‘The Librarians’ Off To Strong Ratings Start, Most Watched Cable Debut Of 2014

TNT is scoring a rare double, launching successfully two new series in the same year. On the heels of the breakout success for The Last Ship in June, the network’s latest original series, The Librarians, opened with 5.4 million total viewers for its two-hour debut from 8-10 PM last night. The show, an offshoot of the successful TNT movie franchise starring Noah Wyle, was also strong in the demos, pulling in 1.6 million adults 18-49 and 2.1 million adults 25-54.

The Librarians premiere edged The Last Ship debut (5.3 million total, 1.5 million in 18-49, 1.7 million in 25-54) and now ranks as the No. 1 new cable series launch this year in total viewers and adults 25-54 and No. 2 behind BET’s Being Mary Jane (also spawned from an original movie) in adults 18-49 (all in Live+Same Day delivery).

For its premiere and encore telecast, the Librarians debut drew a combined audience of 7.3 million viewers in Live+SD, 2.9 million adults 25-54 and 2.3 million adults 18-49.

Both The Librarians and The Last Ship are part of TNT’s action adventure Sunday lineup and a result of the push in that arena championed by previous TNT programming chief Michael Wright, who developed and greenlighted both series. The success of The Last Ship and The Librarians pretty much assures that the network will stay in the space under the new regime led by Kevin Reilly.

The big Librarians debut adds to a strong summer for TNT, the highest-rated in years for the cable network. TNT is now poised to claim six of the basic cable’s Top 10 most watched scripted series of 2014 with Rizzoli & Isles, The Last Ship, Major Crimes, Murder In The First, Falling Skies and The Librarians.

The Librarians comes from Dean Devlin, whose company Electric Entertainment produced the movies and is producing the series; Leverage co-creator John Rogers; and Wyle, who is reprising his role from the movies, Flynn Carsen, as a recurring as he is full-time on the TNT series that kicked off action-adventure Sunday, Falling Skies. With that veteran sci-fi drama set to wrap its run, he could possibly expand his presence on The Librarians. 

The Librarians centers on an ancient organization hidden beneath the Metropolitan Public Library dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth and John Kim co-star in the series as the newest protectors of the world’s mystical treasures, with John Larroquette as their reluctant caretaker. In addition to Wyle, also reprising their roles from the movies are guest stars Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin.

Devlin, Rogers, Marc Roskin and Wyle executive produce.