It’s dangerous to read too much into the “successful” premiere numbers for any series — let alone one airing over the summer — but NBC has reason to beat its chest, at least temporarily, over Tuesday night’s debut of “The Night Shift.”
The medical drama, set at a San Antonio hospital and starring Ken Leung, Freddie Rodriguez, Jill Flint, Robert Bailey Jr. and Brendan Fehr, snared nearly 8 million viewers to become NBC’s top-rated summer drama series bow since 2009. That 2009 show, by the way, was “The Philanthropist,” an eight-part series starring James Purefoy. No one else remembers it either, which gives you an indication of how quickly some of these shows vanish from the prime-time limelight.
“The Night Shift,” which aired from 10 to 11 p.m., also won the hour in adults 18-49 — and had the benefit of a healthy lead-in, the two-hour season premiere of “America’s Got Talent,” which averaged 12 million viewers, its best premiere in three years.
Meanwhile, in other series news, Charlie Cox will star in “Daredevil,” the 13-episode series based on the Marvel comics character, that will stream on Netflix.
Cox, who played Owen Sleater on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” will star in “Daredevil” as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who moonlights as a crime-fighting superhero. The series doesn’t yet have a premiere date.
‘Amish’ (Boro) parkin’ it
Exclusive: TLC is ramping up a new season of “Breaking Amish” that will feature a brand-new cast — and will be set in Brooklyn. Everything else seems to happen there these days, so why not? The 10-episode Brooklyn-based “Breaking Amish” series, featuring a cast of five, is slated to premiere in October. Like its predecessors, it will follow a group of young Amish men and women as they leave their families behind and deal with life in the big city (or, in this case, the big borough).
The “Breaking Amish” franchise has featured shows set in Manhattan, LA and in Florida (Sarasota).
Last, but not least …
Comedian Kurt Braunohler (IFC’s “Bunk,” “Chelsea Lately”) hosts the third annual A21M Libera Awards June 19 at the Highline Ballroom (honoring independent recording artists and labels including Arcade Fire) … ABC’s “World News” won the May sweeps in the “money” news demo of adults 25-54 (over 2 million viewers) for the first time in seven years. Diane Sawyer anchors … “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough wrote the introduction for Time’s “Reagan: His Political Life and Lasting Legacy,” which marks the 10th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s death … Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, Conn.) is featured on this Monday’s episode of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” when Andi Dorfman goes there on a group date.