TNT

TNT's summer lineup continues its strong performance, chalking up cable's Top 3 series for the week: The Closer, which returned for the first of its final six episodes; Perception, TNT's brand new drama that launched as one of cable's top series premieres for the year-to-date; and Rizzoli & Isles, which is garnering strong deliveries in its new Tuesday timeslot. This week also saw the fifth-season premiere of Leverage, which ranked as basic cable's #1 show in its new Sunday 8 p.m. timeslot among adults 25-54. In addition, time-shifted viewing is giving TNT's shows a big boost, with Falling Skies and Rizzoli & Isles each adding more than 1 million adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 from Live + Same Day to Live + 7.

Driven by the strength of its summer originals, TNT's primetime deliveries are up 17% among total viewers, 17% among adults 18-49 and 17% among adults 25-54, compared to the network's performance in summer 2011. Young adults are also on the rise this summer, with TNT's delivery of adults 18-34 up 26%.

Monday:

TNT's blockbuster series The Closer returned last Monday for the first of six final episodes, drawing 6.1 million viewers in Live + Same Day to rank as cable's #1 series telecast for the week. It also claims the largest Live + Same Day audience for a returning cable drama for the summer-to-date. The premiere has already grown to more than 7.8 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery. The Closer also scored 1.2 million adults 18-49 (1.7 million L+3) and 1.7 million adults 25-54 (2.3 million L+3).

TNT's new drama Perception premiered Monday at 10 p.m. with 5.6 million viewers in Live + Same Day, placing it second behind TNT's Dallas among cable's new series launches for the year-to-date. That figure has grown to more than 6.8 million viewers in Live + 3. In the demos, Perception averaged 1.1 million adults 18-49 in Live + Same Day (1.5 million L+3) and ranks #2 behind Dallas as among cable's top drama series launches this year with adults 25-54 (1.5 million).

Tuesday:

TNT's Rizzoli & Isles ranked second behind The Closer among cable's top series last week, with 5.5 million viewers in Live + Same Day, up 4% compared to last week. It has since grown to 7.7 million viewers in Live + 3. Rizzoli & Isles also saw strong growth among key demos compared to the prior week, with 1.5 million adults 18-49 (+17%) and ranked as basic cable's top drama for the week with adults 25-54 (1.9 million adults; +9%). In Live + 3, last week's Rizzoli & Isles has grown to 2.3 million adults 18-49 and 2.8 million adults 25-54.

Franklin & Bash continues to perform well in its new Tuesday 10 p.m. timeslot, drawing 2.7 million viewers in Live + Same Day, which has grown to 3.8 million viewers in Live + 3. The show scored growth among key demos compared to the prior week, with adults 18-49 up 8% to 1.1 million (1.6 million L+3) and adults 25-54 up 5% to 1.3 million (1.8 million L+3).

Wednesday:

Last week's episode of Dallas scored 3.6 million viewers in Live + Same Day, up 8% compared to the prior week. The episode also scored 1.2 million adults 18-49 and 1.4 million adults 25-54. Last week's episode of Dallas has since grown to 4.9 million viewers in Live + 3, with 1.7 million adults 18-49 and 2.1 million adults 25-54.

Sunday:

TNT's popular caper series Leverage launched its fifth season with 3.4 million viewers in Live + Same Day, making it ad-supported cable's #1 program in the Sunday 8 p.m. timeslot. That figure is 4% greater than last year's summer season average. Among key adult demos, Leverage drew 1.1 million adults 18-49 and 1.4 million adults 25-54, the latter also coming in at #1 in the timeslot.

Falling Skies followed Leverage Sunday night with 3.6 million viewers in Live + Same Day. The episode also averaged 1.6 million adults 18-49 and ranked as basic cable's #1 show for in its timeslot with adults 25-54 (1.8 million). Meanwhile, the previous week's episode of Falling Skies has grown to 5.1 million viewers in Live + 3, with 2.4 million adults 18-49; 2.8 million adults 25-54.

Sunday night's installment of The Great Escape captured 1.2 million viewers in Live + Same Day, with 620,000 adults 18-49 and 672,000 adults 25-54. The prior week's episode attracted 1.6 million viewers in Live + 3, with 1.0 million adults 18-49 and 1.0 million adults 25-54.

Live + 7

TNT's series are enjoying strong growth in Live + 7 delivery according to the most recent time-shifted viewing data:

· Dallas (June 27): 5.7 million viewers; 2.1 million adults 18-49; 2.6 million adults 25-54

· Rizzoli & Isles (June 26): 8.3 million viewers; 2.5 million adults 18-49; 3.1 million adults 25-54

· Franklin & Bash (June 26): 5 million viewers; 2.1 million adults 18-49; 2.2 million adults 25-54

· Falling Skies (July 1): 5.4 million viewers; 2.6 million adults 18-49; 3 million adults 25-54

· The Great Escape (July 1): 1.8 million viewers; 1.1 million adults 18-49; 1.2 million adults 25-54

Sports

For the sixth straight week, TNT's coverage of the NASCAR Summer Series delivered the highest-rated and most-viewed program of the day on ad-supported cable. TNT's coverage of the New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 15, posted a 3.1 U.S. household rating (+7% vs. a 2.9 U.S. HH rating in 2011) and 4,775,000 viewers (+5% vs. 4,562,000 viewers last year). Following the conclusion of its six-race schedule, Turner Sports' coverage of the NASCAR Summer Series averaged a 3.2 U.S. household rating (+3% vs. 2011).

Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network once again ranked as television's #1 network for Total Day delivery of boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14, and #2 in Early Prime (7-9 p.m.) delivery among kids 2-11 (behind only Disney Channel).

Among the network's original series, Monday night's Adventure Time (7:30 p.m.) was the #1 telecast of the day among boys 2-11, and #1 in its time period among kids 2-11 and all boys; Regular Show (8 p.m.) ranked as the #1 telecast of the day among boys 6-11 & 9-14, and #1 in its time period among boys 2-11; and Annoying Orange (8:30 p.m.) and MAD (8:45 p.m.) both ranked #1 in their time periods among all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14.

Tuesday night's Total Drama: Revenge of the Island (7:30 p.m.) was #1 in its time period among all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14.

Saturday morning's (6:30 - 11 a.m.) presentation of action-adventure programming - including Pokémon BW: Rival Destinies (8:30 a.m.), Ninjago (9:30 a.m.), The Green Lantern (10 a.m.) and Young Justice (10:30 a.m.) - increased by double-digits across all kids and boys demos - between 27% and 57%.

Adult Swim

Adult Swim ranked #3 in Prime Time delivery of adults 18-34 (behind only TBS & ESPN) among basic cable networks, up 18% compared to the same week last year.

Adult Swim also ranked as television's #1 network for Total Day Delivery of young adults 18-34, 18-49 and 18-24 as well as men 18-34, 18-49 & 18-24. Average Prime Time (Mon-Sat, 8-11 p.m./Sun, 7-11 p.m.) delivery grew across the board: adults 18-49 (724,000) by 9%, adults 18-24 (249,000) by 19%, men 18-34 (276,000) by 14% and men 18-24 (142,000) by 26%.

The Adult Swim original series premiere of Black Dynamite (Sunday, 11:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-34, adults 18-24, men 18-34 and men 18-24. Similarly, a new episode of Aqua Something You Know Whatever (Sunday, 12 a.m.) also ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24, men 18-34 and men 18-24, earning solid delivery growth among adults 18-34 (up 19%) and adults 18-24 (up 13%). A new episode of Metalocalypse (Sunday, 12:15 a.m.) completed the hour, ranking #1 in its time period among adults 18-34/18-24 and men 18-34/18-24, charting large double-digit delivery gains - adults 18-34 (up 49%), adults 18-49 (up 31%) and adults 18-24 (up 65%).

Adult Swim programming - including Family Guy, American Dad and Robot Chicken - accounted for 20 of the top 50 telecasts of the week on basic cable among adults 18-34.

TBS

Sitcoms and movie presentations led TBS to the top of the charts as basic cable's #1 network in primetime delivery of adults 18-34 and adults 18-49 for the week.

TBS's original sitcom Men at Work closed out its first season last Thursday, averaging 1.6 million viewers in Live + Same Day for two back-to-back episodes.

The show also averaged 613,000 adults 18-34 and 1.1 million adults 18-49. Meanwhile, time-shifted viewing has lifted the first seven episodes of the season to more than 2.6 million viewers in Live + 7, with 908,000 adults 18-34 and 1.7 million adults 18-49.

Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse, basic cable's #1 sitcom of 2011, returned to the TBS lineup Friday with 2.2 million viewers in Live + Same Day. The series from writer-director-executive producer Tyler Perry averaged 2.1 million viewers for the 9 p.m. episode, growing to 2.3 million viewers for the 9:30 p.m. episode. Among key adult demos, Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse garnered 1.1 million adults 18-49 and 538,000 adults 18-34 at 9 p.m., and the second episode drew 1.2 million adults 18-49 and 517,000 adults 18-34. Friday night's deliveries for Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse among total viewers and adults 18-49 were even with the show's post-launch performance in December, while adults 18-34 grew slightly.

TBS's Sunday 8 p.m. telecast of the blockbuster comedy The Hangover scored 2.4 million viewers and ranked as cable's #1 movie for the week among adults 18-34 (943,000) and adults 18-49 (1.6 million).

truTV

truTV ranked among ad-supported cable's Top 10 networks in primetime last week with adults 18-49 (574,000), as well as with men 18-34 (165,000) and men 18-49 (334,000). Among ad-supported cable's entertainment networks, truTV garnered Top 10 rankings for the week with total viewers (1.2 million) and adults 18-34 (277,000). Compared to same week year-ago, truTV's charted solid growth, with total viewers up 11%, adults 18-34 up 22%, adults 18-49 up 14%, men 18-34 p 31%, men 18-49 up 20%.

Lizard Lick Towing (Monday at 10 p.m.) drew 2.1 million viewers and 1.1 million adults 18-49. The popular series delivered double-digit growth for its timeslot while ranking among the Top 5 ad-supported cable programs in its timeslot with total viewers and key male demos.

Hardcore Pawn (Tuesday at 9 p.m.) kicked off its sixth season with a bang last week, averaging more than 2.5 million viewers in Live + Same Day, up 33% compared to its season five premiere. The episode, which also scored 1.2 million adults 18-49, ranked second among all ad-supported programs in the timeslot with men 18-49 (728,000) and yielded triple-digit timeslot growth in all key demos.

Operation Repo (Wednesday at 10 p.m.) brought in 1.5 million viewers last week and ranked among cable's Top 5 entertainment programs in its timeslot. The show also wrangled double-digit time-period growth with viewers and key adult and male demos.

Storage Hunters (Sunday at 10 p.m.) continues to perform extremely well in its Sunday timeslot, averaging 2.2 million viewers last week and chalking up its best deliveries ever among adults 18-34 and men 18-34. Storage Hunters also ranked among ad-supported cable's Top 5 programs in its time period with total viewers, as well as key male demos, while growing the 10 p.m. hour's delivery by double and triple digits compared over last year.