'True Blood' Returns Steady in Season Premiere

Episode's 5.2 million viewers down 4% over season four debut

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/11/2012 3:46:14 PM

HBO's True Blood returned for its fifth season Sunday night to an audience of 5.2 million viewers at 9 p.m., down 4% over its season four premiere.

The episode was up 3% over where the vampire drama left off in its season four finale. Combined with its 11 p.m. replay, True Blood drew a total 6.3 million viewers for the night, down 3% over last year's combined premiere rating.

 At 10 p.m., the season finale of Veep drew 1.1 million viewers, down 8% over last week's episode which aired out of the Game of Thrones finale. The 12 a.m. replay drew an additional 288,000 viewers.

Girls averaged 866,000 viewers at 10:30 p.m., down 21% over last week's series high. Its 12:30 a.m. replay added 224,000 viewers.