Blade: The Series Premieres with 2.5 Million Viewers

[ProductionMusic]

The premiere of Spike TV's first original scripted action-adventure offering Blade: The Series on Wednesday, June 28 (10:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT) drew record ratings for the network with a 2.0 HH rating and 2.5 million viewers, the highest premiere in network history for an original series. Additionally, Blade: The Series was the #1 entertainment show for the night with Men 18-34 and 18-49.

Blade: The Series tallied triple-digit gains in all key male demos versus last year including up +517% in M18-34 (2.6 rating, 680,000 viewers), up +472% in M18-49 (2.2, 1.17 million), up +277% in viewers (2.5 million), and up +247% in household rating (2.0, 1.8 million).

"We promised action and adventure with our first scripted series and really delivered," said Doug Herzog, president, Spike TV. "Our targeted audience of men came through for us with big numbers. 'Blade: The Series' serves as a launch pad for future original scripted shows."

Additionally, starting today, iTunes users can download a FREE copy of the two-hour premiere of Blade: The Series through July 11. The one-hour weekly series' second episode premieres on Wednesday, July 5 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT). New episodes will be available for purchase on iTunes the day after their premiere on Spike TV.

Blade: The Series features Kirk "Sticky" Jones in the title role as Marvel's immortal half-man, half-vampire who uses his superhuman powers and skills to fearlessly battle the demonic creatures of the night in a blood- drenched crusade to prevent their rise over mankind. The series also stars Jill Wagner as double-agent "Krista Starr," Neil Jackson as "Marcus," Blade's chief nemesis and head of the Chthon House; Jessica Gower as "Chase," a seductive vampire who is devoted to Marcus; and Nelson Lee as "Shen," a technology genius and Blade's confidante.

Blade: The Series is based on the Marvel Super Hero and Produced by New Line Television. Bill McGoldrick, Vice President, Original Programming and Lisa Ullmann, Director of Original Programming, are executives in charge of production at Spike TV. Jim Rosenthal and Jon Kroll of New Line Television, Ari Arad, Executive Vice President, Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and David Goyer ("Blade" films, Batman Begins) all serve as series executive producers.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/bladenews.php?id=4453

 

[Retroman]

A bottle of champagne will be opened at Marvel hq.

 

[The Apatow Crew]

A bottle of champagne will be opened at Marvel hq.

I'm sure they will.

 

[Aren]

A bottle of champagne will be opened at Marvel hq.

Nah, I dont think so, if there was so much viewers it's only because Blade fans wanted to see if the series was good or not, and a lot of people didnt like it, Marvel knows it, so there won't be so much viewers next time...

 

[Angelus7181]

Nah, I dont think so, if there was so much viewers it's only because Blade fans wanted to see if the series was good or not, and a lot of people didnt like it, Marvel knows it, so there won't be so much viewers next time...

Seems like wishful thinking to me.. most fans thought it was okay... not the worst. I happen to find it better then Smallville.. so I'll be tuning in every week.

Spiketv won't be letting go of Blade anytime soon, this is there new cash cow.

 

[vampireslayer97]

(Gets all giddy!) I just hope the ratings stay like that.

 

[spiderfan09]

I think it'll have a great enough following to last more than one season. Someone in another thread made a comment about spike being a bad choice for the show to be on, personally, I think it was the best choice they could possibly make. That show is watched by so many people (more likely guys) and it is watched all the time, and can show more gore and more language. It's pushing the t.v. scale, like one of my other favorite tv shows, nip/tuck.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I think a better network would've been F/X, I did think the premiere was good enough to keep me watching though. Good summer fun.

 

[spiderfan09]

Yea, f/x would have been ok, but I am just not sure if that would have the same or better following, it's too late now, but we can only wonder.

 

[BDOUBLEO]

The numbers might be better next week, because there were a lot people in the same demographic out watching Superman Returns that night. So the numbers are really good.

 

[Fanticon]

well, I have to say that I am glad it premiered as well as it did for that network...if it continues to do well, I wonder if Spike would be one of the brave networks to pick up Aquaman.
Anyway I liked this pilot better than I liked Blade Trinity...And I am looking forward to the further adventures of Blade and co. My problem with Trnity is that it was trying to be too cool for school...they might as well of given it the PG13 rating so that its Box office numbers might have been slightly higher...but I also feel that was the kind of movie I was getting...and then down the line they shoulda released the R or unrated DVD...basically, it lacked the feel of the first two...and Goyer should stay away from directing and stick with writing...I'm glad he was on board for the series, and I think there is much more to do with the character in a series like this now...since his big screen days are over.
a lot of people thin that Sticky didn't quite get it...the character. But with television...he has the advantage of kind of growing into the character with so many episodes and for the most part they tend to film in sequence...or even they don't film them in order...he's going to have to adapt his skills and acting with each new story for each episode...He'll get better, and hopefully this gets picked up for another season after this ones run...I'm a fan already.

 

[kal-el2006]

way better than blade trinity thats for sure

 

[DOG LIPS]

Awesome. I really like this series already. It has it's flaws, but hopefully it will pick up. The true test is to see how much better it is in one hour doses and to see how many of those 2.5 million people view in for round 2.

 

[Warhammer]

I hope the episodes are more like the 2nd hour than the 1st.

 

[Fanticon]

how do we find out how many viewers have been tuned in after the 2.5million debut...whats it down to now?...I figure if we're not hearing about it every week that its slipping...maybe?