‘Big
Time Rush” is already scoring some big time ratings.
After less than a month on the air, Nickelodeon’s newest live-action series has found a loyal cable audience among total viewers and teens — the money demos for advertisers.
The only series, in fact, that’s doing better right now is network stablemate (and lead-in) “iCarly,” currently cable’s top live-action show among kids.
“Big Time Rush,” a half-hour sitcom about four Midwestern, hockey-playing guys intent on becoming the next big boy band — think “Entourage” meets “The Monkees” for the ‘tween set — debuted to 6.8 million viewers on Jan. 18, setting a new record as Nick’s most-watched live–action premiere among kids, ‘tweens and total viewers.
Since then, it’s routinely drawn more than three million viewers an episode — big numbers for cable. (Last week’s episode was watched by 3.7 million viewers compared to 4.8 million for “iCarly.”)
Industry types credit the show’s early success to its “iCarly” lead-in.
“One thing that Nickelodeon is doing that’s very smart is that they’re using established successful series to launch new shows,” says Robert Seidman, an analyst for tvbythenumbers.com.
Although “Big Time Rush” has yet to make “iCarly” look over its shoulder, it’s doing a respectable job of holding on to its all-important ‘tween viewership. In that demo, it’s only 600,000 viewers behind “iCarly.”
“I doubt they expected ‘Big Time Rush’ to do as well as ‘iCarly’ out of the gate,” Seidman says, “but whatever Nickelodeon’s plans were for it, my guess is that it’s meeting or exceeding expectations.”
Only time will tell if “Big Time Rush” will be the replacement for “iCarly,” which premiered in fall 2007 and has a cast that’s rapidly approaching college age in real-life.
” ‘iCarly’ is having an amazing run,” says Rachel Chang, editor-in-chief of teen-oriented J-14 magazine. “But Nickelodeon is thinking ahead because they need to find a next generation show — they can’t just have ‘iCarly’ run for 10 years.”
Like “iCarly,” which incorporates its Web site into the series, “Big Time Rush” will have an element for fan interaction — through a partnership with Sony Music, the TV boy band will be releasing real-life music.
Chang won’t go so far to say that “Big Time Rush” is the next big thing, but does say, “They have the potential [to be] if they play their cards right — and it seems like they have everything in place to play their cards right.”
In the month that the series has aired, Chang reports that readers have been tweeting and posting online requests for the boys to be included in the magazine.
“Kids can be judgmental. If they don’t like it, they don’t like it, and obviously they like ‘Big Time Rush’ enough to keep watching, so it’s only a good thing,” Chang says.
“I feel like it’s heading in the right direction. . .it can only get better and bigger.