The Mysteries of Laura Premieres Strong, Red Band Society Nearly Flatlines
Matt Richenthal
at
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NBC and Fox awoke to contrasting news this morning in regard to a pair of Wednesday premieres.
Following the America’s Got Talent finale, The Mysteries of Laura Season 1 Episode 1 garnered an impressive 10.4 million total viewers and a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49.
That’s a major improvement over the debut of Ironside (6.8 mil/1.3) in the same timeslot last year and it marks television's most watched series debut since Believe... which didn't last more than one season.
Conversely, Red Band Society Season 1 Episode 1 barely drew a pulse: the well-reviewed hospital-set drama drew 4 million viewers and a 1.3 rating, down significantly from The X Factor‘s year-ago numbers (7.3 mil/2.2) in the time slot.
It's a shame because Red Band Society is actually a very good show.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.
