Surprise: Sarah Palin's Ratings Rise

[robcon]

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Sarah Palin's fortunes are improving on TLC. Ratings for the politician's Alaska-based reality show grew for her third episode, reversing course after dropping sharply last week.

Sarah Palin's Alaska delivered 3.5 million viewers Sunday night, rising 17% at the conclusion of the holiday weekend.

Normally when ratings go down double digits for a second episode, the third outing generally falls at least a little, but not in this case. Palin may also have benefited from some weaker competition (ABC had the Country Music Awards the previous week). Even so, this is great news for TLC.

The Alaska episode to watch will be in two weeks, when Kate Gosselin guest stars.

News wasn't all positive for freshman Sunday shows: The second week of History's Top Gear dropped 32% to only 1.3 million viewers.

Read more: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/surprise-sarah-palins-ratings-rise-54830

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As I wrote last week, an audience >3 million is a hit show on cable.

There's a segment of the population that truly likes her (not exactly a Mensa crowd, though.)

[Historic NY]

1. Must be twittering like a fool, turn on your boxes.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Of course. with the holiday, the show aired in a block

and all the episodes were rerun. And it was a holiday. This 'bump' means nothing. And while 3 million is a 'cable hit' all DUers should understand that even twice that number is a network failure, and when Americans think of a 'hit show' they are thinking of networks, where 6 million viewers is seen as paltry and not worth the effort. There are over 300 million Americans. An episode of NCIS or something can pull 10, 12 million without blinking.
And as far as 'cable hits' go, TLC's very own top rated show pulled in over 10 million viewers. So that is the bar.

[RockaFowler]

8. And it was up against repeats

That's why it went up. No Desperate Housewives on Sunday night

[ladywnch]

3. it's taken this long for her followers to find The Learning Channel

on their cable provider. They normally don't go looking to learn anything that isn't on Faux.....well, that and the fact that learning is the work of the devil.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. Until recently, they thought it was The Liberal Commie channel.

[redwitch]

4. Gosh! Sarah AND Kate Gosselin????

Add Snooki and I am so there. You betcha!

[humblebum]

6. Does anybody really care? nt

[Tempest]

7. 3.5 million viewers for a former VP candidate is pathetic

I hope she runs in 2012. She'll disappear from public view after getting her ass kicked in Iowa.