'Tequila’ Finale Provides Big Ratings Shot For MTV
Bisexual Competition Show Scores 5 Million 12-34 Viewers; Net Spins Off ‘Amore’
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 12/20/2007 3:48:00 AM EST
While the finale of A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila poured the network’s best series performance in more than five years, MTV has ordered a spin-off round featuring one of the popular contestants from the bisexual, romantic reality show.
The Tila finale pulled in some 6.2 million viewers, the most for any MTV series installment since the Nov. 26, 2002 episodeof The Osbournes, according to network officials. The program, in which MySpace.com pin-up queen Tequila selected film student Bobby Banhart over firefighter Dani Campbell, was the network’s second most-watched telecast of the year behind the Video Music Awards.
The Dec. 18 show also delivered a 5.9 rating among persons 12 to 34, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The 5 million of those watchers not only were tops in all of TV that night, but were the most for a MTV series since August 2005, said officials. Tila was MTV's top new show in 2007 against that demo, according to the network.
As for the spin-off show, That’s Amore! will star Domenico Nesci, one of the fan favorites from Tila, searching for love among 15 women.
MTV has ordered six episodes from 495 Productions, the company also behind Tila, that are expected to hit the network’s air in the first quarter.
“From food to fashion and fast cars, Italy gives America some of our finest imports, and Domenico is the very latest,” said Tony Disanto, MTV executive vice president of series development and programming, in a statement. “Tila Tequila may have given her heart to someone else, but this Italian bachelor isn’t ready to give up on love, American style. He’s still looking for the perfect match and we are going to help him find her! We knew we found our next star when Domenico strutted out in his tiny green and red spandex swimsuit. As we all know… nothing says 'hot bachelor' like an Italian Flag Speedo.”
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