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[06/08/07 - 07:14 PM]
Cable Ratings Round-Up (Week of May 28-June 3): 'Sopranos,' Nba Playoffs Top the Charts
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The penultimate episode of "The Sopranos" (8.0 million, #1) was last week's top cable draw while NBA playoff coverage powered TNT and ESPN.

TNT nabbed no less than six of the top 15 slots last week thanks to its Pistons/Cavaliers coverage on Saturday (7.4 million, #2), the Pistons/Cavaliers pre-game that same night (5.7 million, #3), the Cavaliers/Pistons games on Thursday (5.6 million, #4), Saturday (4.9 million, #7) and Thursday (4.7 million, #8) and a "Law & Order" repeat on Monday night at 9:00/8:00c (3.6 million, #T13).

ESPN then snagged three spots with the Spurs/Jazz showdowns on Monday (4.6 million, #9) and Wednesday (4.0 million, #12) as well as its MLB coverage of the Yankees/Red Sox on Sunday (5.3 million, #6).

Usually dominant USA also fared with the launch of "The Starter Wife" on Thursday (5.4 million, #5) as well as its mainstay "WWE Raw" (4.5 million, #T10; 9:00 & 10:00). In addition, "Wife" drew 2.9 million adults 18-49 and 2.8 million adults 25-54, the best start for any USA original since "The 4400."

Meanwhile, Lifetime saw its newcomer "Army Wives" open to the tune of 3.5 million viewers (#15) on Sunday, making it the most-watched series premiere in the network's 23-year history. Said numbers beat out previous record holders "Missing" (3.3 million viewers in 2003) and "The Division" (3.2 million in 2001). Among Lifetime's target demographics, "Wives" averaged a 2.1 rating (1.2 million viewers) in women 18-49 (the highest for any broadcast in the time period in more than three years) and a 1.8 rating (502,000 viewers) among women 18-34. And if that wasn't enough, "Wives" also built off its lead-in, the Kirstie Alley-led original movie "Write & Wrong" (2.6 million viewers).

Rounding out the top 15 then was the "MTV Movie Awards" on Sunday (3.6 million, #T13), which was up from last year's 10-year low of 3.2 million. The special also drew 2.6 million viewers ages 12-34 (MTV's target demographic), likewise up 10% from last year's numbers.

Outside the leaderboard, The History Channel saw 3.1 million viewers tune into Monday's two-hour special "Star Wars: Legacy Revealed." The broadcast also marked the network's most-watched original telecast of all time in adults 25-54 (1.8 million) and its most-watched telecast ever in 18-49 (1.7 million). The following night, a series record 1.6 million viewers (including 777,000 adults 18-49 and 796,000 adults 25-54) tuned into the premiere of "The Universe."

And finally, the season finale of Bravo's "Shear Genius" on Wednesday hit a series high of 1.3 million viewers, including 859,000 adults 18-49 and 816,000 adults 25-54.





  [june 2026]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
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· 4400, THE (USA)
· ARMY WIVES (LIFETIME)
· DIVISION, THE (LIFETIME)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· MISSING (LIFETIME)
· SHEAR GENIUS (BRAVO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· STARTER WIFE, THE (USA)
· WRITE & WRONG (LIFETIME)
· WWE RAW (NETFLIX)





[06/08/26 - 10:55 AM]
Production Begins on Season Two of CBS' "Marshals" - The #1 New Broadcast Series
Produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios, the series averaged 20.4 million multiplatform viewers for the first eight episodes.

[06/08/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "The Bear" - Season 5 Official Trailer - Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach - FX
The final season premieres June 25.

[06/08/26 - 10:00 AM]
Rocket, Groot, Mr. Fantastic and Silk Join "Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends" Season 5, Premiering July 13
This season will introduce a new "Rescue-Webs" story arc in which Team Spidey is able to tackle even more daring rescues with their new Spidey-themed firetruck and rescue gear.

[06/08/26 - 09:16 AM]
"Lupin" Part 4 Will Premiere on October 23rd on Netflix
Omar Sy reprises his iconic role as Assane Diop, the gentleman thief, in these new eight episodes alongside Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Soufiane Guerrab, Shirine Boutella, Théo Christine and Laïka Blanc-Francard.

[06/08/26 - 09:04 AM]
Chef Anna Gass Returns for Season 2 of "Instant Italian" Premiering Monday, June 29 on FYI Network
Season 2 of "Instant Italian" joins chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, and culinary influencer Anna Francese Gass back in the kitchen as she shares fresh takes on beloved Italian dishes.

[06/08/26 - 09:03 AM]
ESPN Scores Second Most-Watched WCWS Finals on Record; Game 2 Delivers Most-Watched College Softball Game Ever
Game 2 averaged 2.5 million viewers across ESPN/ESPNU, delivering the most-watched college softball game on record.

[06/08/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "The American Experiment" - Official Trailer - Netflix
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the new five-part documentary series The American Experiment reexamines the improbable achievement that was the nation's founding, and the radical question at the center of the revolution: Can a people govern themselves?

[06/08/26 - 08:01 AM]
Roku Originals Celebrates the Greatest Women in Sports with "Gamechangers: America's Top 25 Female Athletes," Executive Produced by Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, and Peyton Manning
This hour-long special, which is the second iteration of Roku's "Gamechangers" anthology series, will feature interviews with star athletes, sports media voices, and celebrities, celebrating the legacy and impact of 25 of the greatest female athletes in American sports history.

[06/08/26 - 08:01 AM]
BritBox Announces "Hercule," Starring Edward Bluemel as Agatha Christie's Legendary Detective Hercule Poirot
The series takes a magnifying glass to three of Christie's most celebrated stories, while also charting Hercule's burgeoning friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings, his early encounters with Scotland Yard's James Japp, and introducing him to one particular nemesis...

[06/08/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Drops Official Trailer for High-Octane Series "Ride or Die" Starring Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham
A Paramount Television Studios and Amazon MGM Studios production, the fast-paced series will debut all eight episodes on Wednesday, July 15, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[06/08/26 - 08:00 AM]
Video: New Teaser for "Descendants: Wicked Wonderland" Drops Down the Rabbit Hole, Debuting July 16 on Disney Channel and Next Day on Disney+
A new teaser was revealed today, along with the premiere date, poster art and casting news confirming that critically acclaimed actress and comedian Awkwafina will step into the twisted world of Wonderland as Chessy the Cat.

[06/08/26 - 07:01 AM]
Meet Scooby-Doo! Netflix Reveals Live-Action Take on the Iconic Canine
This marks the first time in the Scooby-Doo franchise that the character of Scooby-Doo will be portrayed by a real dog.

[06/08/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Disney's Andscape Debuts Trailer for "They Fight," Starring Andre Holland, Wendell Pierce, and Samira Wiley Ahead of the Film's World Premiere at Tribeca
The film follows a reformed ex-con who finds purpose mentoring young boxers at a Washington, D.C. youth gym as they pursue their dreams in and out of the ring.

[06/08/26 - 07:00 AM]
National Geographic's Fin-Favorite Summer Event Returns with Even More Shark-Filled Fun, Kicking Off with Marquee Special "Hammerhead Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory
Additional fin-tastic programming will roll out throughout the month across Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Channel and Disney XD, with select titles also streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

[06/06/26 - 12:01 AM]
Video: New Teaser - Hulu Original Series "Rivals" Season 2 Return
The UK original returns this November on Hulu, and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers, in the US and Disney+ internationally.