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TV News: Season 2 of NBC’s <i>Aquarius</i> Launches Commercial Free Thursday, June 16

AQUARIUS -- Pictured: "Aquarius" horizontal key art -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)

In a press release:

 

SEASON TWO OF ‘AQUARIUS’ TO LAUNCH COMMERCIAL FREE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 16

First Two Hours Will Be Shown From 9-11 P.M. Before Shifting to Normal 10 O’clock Time Slot

 

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — April 19, 2016 — In an unprecedented move for broadcast television, NBC is dedicating two commercial-free hours to the Thursday, June 16 (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) second-season premiere of its critically applauded drama “Aquarius,” starring David Duchovny as an LAPD cop on the hunt for Charles Manson.

The 120-minute telecast will have absolutely no breaks for commercials or network promos, with the only stoppage coming for a 55-second local news break/tease during the show’s second hour.

The NBC telecast on June 16 will be the only chance to watch the episodes completely commercial free. When those episodes move to their online and digital platforms following the NBC telecast, a normal commercial load will ensue.

Beginning the following week on June 23, the series will shift to its normal 10 p.m. timeslot.

“Aquarius” in 2015 became the first broadcast series to be streamed in its entirety following its debut, with NBC making all 13 episodes available online for the four weeks following its initial NBC telecast. The surge of online viewers for the series created demand for a second season.

Upon its launch last May, the series received many high marks from TV critics. The New York Times wrote, “Unusual choices can be found throughout ‘Aquarius,’ and they are part of what makes this drama so good.”  Matt Roush at TV Guide added, “I took the 13-hour deep dive, emerging entertained, unsettled, and wanting more…a sardonic treat…”  In addition, Variety said, “‘Aquarius’ … kicks off summer with a provocative, cable-like gamble.”

The first season of “Aquarius” delivered a solid upscale audience on NBC, indexing at a 108 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

“Aquarius” stars David Duchovny, Grey Damon, Gethin Anthony, Emma Dumont, Claire Holt, Michaela McManus, Brian F. O’Byrne, Chance Kelly, Ambyr Childers, Madisen Beaty and Cameron Deane Stewart.

Writer John McNamara (“Trumbo,” “The Magicians”) serves as executive producer with Marty Adelstein (“Teen Wolf,” “Prison Break”), Becky Clements (“Last Man Standing”), David Duchovny and Melanie Greene. “Aquarius” is a production of Tomorrow Studios, a partnership between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios.

 

 

—-June 26, 2015—-

In a press release:

 

NBC ORDERS SECOND SEASON FOR DAVID DUCHOVNY DRAMA ‘AQUARIUS’

Strong Digital Performance Is Key in Bringing Back Well-Reviewed Series

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – June 25, 2015 – NBC has given a second-season renewal for its 1960’s-themed drama “Aquarius,” starring David Duchovny as an LAPD cop on the hunt for Charles Manson, it was announced today by Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment.

The critically acclaimed drama made TV history in May as the first broadcast series to be streamed in its entirety following its debut, with NBC making all 12 “Aquarius” episodes available online for the four weeks following its intial NBC telecast.

Salke commented, “With its riveting drama and innovative release strategy, ‘Aquarius’ has excited the critics, hooked millions of viewers and energized our summer. It’s no secret that the way people watch television is evolving, so we took a unique approach to how we delivered ‘Aquarius’ and it’s driven some record numbers for NBC Digital and helped us reach viewers who might have otherwise overlooked a great summer drama.”

Added Robert Hayes, Executive Vice President of NBC Entertainment Digital, “Beyond generating some truly impressive view totals, the network’s unique release strategy with ‘Aquarius’ has helped us gain new insights into viewership patterns, binging behavior and social engagement, significantly expanding our knowledge of how people are watching our shows online.”

Reviewing “Aquarius,” which has been nominated for a Critic’s Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series, the New York Times wrote, “Unusual choices can be found throughout ‘Aquarius,’ and they are part of what makes this drama so good.”  Matt Roush at TV Guide added, “I took the 13-hour deep dive, emerging entertained, unsettled, and wanting more…a sardonic treat…”  And Variety said “Aquarius” “…Kick(s) off summer with a provocative, cable-like gamble.”

“Aquarius” delivered the most-watched first 24 hours for a summer series premiere ever on NBC.com and the NBC App.  With the surge in viewership generated by “Aquarius,” NBC Digital (NBC.com, the NBC app and Hulu) went on to log its biggest summer weekend ever.

Through 28 days, it’s the #2 most-viewed drama premiere ever on NBC.com and the NBC App, behind only “The Blacklist.”

Social media has seen a surge of viewers asking for season two of “Aquarius,” with that steady stream of requests starting the morning after of the show’s digital premiere.

NBC broadcasts of “Aquarius” are averaging a 1.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 5.8 million viewers overall in “most current” results from Nielsen Media Research.

Across all platforms, the May 28 premiere of “Aquarius” grew by +91% in the seven days after its linear debut in adults 18-49, from a 1.05 rating in “live plus same day” Nielsens for the NBC telecast to a 2.01 across all platforms after seven days. DVR time-shifting has also been substantial for “Aquarius,” with the series growing by an average of +31% in adult 18-49 rating going from its next-day “live plus same day” rating to its “live plus three day” results and by 1.1 million viewers overall.

“Aquarius” is also delivering an upscale audience, indexing at a 105 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes, “most current” including L+3).

“Aquarius” also stars Emma Dumont, Grey Damon, Gethin Anthony and Claire Holt.

Writer John McNamara (“In Plain Sight”) serves as executive producer with Marty Adelstein (“Prison Break”), David Duchovny and Melanie Greene. “Aquarius” is a production of Tomorrow Studios, a joint partnership between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios.

 

 

Please visit the official show site at:  http://www.nbc.com/Aquarius

Social Media
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NBCAquarius

Twitter https://twitter.com/nbcaquarius #Aquarius

 

Source: ©2015 NBC Universal. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.