Variety reports that viewers weren't exactly ecstatic for the "Married By America" series opener. The two-hour premiere netted a third-place 4.1 rating/10 share in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic.
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From 9PM to 10PM, its regular slot, "Married" placed third in the demographic (4.0/9, 8.67 million viewers overall) -- behind NBC's combo of "Fear Factor" and "Meet My Folks" (6.3/15) and repeats of CBS comedies "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Still Standing" (5.2/12). Ratings for "Married" also tailed off in its final half-hour.
While these would certainly be respectable premiere numbers for most series -- it topped ABC's "The Practice" (2.7/6) and far exceeded what Fox's dismal "Girls Club" averaged last fall (2.3/5) -- they pale next to "Joe Millionaire," a limited-run megahit that produced some of the biggest ratings in Fox history. Fox hopes that the seven-week "Married" can generate more viewer interest in coming weeks, as it shifts from more of a gameshow to a relationship series.