CBS’s ‘Undercover Boss’ (with Hooters) draws 15.4 million viewers
February 15, 2010, by
The folks at CBS know how to launch a new show (as long as it’s not called “Viva Laughlin.”) The network drew more than 38 million viewers for the network’s new reality show “Undercover Boss” last Sunday after the Super Bowl.
Then they chose Atlanta-based Hooters as the next episode, with promos featuring Hooters Girls eating beans from a plate without their hands. Demeaning? Absolutely! But it certainly drew plenty of curious viewers: about 15.4 million, based on early numbers. The 18-49 numbers were strong, too: 5.1/12.
Those numbers are even more impressive considering CBS was up against NBC’s Vancouver Winter Olympics, which brought in about 29 million viewers at 9 p.m. Sunday.
The test of the show’s durability will come next week when the decidedly less sexy 7-Eleven gets the spotlight on “Undercover Boss.”
The Olympics did hurt the opening frame of “The Amazing Race” at 8 p.m., which opened at a series-low 9 million viewers. Last year, it opened at about 9.4 million. I expect those numbers will improve once the Olympics are out of the way.
ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," hosted by former Grant Park denizen Ty Pennington, is showing its age, though. It drew about 6 million viewers from 9 to 11 p.m. (though its numbers improved with each half hour.)
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
