New A&ESeries Delivers Breakout Ratings

A&E's
new scripted drama series Breakout Kings drummed up 2.8 million total
viewers in its Sunday night premiere.

The show,
which stars Laz Alonso (Southland, Avatar) and Domenick
Lombardozzi (The Wire) as U.S. marshals who head up a team of convicts
pulled from jail to track down and capture prison escapees, set a network
series premiere ratings record among adults 25-54 (1.6 million viewers) and
adults 18-49 (1.5 million viewers), but fell short of the 3.6 million total
viewers A&E's drama series The Glades drew in its summer 2010 debut.

"'Breakout
Kings' is a smart, action-packed drama with great storytelling and authentic
well-drawn characters," said Bob DeBitetto, president & general manager of
A&E Network and Bio Channel in a statement.  "Clearly the series has
struck a chord with the younger viewers which we have welcomed to the network
through our stable of unscripted programming. We're off to a great start."

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.