Monk, Sex: Good Start
By Allison Romano -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/30/2003
From a quirky Monk to racy Sex and the City, several established cable originals toasted big ratings the week of June 16-22.
USA Network's original detective drama Monk kicked off its sophomore season June 20 with a robust 4.1 rating and 5.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. That number surely caught ABC's attention as the broadcaster considers repurposing Monk as it did last summer. On USA, eight more Monk episodes air this summer, and seven air more early next year.
HBO's much hyped Sex debut June 22 delivered on expectations, grabbing a 15.1 rating and 7.3 million viewers among HBO subscribers. HBO counts 38 million HBO and Cinemax subscribers. This season's premiere—the start of the sixth and final season—garnered marks nearly identical to last season's debut: 15.2 rating and 7.9 million viewers. Averages for last summer: 14.4 and 7 million.
Lifetime drama Strong Medicine, now in its fourth season, posted solid numbers June 22 with a 2.5 rating and 2.4 viewers.
MTV's The Real World Paris posted a 3.1 rating and 3.3 million viewers for its third episode June 17. Its Tuesday-night companion The Osbournes has cooled off, with a 2.8 rating and 3.1 million viewers. Rapper Snoop Dog's weekly Doggy Fizzle Televizzle on MTV debuted June 22 with a 1.1 rating with 1.3 million viewers. The next night, about 900,000 viewers tuned in for comedian Tom Green's new show.
