Thursday, January 16, 2014

‘Duck Dynasty’ Premiere Second Most Popular Show on TV, On Par With Last Year

Last night's show ranks as No. 2 program of night in young adults — behind only Fox's 'American Idol'

More than 8.5 million heard the “Duck Dynasty” call Wednesday, as the A&E juggernaut returned to strong but far from record-breaking ratings — less than a month after a firestorm of controversy engulfed the show.

This number is about the same as its recent Christmas special as well as its 2013 bow last February, but well below its record-setting fourth-season opener of last August.

On a night that included original series episodes on every broadcast network — including the season premiere of Fox’s “American Idol” — “Duck Dynasty” ranked as the evening’s No. 2 program among adults 18-49. Its 4.2 million viewers in the demo (a 3.3 rating) put it behind only “Idol” (4.6) and slightly ahead of ABC’s “Modern Family” (3.2)