Fringe's First Friday a Ratings Success

Fringe made its Friday night debut last night, something fans of the show have been very nervous about, given the history of the so-called Friday "Death Slot" on FOX.

However, TVByTheNumbers.com now reports Fringe did something very impressive: It actually did better in its Friday debut than its average rating in the fall when it was airing on Thursdays: a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating, versus an average of 1.88.

FOX put a lot of promotion into the Friday movie and the network president, Kevin Reilly, recently said he simply wanted the loyal fanbase to keep watching the show, and that he was prepared for DVR viewing to increase a bit due to the move. As TVByTheNumbers notes, if Fringe can maintain these type of ratings on Friday, giving FOX a solid success on such a tough night, it will likely be renewed.

One test for Fringe will come next week, when Supernatural (a show that likely has some fan crossover – I know I'm a fan of both!) will return with new episodes, airing at the same time.

News From: tv.ign.com