TNT got some welcomed good news with the finale of "The Closer" on Monday, as well as the start of spinoff "Major Crimes."
Completing seven
seasons, "The Closer," which put TNT on the map years ago in the original drama arena, earned, for its series finale, a big 9.1 million viewers -- putting it as cable's No. 1 rating series so far this
summer.
The start of "Closer" spinoff "Major Crimes" on the same night hit a big 7.2 million viewers -- which Turner says is the top new series launch this year. The network has launched
two other big dramas in recent months -- the return of "Dallas," which grabbed 6.9 million viewers on June 13, and "Perception," which scored 5.6 million on its July 9 debut.
Since
premiering in 2005, "The Closer" ranked at as the No. 1 series on cable from 2005 -- when it debuted -- through 2009. But it has dipped in recent years.
In July, TNT's prime-time viewership
was down 7% to nearly 2.7 million. For the second quarter, TNT was down 9% to 2.5 million viewers. Earlier in the spring, TNT benefitted from higher-rated NBA games.
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