Raising the Bar - Ratings Tumble Posted by DarkUFO at Wednesday, September 24, 2008 (View Comments) Labels: raising the bar

Since bowing to a record 7.74 million viewers on Sept. 1, TNT’s Raising the Bar has lost nearly 71 percent of its total audience, averaging 2.26 million viewers last night in the 10 p.m. time slot.

According to Nielsen Media Research data, the Steven Bochco legal drama has not been able to sustain its early promise, falling 36 percent in its second week and another 15.5 percent in week three, when it served up 4.21 million viewers.

The Sept. 22 episode also took a hit among the core demos, averaging 958,000 adults 25-54, a drop of 44 percent versus the prior week’s 1.72 million. The show drew just 766,000 viewers 18-49, down 44 percent versus its episode three delivery.

After three installments––a span in which Raising the Bar averaged 5.64 million viewers––TNT elected to renew the series for a second season, ordering 15 new episodes from ABC Studios.

Last night’s Bar marked the first time the show has aired without the support of its 9 p.m. lead-in. Through Bar’s first three episodes, The Closer served as an undeniably effective propellant for the new series, averaging 7.71 million viewers, while drawing 3.21 million adults 25-54 and 2.41 million 18-49s.

Source: MediaWeek