Press Release from Cartoon Network
Officially kicking the summer television season into high gear, Cartoon Network's newest animated series TOTAL DRAMA ACTION premiered Thursday night (June 11, 9 p.m.) as the most-watched program of the day on all television-broadcast and cable-among kids 6-11, kids 9-14 and boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.
The animated reality series charted double- and triple-digit ratings and delivery gains across all kid demos and ranked as the network's highest-rated telecast year-to-date among kids 9-14. Coupled with brand new episodes of original animated comedy series THE MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF FLAPJACK (8:30 p.m.) and 6Teen (9:30 p.m.), Total Drama Action drove the Har Har Tharsdays comedy block (8-10 p.m.) to a significant win as Cartoon Network's most-watched Thursday prime time performance year-to-date and second-best overall prime time performance to date in 2009.
A series spin-off to last year's TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND -- Cartoon Network's #1 series in 2008 among kids 6-11 and 9-14 -- TOTAL DRAMA ACTION proved even more potent than its predecessor, which premiered in the same timeframe last year. Compared to the TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND premiere on June 5, 2008, TOTAL DRAMA ACTION out-delivered kids 2-11 by 81%, kids 6-11 by 85% and kids 9-14 by 140%. Even more significantly, boys 2-11 delivery increased by 103%, boys 6-11 delivery by 101% and boys 9-14 delivery by 174%.
Highlights from the TOTAL DRAMA ACTION series premiere, as well as Cartoon Network's Har Har Tharsdays prime time performance compared to the same time period last year, include the following:
TOTAL DRAMA ACTION (Thursday, June 11, 9 p.m.) vs. TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND (Thursday, June 5, 2008, 9 p.m.)
* Kids 2-11 delivery (1,714,000) increased by 81%, and ratings (4.2) by 75%
* Boys 2-11 delivery (1,144,000) increased by 103%, and ratings (5.5) by 104%
* Kids 6-11 delivery (1,347,000) increased by 85%, and ratings (5.5) by 83%
* Boys 6-11 delivery (946,000) increased by 101%, and ratings (7.6) by 100%
* Kids 9-14 delivery (1,163,000) and ratings (4.8) both increased by 140%
* Boys 9-14 delivery (859,000) increased by174%, and ratings (6.9) by 176%
Har Har Thardays (Thursday, 8-10 p.m.) vs. the same time period in 2008
* Kids 2-11 delivery (1,270,000) increased by 13%, and ratings (3.1) by 11%
* Kids 6-11 delivery (967,000) increased by 17%, and ratings (4.0) by 18%
* Kids 9-14 delivery (790,000) increased by 27%, and ratings (3.2) by 28%
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (Thursday, 8:30 p.m.) vs. the same time period averages in 2008
* Kids 2-11 delivery (1,107,000) increased by 7%, and ratings (2.7) by 4%
* Kids 6-11 delivery (824,000) and ratings (3.4) both increased by 10%
* Kids 9-14 delivery (648,000) increased by 26%, and ratings (2.7) by 29%
6TEEN (Thursday, 9:30 p.m.) vs. the same time period averages in 2008
* Kids 6-11 delivery (923,000) and ratings (3.8) both increased by 6%
* Kids 9-14 delivery (843,000) increased by 38%, and ratings (3.5) by 40%
TOTAL DRAMA ACTION is an animated comedy that showcases all the elements of favorite reality TV shows within the framework of an exciting, larger-than-life elimination competition. Created by FreshTV Inc., TOTAL DRAMA ACTION delivers the best moments of reality television: romances and friendships, scheming and sabotage, death-defying stunts and stomach-curdling challenges. The 14 lead contestants from 2008's TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND series return to face thrilling challenges in an abandoned film studio backlot-all inspired by the movies! Participants compete for rewards and the hope of winning the monster cash prize of one million dollars. Every second episode, contestants will face the dramatic Gilded Chris Ceremony, where one unlucky loser will walk the green mile and ride the "lame-ousine" home, never to return.
