'Hell on Wheels' Season Finale Garners 3.8M Viewers

Western drama ends as AMC's second highest-rated series

By Lindsay Rubino -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/17/2012 4:19:06 PM

AMC's Hell on Wheels wrapped up its first season on Jan. 15 to a total 2.8 million viewers in its 10 p.m. premiere, and added another million viewers with its encore at 11 p.m. to total 3.8 million.

The gritty Western drama, which was renewed for a second season last month, ended down from the 4.4 million viewers that tuned in for the show's November premiere. The series has averaged 3 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the A18-49 demo, standing as AMC's second highest-rated series, behind only The Walking Dead.

"The writers, producers, cast and crew of Hell on Wheels have created a multi-layered and complex period drama. It delivers on its Western origins, but adds another level of storytelling that is really about how this nation came to be what it is today. We congratulate our partners and the incredible creative team on ending a terrific season with such momentum. Work on the railroad continues with season two returning to AMC in the fall," said Charlie Collier, president of AMC.