Raising the Bar, TNT's legal drama that premiered commercial-free on Monday at 10pm, unexpectedly attracted 7.7 million total viewers, making it the most-watched series premiere ever on ad-supported cable.  According to Nielsen, the show beat the previous record set by USA Network's The 4400 with 7.4 million and the 2005 debut of TNT's The Closer with 7 million.

Moreover, the premiere of Raising the Bar also scored 2,837,000 in adults 18-49 and 3,471,000 in adults 25-54, ranking as ad-supported cable's top new series launch for the year-to-date.

Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, which includes TNT, was very pleased with the numbers, saying it was a "very competitive" night.

"This proves we can compete with broadcast," Koonin said.  "The world of television is changing, and quality dramas will attract a large audience."

"We are proud Raising the Bar is off to such a strong start, with a record-breaking series premiere, Koonin added.  "Raising the Bar is an important part of TNT's ongoing plans to take on broadcast networks by increasing our lineup of high-profile, original series. With the strength of the TNT brand and three solid, broadcast-level hits in Raising the Bar, The Closer and Saving Grace, we are well on the way to achieving our goals.”

While the ratings are a clear indication of the huge feat for the cast of Raising the Bar, including Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jane Kaczmarek, Teddy Sears, Melissa Sagemiller, Currie Graham, J. August Richards and Jonathan Scarfe, the pressure to surpass or even equal its initial numbers for the coming episodes have now amplified.  Unfortunately, the pilot episode of Raising the Bar mostly garnered mediocre reviews.

You can read our review of Raising the Bar in this article.  In a nutshell, however, the show is about a group of law school classmates who later find themselves on opposite sides of the criminal law system.  Leading the hour-long legal drama is New York City public defender Jerry Kellerman (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), an idealist who will stop at nothing to help those who cannot help themselves.

Catch a new episode of Raising the Bar every Monday at 10pm on TNT.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TNT
(Image courtesy of TNT)