BuddyTV - USA - The new TLC series, LA Ink, premiered last Tuesday, averaging 2.9 million total viewers at the 10pm timeslot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the number makes the show the most-watched series debut for the cable channel since the premiere of What Not to Wear in January 2003.
The premiere of LA Ink also did better than several recent TLC series premieres, including May's Big Medicine, June's I've Got Nothing to Wear, and July's Hard Shine and Diagnosis X.
The show, which stars tattoo artist
Kat Von D, her staff and A-list clientele, is also the highest-rated series premiere in the history of TLC among adults 18-34, with a rating of 2.6 and a viewer count of 1.5 million. The premiere was also the highest-rated basic cable primetime program last Tuesday among several major adult demographics, including 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
Due in part to LA Ink, TLC topped other basic cable networks in primetime last Tuesday, winning the 18-34 and 18-49 demographics, and outperformed major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS and NBC, in the 19-34 demographic.
