'Fargo's Premiere 8% Better Than Last Season

The season three premiere of Fargo on FX April 19 was watched by 3 million total viewers, based on live-plus-3 ratings, 8% better than the season two premiere. The premiere rating also beat the season two average rating, which is 2.76 million. 

Adults 18-49 viewership for the season three premiere was essentially flat with the previous season’s premiere, 1.06 million vs. 1.08 million. 

Set in 2010, the third installment of Fargo centers on Emmit and his slightly younger brother Ray Stussy, both played by Ewan McGregor. Emmit, the Parking Lot King of Minnesota, is an American success story, whereas Ray is a pot-bellied parole officer with a huge chip on his shoulder about the hand he’s been dealt – and he blames his brother. Their rivalry begins with petty theft but leads to murder. 

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Carrie Coon stars as Gloria Burgle, the chief of the local police department. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Ray’s girlfriend, Nikki Swango, a recent parolee with a passion for competitive bridge. 

Fargo comes from executive producers Noah Hawley (creator/showrunner/writer/director), Joel & Ethan Coen, Warren Littlefield and John Cameron. 

The show is produced by MGM Television and FX Productions, with MGM Television the lead studio.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.