Renewed critical acclaim and the mere hype of a “Seinfeld” reunion were not enough to boost the ratings for HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but the actual debut of the story arc was able to provide some assistance.
Sunday’s episode, which featured the beginning of the much-hyped “Seinfeld” reunion storyline with principals Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards and Jason Alexander, drew 1.6 million viewers, the highest rating for a “Curb” episode in five years (granted, the figure is millions below what the show averaged in its heyday and does not even compare to the peak ratings for NBC’s “Seinfeld”). The 10PM encore boosted the night’s viewership figure to 2.6 million.
The extra buzz benefited new leadout “Bored to Death,” which earned a series-best 1.1 million (the show earned a second season renewal on the heels of the number).
The season finale of “Entourage,” meanwhile, drew a healthy 2.5 million viewers.