[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...icle_11333.asp

Perhaps this was the right time for HBO to whack “The Sopranos” after all. After weeks of hype and speculation leading up to Sunday’s final-season premiere, the seventh-year show had its least-watched debut since its second year and third lowest overall.

“Sopranos” averaged 7.66 million viewers, a mere 20,000 more than its second-season debut in 2000, according to Nielsen data. The show was down 19 percent from last spring’s sixth-season debut, which drew 9.47 million viewers.

And it was well down from the peak of 13.43 million viewers who watched the fourth-season premiere in 2002, though back then Nielsen’s numbers included reruns of the show on other HBO networks such as HBO West and HBO Signature. Since 2003, Nielsen has only measured the primary HBO channel.

The dip continues a pattern seen at the end of last season, when the finale averaged 8.88 million viewers and viewership for the show dropped every week up to then.

“Sopranos” was still the most-watched show on premium or basic cable last week, and by a wide margin, but for the amount of attention the soon-to-end drama received that number is surprisingly low. It just goes to show once again the major disconnect between what television critics and television viewers consider can’t-miss television.

“Sopranos” was praised in major newspapers from USA Today to The Los Angeles Times, and made the cover of Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide. But by comparison, an episode of ABC’s “October Road,” which was savaged by critics, actually drew slightly more viewers last week.

Of course HBO is available in roughly 29 million households to ABC’s 111 million. Yet “Sopranos’” failure to draw more viewers may be a reflection of dissatisfaction with the show itself rather than its limited availability.

Last season the show was criticized for a dearth of action. An entire episode took place in an ailing Tony’s head, and most of the season focused on his recovery from a near-fatal gunshot wound. Viewers were especially disappointed by the uneventful season finale, in which no one was whacked, tossed out of the house or arrested, as in past finales.

Sunday’s premiere did feature a hit and a fight, but some viewers had likely already abandoned the show.

Too, Sunday was Easter, a night when television viewership is always off. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” even sank to a series low.

And “Sopranos” faced tough cable competition. Discovery’s ongoing, high-rated “Planet Earth” special may have drawn away viewers in the same 9 p.m. timeslot.

HBO says it expects many viewers to tune in for repeats of the premiere and on-demand versions this week, boosting its cumulative numbers.

I honestly think the bolded part is the biggest reason viewship was down.