'Jersey Shore' Closes Italy Season With 6.6 Million Viewers

"Jersey Shore"

No records were set for the season finale of Jersey Shore, but it still performed well on Thursday night.

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and company said goodbye to Italy and roughly 6.6 million total viewers tuned in to watch their shenanigans on MTV. That's down more than 2 million from the record-setting season opener which lured in 8.8 million viewers.

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The "Ciao Italia" hour averaged a 7.0 rating in the persons 12-34 demographic, translating to 5.4 million viewers. For the season, Jersey Shore has averaged roughly 7.3 million viewers per week and MTV touts that when DVR numbers are considered, the show averaged a 9.0 rating for the first nine episodes.

The episode saw Sorrentino toying with the idea of opting out of season five, but the finale ended with him announcing that he would stay, which received mixed reactions from his housemates. “Jersey, here I come,” he said. “I’ve always got something up my sleeve, and it’s going to be a Situation.”

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At 11 p.m., Jersey Shore: The Reunion drew more than 5 million viewers and posted a 4.8 rating in the cable network's core 12-34 demo.

The fifth season of Jersey Shore, with the cast back on U.S. soil, is slated for a January 2012 premiere.