells the powerful story of a group of lost and rebellious youths who find community and belonging in the hardcore biker gang "Bullshit," but leads to a world of brutal conflict.

[12/23/24 - 10:40 AM]
Max Renews Original Adult Animated Series "Creature Commandos," from DC Studios, for Second Season
New episodes debut weekly every Thursday on Max, with the season one finale dropping January 9.

[12/23/24 - 10:31 AM]
As an Early Holiday Gift to Fans Hallmark Announces That Its Hit Reality Competition Series, "Finding Mr. Christmas," Is Renewed for a Second Season
"Bringing this show to life was such a dream come true," said Jonathan Bennett. "There're definitely more stories to be told in season two and so much more fun to be had. We're really just scratching the surface here."

[12/23/24 - 10:02 AM]
"TMZ Investigates: Luigi Mangione: The Mind of a Killer" Premieres Monday, January 6 at 8/7c on FOX and the Next Day on Hulu
TMZ exclusively speaks to several sources who say, despite his charismatic personality, Mangione also displayed a dark side and uncovers shocking new details about how he became enraged by corporate greed before quietly plotting to kill a healthcare CEO.

[12/23/24 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?" Debuts January 10
Host of the award-winning series "Real Time with Bill Maher," acclaimed comedian and satirist Bill Maher serves up another dose of reality in his 13th HBO stand-up special.

[12/23/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "Going Dutch" Season 1 First Look - FOX TV
Tune in for the series premiere Thursday, January 2 on FOX and next day on Hulu.

[12/23/24 - 08:58 AM]
Cedric the Entertainer Serves Up a Double Dose of Laughter with Special Editions of "The Greatest @Home Videos"
Look for "Holiday Edition" on December 27 and "Cedy Awards" on January 3.

[12/23/24 - 08:01 AM]
Investigation Discovery Unveils the Dark Side of Hollywood with an All-New Season of "Death by Fame"
The series delves into the dark side of fame and celebrity, uncovering the shocking true stories behind the murders of some of Hollywood's most promising stars.

[12/23/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "All Creatures Great and Small" Season 5 Trailer
Toast to an all-new season, premiering on Sunday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c.

[12/23/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Zero Day" - Official Teaser - Netflix
After a cyberattack sabotages transportation and power infrastructure across the U.S., former President George Mullen is asked to find the culprit.

[12/23/24 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Lovers Anonymous" - Teaser - Netflix
Cem, scarred by a childhood that crushed his trust in love, runs the "Love Hospital," until Hazal, who believes in the power of love, disrupts his life.