Ratings Review: PAN AM

MAD MEN is not and never will be a HIT TV series, even on cable TV levels. ABC had to learn the hard way that this statement is true and you can not produce a series on style alone.


Now, I will give PAN AM credit for grabbing viewers and getting a great sample, but viewers quickly saw that it was all fluff and no substance. By the third episode it had lost 42% of its viewers and 39% in the 18-49 demographic ratings. by the end of its run, total erosion was 66% in viewership and 61% in younger viewers.

I was not quite sure why ABC kept airing episodes of PAN AM once it official stopped production in late 2011. 3.7 million viewers and a 1.2 demo ratings can be had by repeats of just about any other ABC program. It may be a while before we see ABC, and NBC, try a period piece again.

Sundays, 10:00pm (ABC)

Date       Viewers(M)    A18-49  
---------------------------------------------
09.25.11     11.06        3.1  (Series Premiere)
10.02.11      7.76        2.6
10.09.11      6.38        1.9
10.16.11      5.84        1.8
10.23.11      5.68        1.8
10.30.11      5.46        1.8
11.06.11      5.17        1.7
11.13.11      5.64        1.8
11.20.11      Preempted by AMAs
11.27.11      Preempted by Movie
12.04.11      4.65        1.5
12.11.11      Preempted by Movie
12.18.11      Preempted by Movie

12.25.11      Preempted by Movie
01.01.12      Preempted by OUAT marathon
01.08.12      3.96        1.3
01.15.12      3.82        1.2
01.22.12      3.74        1.2
01.29.12      Preempted for Movie
02.05.12      Preempted for Modern Family
02.12.12      2.57        0.7
02.19.12      3.77        1.2