So Syfy's HELIX Premiere Did Do Well...

Syfy had a win with the TV Ratings for their Helix series premiere last Friday.

The 90-minute premiere was the 2nd ranked cable show "in its time period" for adults 25-54.  It had 1.82 M viewers.

For Syfy, this was their best performing premiere for Friday nights in the 10 to 11:30pm time frame in four years.  (Like that's hard on Friday nights.)

They don't mention in the press release how many viewers they netted with their 24-hour marathon of sorts of the premiere.

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press release:

NEW YORK – January 13, 2014 – Helix, Syfy’s highly anticipated new series from Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), garnered robust numbers during its special 90-minute premiere on Friday, January 10 from 10-11:30PM (ET/PT), ranking as the #2 cable entertainment program among Adults 25-54 (893K) in its time period.

Helix also delivered 1.82 million total viewers and 734K Adults 18-49.

This represented Syfy’s best performance in the time period (Fridays at 10-11:30pm) in more than four years among total viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

As well, the 11:30PM encore delivered nearly one million total viewers (988K).

Powered by Helix’s debut, Syfy was the #2 cable entertainment network from 8-11PM (ET/PT).

Helix also set records across Syfy’s diverse digital platforms:

·         Helix was Syfy.com’s best series premiere day ever in all key metrics, ranking as the #1 section of Syfy’s Digital Portfolio.

·         Helix’s premiere was Syfy’s second most social scripted series premiere (behind only Defiance), outperforming recent competitive cable series premieres including BBCA’s Orphan Black, Showtime’s Masters of Sex and Starz’s The White Queen.

·         Driven by Helix, the Syfy Now website and mobile app set records for full episode segment starts.

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Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to the high-tech research facility, Arctic Biosystems, to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation. However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves, the chilling truth begins to unravel.

Billy Campbell (Killing Lincoln, The Killing) stars as Dr. Alan Farragut, leader of the Centers for Disease Control outbreak field team called upon to investigate and control a potential outbreak. Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, 47 Ronin) also stars as Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, director of Arctic Biosystems and its mysterious viral research program.

Helix also stars Kyra Zagorsky (Supernatural) as Dr. Julia Walker; Mark Ghanimé (Emily Owens, M.D.) as Major Sergio Balleseros; Jordan Hayes (House at the End of the Street) as Dr. Sarah Jordan; Meegwun Fairbrother as Daniel Aerov; Catherine Lemieux (White House Down) as Dr. Doreen Boyle, and Neil Napier (Riddick) as Dr. Peter Farragut.

Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) who is also showrunner, Lynda Obst (Contact, Sleepless in Seattle), and Brad Turner (Hawaii Five-0, 24) are Executive Producers. The 13-episode series is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Kaji Productions and Lynda Obst Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. Prolific director and producer Jeffrey Reiner (Friday Night Lights) directed the premiere episode, which was written by creator and co-executive producer, Cameron Porsandeh.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.  NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.  (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

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