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“True Blood” Ratings Down Considerably, “Treme” Ends Season Quietly

Although it remains a powerhouse performer for HBO (and a standout among all scripted cable series), “True Blood” dipped considerably from its season premiere this week.

Episode two of the third season dropped to 4.259 million viewers with a 2.5 adults 18-49 rating, according to a report on Mediaweek. HBO noted that the 11PM airing added another 1.3 million viewers to the tally.

Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer.arrives at the True Blood Season Premiere 2010.ArcLight Cineramadome.Los Angeles, CA.June 8, 2010.2010 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo.. Photo via Newscom

As the drop of about 16% is roughly in-line with the pattern from last year, this is by no means a red flag or a sign that “True Blood” is anything less than a stellar performer for HBO. By the same token, as “Blood” is now a more established series for HBO, the lofty intra-season growth demonstrated over the second season might not be as plausible. “True Blood” will remain HBO’s flagship series, but it might finally have identified its apex audience level between last season’s finale and last week’s season premiere.

“Treme,” meanwhile, failed to end its first season on a high note. Down to just 0.931 million viewers with a 0.4 adults 18-49 rating, “Treme,” in addition to offering up a low number, disappointed further by losing much of the “True Blood spike” it received last week. The season closer’s viewership was also well below that of the season premiere, which garnered the eyeballs of 1.4 million viewers.

Based on its early performance and critical acclaim, “Treme” quickly scored a second season renewal, but the battle for HBO will now be figuring out a way to clot the viewership bleed.

Written by Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002.

Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj.

Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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  1. TRue blood rocks!!! I looooooove it and i live for every sunday night. V””””V sweet baby I need fresh blood!!!!

    NOW on another note…. TREME
    i honestly tried to get into this show. But i have to face up and say that it is a disappointment. I saw all the episodes of the season and the final one convinced me to hang the towel. It was pathetic, self indulgent and kinda depressing. The spark that was about to light the fire died out around. The characters are bums who live to get drunk on mardi gras and spend it seems weeks and weeks sewing and beading costumes instead of finding jobs. Or they just bum of their parents. Or play their instruments for pennies on the street. They are all bores who are &&&& ups. Im also tired of all the music they shove into the show. I wanted a captivating story that drew me in and kept me interested. I wanted more creativity!!!! This isnt it.
    sorry NOLA

  2. Well, True Blood is an unabashed attempt to appeal to your most basic, asinine and moronic qualities as a television viewer. Treme is the exact opposite. I like both shows but I guess we know which kind of viewer you are.

    Why don’t you drop all of the cultural traditions that you care about, get a job at the gap, and save up enough money to go see twilight every few months? Sounds like the perfect life.

  3. I love them both. Treme did seem to need a few more triumphs to make it palatable. The death of Cray may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Goodman was the character a lot of people who’ve never been to NO could identify with. I like Steve Zahn, too, but there needs to be a youngish good looking man, too. Treme’s finding it’s legs. I love it’s music and flavor.

  4. I’ll continue to watch Treme (I like the music) but I’ll miss John Goodman and the character he played. I think it was a mistake to kill him off. I’ll also miss the Janette character who’s moving to NYC.

    True Blood is a surprise this season and better than the demon plot from last season.

  5. Hey clever points.. now why didn’t i consider those? Off subject slightly, is this web page pattern merely from an abnormal installation or else do you employ a personalized template. I take advantage of a webpage i’m seeking to improve and nicely the visuals is likely one of many key things to complete on my list.

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