‘UnReal’ Debut Ratings Are UnGreat
Lifetime might have bitten the hand the feeds it and got slapped back last night. The network launched its much-hyped scripted series UnReal. It did not go super well.
With a Devious Maids lead-in that logged 1.47 million viewers at 9 PM, the network’s Bachelor-esque UnReal averaged 815,000 viewers. That’s a 44% drop. Devious Maids’ demo lead-in of an 0.5 rating and 671,000 got whittled down by UnReal to a 0.3 and 363,000 18-49 year olds — a 46% decline. Among women 18-49, Devious Maids posted a 0.7 and 468,000 viewers. UnReal scored a 0.4 and 261,000 viewers, down 44%.
Coinciding with the fourth week of Season 11 of The Bachelorette on ABC, Lifetime debuted UnReal – a fictitious-but-maybe-hitting-too-close-to-home behind-the-scenes look at a competition dating reality series that’s heavy on pillar candles, roses and hot young women canoodling one lucky guy. UnReal is based on Sarah Gertrude Shapiro’s award-winning independent short film Sequin Raze. It’s created by Marti Noxon and Shapiro, a former The Bachelor producer. At the center of the series is idealist/manipulator producer Rachel Goldberg, who works on the fictitious reality series Everlasting, which is perfectly cast with a shallow beefcake bachelor, Hottie Girl, Desperate Girl, Smart Girl Gone Wild, Dopey, Sleepy and Grumpy.
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