V Premiere Gets Big Ratings

The highly anticipated premiere of V drew numbers that almost certainly exceeded expectations for ABC. The show pulled in 13.9 million viewers and an outstanding 5.0 rating in the critical 18-49 demo. That made it the highest rated new series of the season. It did this despite showing in the generally weaker 8pm hour and against NCIS which is the top show on TV. While NCIS came in first in overall viewers V topped it in the 18-49 demo.

I thought the episode was great and it made for the best pilot of the season. Comparisons with ABC’s other high profile series FlashForward are natural. I felt the acting, dialogue, and pace for V were all superior. Now it is just a question of whether fans will stay with it once these four episodes run with the three month break before returning. With several series, most notably Lost, the audience has been shown to erode following extended breaks.