This past Wednesday night A&E aired the Hawaiian-themed season finale of their hugely successful docu-soap phenomenon Duck Dynasty, and shattered the ratings record books in the process. The episode which followed the Robertson family from their native West Monroe, Louisiana to their vacation in Hawaii not only pulled in some powerhouse ratings, it also pummelled some impressive competition.
Entertainment Weekly‘s James Hibberd writes: “The episode following the Robertson clan to Hawaii delivered 9.6 million viewers and a 4.3 adults 18-49 rating. That rating makes ‘Duck Dynasty’ the highest-rated show last night — and not just on cable. The number is bigger then CBS’ ‘Survivor’ (2.9) and bigger than FOX’s ‘American Idol’ (3.3). As you can see, the fight wasn’t even close. ‘Duck Dynasty’, along with AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’, represent small-yet-growing number of cable shows that can overthrow the heavy hitters on broadcast. Season three of ‘Duck Dynasty’ averaged 8.4 million total viewers (up 95% versus season 2) and 4.8 million adults 18-49 (up 92%), making it cable’s top-rated reality series this year, and the No. 2 original series overall behind only ‘The Walking Dead’.” To put Duck Dynasty’s impressive viewership in perspective, E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians averages a total of 2.3 to 3.6 million total viewers, with an average household rating of 2.61.
The show, which airs on A&E, follows the family and its business, Duck Commander™, which specializes in handmade duck calls and other bird hunting gear. But the Robertsons are easily distracted from their work and amuse the audience with their humorous adventures. The show premiered in 2012 and is in its third season, drawing close to 10 million viewers each week. You can learn more about Duck Dynasty by visiting the show’s website at AETV.com and following them on Facebook.
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