LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) The premiere of “Stargate Atlantis,” the spinoff of the Sci Fi Channel’s popular “Stargate SG-1” series, delivered some of the best ratings in the network’s history.
The two-hour series premiere on Friday (July 16) drew nearly 4.2 million viewers, the biggest-ever audience for a weekly series on the cable network. (Some miniseries, such as “Taken” and “Battlestar Galactica,” have averaged more viewers.)
It also marked the first time a Sci Fi series has ever delivered more than 4 million viewers and better than a 3.0 household rating (3.2). Its ratings among adults 18-49, the key demographic for advertisers, were also a network best.
“Atlantis” stars Joe Flanigan, Rainbow Sun Francks and Tori Higginson as members of a Stargate team that explores a new galaxy after finding a gate in Antarctica. The gate leads to Atlantis, which is not on Earth but has jumped to another galaxy.
The show is a spinoff of “Stargate SG-1,” which recently began its third season on Sci Fi and eighth overall. “SG-1” also set record ratings with its July 9 season premiere, which averaged 3.2 million viewers.