`Scooby-Doo' Movie Nets 5 Million Viewers For Cartoon Network

 The Scooby-Doo franchise continues to deliver big audiences for Cartoon Network.

The network's Oct. 16 premiere of its live action original movie Scooby Doo! Curse Of The Lake Monster drew 5.1 million viewers, the most-watched network telecast of the year.

The film, a sequel to September 2009 Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins -- the most watched show ever on the network - also drew 2.7 million kids 2-11 and 1.2 million among its target boys 6 to 11 demo, according to the network.

In addition, ratings and delivery for the movie premiere among kids and boys demos also continued to grow each half-hour, including a remarkable 28% from the first half-hour to the final 20 minutes among boys 6-11.

Overall, the movie, which follows the teenaged Mystery Inc. group as it looks to solve a summer camp mystery, ranked number one among all kids demos during its 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday night run.

"There's not a harder-working dog in show business, nor one that continues to top the ratings charts like Scooby-Doo," said Stuart Snyder, president and chief operating officer of Turner Broadcasting's Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media in a statement. "We couldn't be more pleased that kids and families once again responded in near-record numbers to this latest adventure."

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.