FX's highly acclaimed series, Nip/Tuck, led what was a stellar ratings
performance for several cable shows Tuesday night.
The 90-minute premiere of the series, about a pair of plastic surgeons,
pulled a 3.16 household rating during the 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m. time slot, drawing
3.7 million viewers and making it cable's most viewed new series premiere of the
year, network executives said.
Nip/Tuck posted a 129% increase over its lead-in, the movie Me, Myself
& Irene, which scored a 1.4 household rating from 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
On the heels of Nip/Tuck was A&E Network's 9 p.m. premiere of
British espionage drama MI-5, which generated an impressive 1.6 household
rating -- more than 45% higher than its primetime average, according to the
network.
The one-hour skein also averaged 757,000 adult 25-54 viewers, up 81% over its
primetime average for the demo, and 636,000 adults 18-49, up 99% over the
network's average audience for the category.
Also pulling strong numbers Tuesday was the third episode of Bravo's Queer
Eye for the Straight Guy, which generated a 1.4 rating at 10 p.m., down from
its network record-setting 1.6 rating for its premiere. The hour-long show did
draw 1.274 million viewers in the adult 25-54 demographic, up 7% from the
premiere (1.166 million).
