Better Call Saul lawyers its way to record ratings
Befitting the television handiwork of Vince Gilligan, the truth of Better Call Saul’s record–breaking debut is not on the surface. Befitting a Gilligan show that’s about a lawyer, there are several layers of caveats beneath that surface: With a 3.4 18-49 rating, Better Call Saul is indeed the highest-rated cable premiere in TV history—among the advertiser-preferred demographic of adults under 50. With an audience of 6.9 million total viewers, the show failed to earn the title of most-watched cable debut, an honor that still belongs to TNT’s The Closer. But, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, The Closer was a series about law-enforcement officers, who are notorious sticklers for “facts,” and “law-enforcement officers” plus “facts” doesn’t always add up to “truth”—nor does it draw young people with disposable income. A lawyer who’s on his way to meeting a chemistry teacher-turned-meth kingpin, however, possesses tremendous appeal to the demo, so we think you’ll find in favor of Better Call Saul.