Nick@Nite's Fatherhood Gets Gifted Ratings Lift for Series' Father's Day Premiere

[Pavan]

Fatherhood did very well for premiere episode. Episode two airs tonight. Here is the info on the ratings for the premiere:


Nick@Nite's Fatherhood Gets Gifted Ratings Lift for Series' Father's Day Premiere

Network's First Original Animated Series Bows with 1.8 Million Total Viewers, Scores Double-Digit Demo Increases


Santa Monica, CA, June 22, 2004 - Nick@Nite's first original, animated series--Bill Cosby's Fatherhood -- scored double-digit ratings increases for its prime-time Father's Day premiere on Sunday, June 20, at 9 p.m. (all times ET/PT). Based on Bill Cosby's best-selling book, the series' debut brought in 1.8 million total viewers, increasing audience levels by +20% over last year's time-period average. Among Nick@Nite's target demo of Adults 18-49, the debut's .4/369,000 marks a strong +33% increase in rating over last year's average. Starring Blair Underwood and Sabrina LeBeauf, Fatherhood is executive produced by Bill Cosby for Nick@Nite, along with Charles Kipps (Little Bill, Cosby Mysteries) and David Brokaw (Little Bill). The series will now air in its regularly scheduled timeslot of Tuesdays at 9 p.m. and repeat Saturdays at 10 p.m.

Each half-hour episode of the animated series offers a comedic, yet insightful, journey that features the challenges, life lessons and confusions of family life. Underwood (Full Frontal, Malibu's Most Wanted, Sex and the City, Deep Impact) stars as the voice of "Dr. Bindlebeep," a high school teacher, loving husband and father of three. LeBeauf (The Cosby Show) stars as his wife, Norma. Jamie Mitchell is Supervising Producer and Director of the animated series. Serge Michaels serves as Art Director and Production Designer; Michele Weiss is Executive in Charge. Sal Maniaci, Vice President, Development & Production, TV Land and Nick@Nite, is overseeing the project.

Following the premiere, this week's new episode ("Take My Daughter Please..." [Tuesday, June 22, 9 p.m.]), finds Dr. Bindlebeep and Norma awakened in the middle of the night by a bear in their garage. As animal control officers set about removing the bear, they realize their car is gone. But just after reporting the car stolen, the two discover that their daughter Angie is missing from her room. The mystery is solved moments later when police officers return Angie to the house. It seems that high school lothario James had talked Angie into slipping out and taking the car. The incident propels Dr. Bindlebeep and Norma to wonder whether their kids are doing as well as other kids.

"Fatherhood" (Doubleday/Dolphin) was published in May 1986 and became the fastest-selling hardcover book of all time. It remained for over half of its fifty-four weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List at #1. It has sold 2.6 million hardcover copies and 1.5 million paperbacks (published by Berkeley).