‘Skins' Premieres to 3.26 Million Viewers

Despite setting launch records for MTV, debut far from ‘Jersey Shore'-size ratings

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/18/2011 4:43:42 PM

The premiere of Skins on MTV Monday night drew an audience of 3.26 million viewers, with 2.7 million in the persons 12-34 demo, the most core viewers for a show launch in network history.

The new scripted series earned a 3.4 rating with P12-34, down 55% from its lead-in, an original episode of Jersey Shore, (moved to Monday to help prop up the debut) which earned a 7.6 rating in the same demo.

Skins, based on the popular U.K. series, is part of MTV's push into scripted programming that includes last year's The Hard Times of RJ Berger and this summer's Teen Wolf.