The UK Sci-Fi Channel have announced that last night’s season premiere of A Knight In Shining Armor was a huge ratings winner, with Knight Rider pulling in record numbers for the second week in a row and improving on the ratings of the 2-hour pilot. This news comes less than a day after NBC has pulled the plug on a second season… could the Sci-Fi Channel provide Knight Rider with a lifeline? The press release follows:
London, 20 May 2009: NBC Universal Global Networks today celebrates another ratings win for its Sci-Fi channel in the UK. First run dramas Knight Rider and Dollhouse together attracted over 700,000 viewers to make Sci-Fi the #1 pay-TV broadcaster during the highly competitive 8pm – 10pm timeslot.
Last week saw the premiere of the feature-length Knight Rider pilot — based on the 1980s original series — deliver Sci Fi’s best series ratings since the first run of Heroes in 2007 (0.69 TVR). The second, 60 minute-long episode debuted last night at 8pm topped these results with a 0.93 TVR*, up 35% on the premiere. The results further cement Knight Rider‘s position as the second best performing series on Sci Fi in over eight years.
The show was immediately followed by the highly-anticipated premiere of Dollhouse at 9pm, a new fantasy drama from Buffy and Angel creator Joss Whedon. The show premiere generated an impressive 0.72 TVR* – a 331% uplift on the channel’s slot TVR performance for the year to date.
“We’ve been continuously investing in new acquisitions for Sci Fi and believed that we were onto a winner by pairing up brand new Knight Rider with Dollhouse,” commented Jon Farrar, Programming Director (UK), NBC Universal Global Networks. “Last night’s ratings are testimony to the success of our acquisitions and programming strategy which, for Sci Fi, centres around iconic titles with exceptional production values such as Knight Rider and Dollhouse.”
Both series will continue to premiere back-to-back every Tuesday at 8pm and 9pm respectively, on Sci Fi and Sci Fi HD.
*Source: BARB/TNS Live data + VOSDAL based on exact transmission times 8pm-10pm includes timeshift viewing (8pm – 10pm). All data is for Adults in M/C Homes except for # comparison with multi-channel stations in same slot based on viewing % amongst Ads in Dig Cab/Sat Homes. Programme comparison is based on live performances.