Wednesday was a big day for cable television renewals - HBO’s “Veep,†TNT’s “Dallas†and the Sundance Channel’s “Rectify†were all picked up for new seasons that are scheduled to air in 2014. How have those programs fared in the ratings?
“Veep,†which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the country’s second in command, has been making small strides in its second season. The third episode, on April 26, drew 1.3 million total viewers, surpassing all other episodes except the the series premiere. The show is HBO’s most-watched comedy, well ahead of “Girls,†although “Veep†has the added benefit of following the surging “Game of Thrones,†which drew a series high of 5.4 million total viewers on April 26.
“Dallas,†which concluded its second season on TNT this year, averaged 2.7 million viewers, and that total reached 3.8 million after DVR viewership was included. These figures were down from the show’s first season, when an average of 4.4 million total viewers tuned in.
“Rectify,†the Sundance Channel’s first foray into original drama programming, was renewed for a 10-episode second season. The current six-episode season, which began on April 22, has received mixed reviews and Nielsen does not track the ratings for the Sundance Channel. But in a statement on Wednesday, Sarah Barnett, the president and general manager of the channel, said, “The response to ‘Rectify’ has been incredible.â€
