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The second season finale of pop culture phenom Downton Abbey averaged 5.4 million viewers on Sunday, PBS’ largest audience since the premiere of Ken Burns’ documentary National Parks in September 2009. Vs. its first season, Downton was up 25%, doubling pubcaster’s primetime average. The growth was most dramatic in young demos, 251% among women 18-34, 145% among women 35-49, 111% among men 18-34 and 84% among men 35-49 vs. the Masterpiece 2010-11 season average.”Downton Abbey has become a cultural phenomenon,” Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton said. “It is so gratifying to see our beloved Masterpiece, after more than 40 years on PBS, attracting a whole new audience.”
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Public television showing the big guys how it’s done. You gotta love it.
Pity more people saw the silly Season 2 than the much superior Season 1.
Most probably caught up with it online or via Netflix.
Skyrim for chicks.
hahaha, glass bow (superior)
Makes you wonder what ratings it would have got if they dared put it on a network…. I know that would never happen..everything as to be made to order.
While I watch and adore the show on PBS as appointment viewing, I would never watch it on a broadcast or cable net that uses advertising. Who has the time to devote to sitting thru 20 minutes of ads for every 40 minutes of content you watch? Not to mention how interrupting the story every 5 min with ads would totally destroy the mojo.
I became a fan this year. The time and place are very reminiscent
of my all-time favorite PBS series “Upstairs,Downstairs.” I am
looking forward to season three with Shirley McLaine.
My 30ish son & daughter-in-law absolutely loved the series, as well as their inlaws!!! Season three! Bring it on!!!
The Brits really know how to make a period drama. It’s brilliant!
The problem remains for PBS is that how many of these 5.4 Million viewers contribute to the local stations?
PBS spends too much time “Begging” for contributions of $35 or more, and offering over-valued gifts, when they SHOULD be focusing on smaller donations of $5,$10,$20,$35 that add up!
Smaller PBS are hurting – smaller markets,ones run by state universities,and so on.
Best thing on TV in years. I’ve got the fever!
Great show but they need to give the family members more to do now that the war is over. I find it hard to believe that wealthy Brits sat around eating all the time and getting involved in the sordid affairs of their butlers and maids.
I’ve wondered about the historical accuracy of that too, but it’s believable due to the isolation of living in the country. They don’t seem to have too many local peers or friends, in the way they would if the show were set in London. Also, of course, it underscores the “there but for class” themes of the show.
It would be wonderful if we could have a similar show with American families, but when it was tried, at least according to the stories about Dynasty and Dallas, the audience wanted more soapy plots about the rich families and less of the realistic stuff about their employees. Maybe we accept Downton Abbey (and earlier Upstairs/Downstairs) because rich or poor, it’s all escapism when you set it in England with beautiful costumes.
On a network, it would get…5.5M viewers!
Fans of costume dramas already know to look for costume dramas on PBS. Anyway, ABC may be putting this notion to the test with Gilded Lilys, if it goes to series. Let’s see how that goes before making any unfounded assumptions about a huge unserved market for historical soap operas with people in fancy clothes.
I’d say this is a case of a niche market that can survive just fine on PBS because PBS doesn’t have to pay for the production. ABC won’t have that luxury.
PS, there’s no dishonor in being a niche show. The best shows are niche shows (that’s why everything is so much better on cable). But you still need to make the money work.
I hope next season is better than season 2. What a soap opera. Then they throw in a few Oscar Wilde-ish lines for Maggie Smith, just to break up the boredom.
Season 1 was so much more lively with the turk getting f*&%($ to death by a virgin and all that stuff.
Where or where was the debauchery?!
I think that had the finale of “Downton Abbey” aired on a commercial broadcast network, it would have gotten at least 10 million viewers, maybe 12 million.
If WGBH Boston/PBS’s rights to the show haven’t been extended for Season Three (which is now in production and will be seen in the UK later this year), I can see the big commercial networks gunning for this show.
If PBS does get Season Three, don’t be surprised if it runs with pledge breaks. PBS would be stupid to not run pledge breaks to take advantage of the huge viewership that the next season of “Downton” will attract.
They have the rights – and they have co-funded the series from day 1
Love love love Downton Abbey! It’s so refreshing to watch a tv show with great characters and story lines!!!! Please don’t take this show off the air!!!!!!
one of the best shows on tv!!!!
Lets not forget the show airs with ads on ITV in the UK, and the show is produced by Carnival an NBC co.
What’s gonna happen to Mister Bates?!!! Do we have to wait a year to find out?!!!
I love this series. Can’t wait to see series 3 with Shirley Mcclaine as Coras mom against maggie smith!
I’m curious how come no one ever questioned how Mr. Farouk found Lady Mary’s room, we know that Thomas brought him there but no one questioned it and how did Mrs Bates find out about that incident.