In January, “Catfish: The TV Show,†the documentary series on MTV that follows Nev Schulman and his videographer Max Joseph, enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight when when Manti T’eo became the most high-profile example of someone being “catfished,†that is, the victim of a hoax involving a faked online identity. But so far, any interest from that incident has not translated into higher ratings for the show.
The Jan. 21 episode, which ran after the Manti T’eo story broke, propelled the series to a high of 2.8 million viewers. The Season 2 premiere on Tuesday had only 2.5 million total viewers, barely above the average viewership of Season 1, which was 2.4 million.
It should also be noted that original airings of Season 1 were scheduled at 11 p.m., aking the ratings for those episodes more impressive. The Season 2 premiere, however, unfolded in primetime, at 10 p.m., a higher-profile time slot but also a more competitive one.
