Alcatraz: Premiere Ratings

The fate of Terra Nova is still undecided as FOX execs try to decide if ordering a second season of a show with mediocre ratings is worth the risk. They also want to see how well new dramas like Alcatraz will perform. Unfortunately for Terra Nova, Alcatraz had a positive start.

Per the fast affiliate ratings, the new series from JJ Abrams drew a 3.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 10.05 million total viewers in the first hour. At 9pm, Alcatraz drew a 3.3 in the demo with 9.88 million.

Looking at the half hour breakdowns, the audience stayed with the program throughout the whole two hours. There was essentially no erosion. That’s a good sign that the vast majority of them will return next week.

Compared to fall’s two hour premiere of Terra Nova, the network was up by 6% in the demo. When compared to the ratings from a year ago, FOX was down by 6% at 8pm (vs an original House) and up by 83% at 9pm (vs an original of now-cancelled Lie to Me). Speaking of that show, Alcatraz gave the network its best drama premiere in the demo since Lie to Me launched in January 2009.

While Alcatraz isn’t a blockbuster out of the gate, the TV series’ premiere got a positive sampling. It’ll be interesting to see if viewership stays at these levels as the weeks progress.

UPDATE: You can follow the first season ratings for Alcatraz.

What do you think? Do you think Alcatraz will be a hit or a flop, headed for quick cancellation?