Oxygen’s The Glee Project continued to hit all the right notes Sunday, delivering series highs in a number of metrics.
The “Pairability” episode, in which new Glee regular Darren Criss worked with the contestants vying to win a seven-episode arc on the Fox series on duets, posted double-digit growth (up 16 percent) in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-48 demographic compared with the July 10 installment.
In addition, the episode posted a 13 percent improvement week-over-week in the Glee Project’s target adults 12-24 demo and was up 8 percent in total viewers and women 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Glee Project producer Ryan Murphy compared the reality series to his Fox series, noting that the slow ratings build was attributed to positive word-of-mouth.
“When Glee first came on the air it did OK, it wasn’t great,” Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter last week. “People wrote articles saying it did not do well; it was a disappointment. What happened with Glee was word-of-mouth and it built. Somewhere around Episode 6-7, it was considered a success. If you look at the ratings for The Glee Project, it’s done the exact same thing.”
Since its June 12 premiere – when it struggled to lure viewers opposite the Tony Awards — the series has posted a 115 percent gain among adults 18-49 with a 77 percent uptick in total viewers.
The remaining seven contenders face their next challenge with Glee mentor Max Adler teaching contenders how to “grin and bear it” during “Tenacity” on Sunday.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
