FX’s new comedy block got off to a “winning” start Thursday night.
Long-awaited Charlie Sheen vehicle “Anger Management” premiered to record ratings, delivering more than a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating and more than 5 million viewers for the network.
The ratings–a 2.1 with 5.47 million for the 9PM episode and a 2.3 with 5.74 million for the 9:30PM segment–rank as the all-time best for a scripted cable comedy series premiere and were responsible for lifting the “Wilfred,” “Louie” and “Brand X” numbers to respectable levels.
Given the media circus that surrounding Sheen last year, there was undoubtedly a contingent of fans expecting an even more impressive number for the premiere, but if “Anger Management” is able to hold in this general ballpark, it is just about a lock for a renewal at FX.
Whether that stability will emerge, however, remains to be seen. Reviews were not bad, but there is no way to be sure that this week’s numbers were not elevated by curious fans who would have had no plans to continue watching even if the show was incredible.
