Lifetime Takes Sunday-Night Ratings Crown
Army Wives , Side Order of Life , State of Mind Propel Cable Network
By Multi Channel News Staff -- Multichannel News, 7/17/2007 12:01:00 PM
New dramas Side Order of Life and State of Mind got off to solid starts, combining with hit series Army Wives to make Lifetime Television the dominant player in basic player in basic cable this past Sunday night.
Both Side Order of Life and State of Mind notched 2.1 household ratings averages in their 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. debuts July 15, attracting 2.4 million and 2.3 million viewers, respectively. In conjunction with Army Wives, which marched to a season-high 3.3 household rating in its seventh week, the Lifetime originals averaged a 2.5 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research data.
Moreover, Lifetime officials said the performances marked the first time in ad-supported-cable history that three freshman dramas scored household marks of more than 2.0.
All told, the trio delivered a cumulative audience of 10.5 million watchers, en route to leading basic cable from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. among households, viewers two-plus and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
Army Wives was the evening’s highest-rated program among all those metrics, and it topped CBS, NBC and ABC in the women 18-49 group with 1.23 million of those viewers, according to Lifetime executives.
For its part, Side Order of Life ranked first among households and women 25-54 in the 8 p.m. hour.
Traffic at LifetimeTV.com for Side Order of Life, a dramedy centering on a young magazine photographer who suddenly re-evaluates her life and impending nuptials after receiving a wakeup call from the universe, and State of Mind, which stars Lili Taylor as a brilliant, take-charge therapist whose personal problems rival those of her eclectic and offbeat patients, increased 236% and 350%, respectively, versus the prior-week average
”It’s incredibly exciting to follow the success of Army Wives, a show that has clearly struck a chord in the zeitgeist, with these two new critically acclaimed dramas, Side Order of Life and State of Mind, which have resonated with our loyal audience," said Susanne Daniels, president of entertainment for Lifetime Networks, in a prepared statement.
"Thanks to the outstanding production teams, brilliant acting and sharp writing, Side Order of Life and State of Mind, along with water-cooler series Army Wives, have branded Lifetime as the No. 1 destination on Sunday night for quality drama this summer,” she added.
