History said the Memorial Day kickoff of high-profile miniseries Texas Rising, the Bill Paxton-led (as Gen. Sam Houston) retelling of the war for Texas's independence from Mexico, drew an average audience of 4.1 million total viewers. It also said 1.1 million viewers in the adults 25-54 age range watched the first hour (9 p.m.) of the 10-hour opus, citing Nielsen Fast Cable Ratings. History said that made Texas Rising the second-fastest premiere for a new cable launch in 2015 (after Better Call Saul). It was also the best start to a miniseries on History since The Bible in 2013, which led off with 13.1 million viewers.
The dark-themed Western returns tonight at 9 p.m. for the next two-hour segment. After this, new episodes will air on Monday nights, starting on June 1. The cast also includes Ray Liotta, Jeff Fahey and Olivier Martinez. (Pictured: Brendan Fraser as Billy Anderson.)
