HBO’s Vinyl Isn’t a Hit. Yet.
HBO’s new series, Vinyl, is off to a rocky start if ratings are anything to go by.
Vinyl is an interesting animal for HBO. It has the pedigree of prestige show, with the involvement of Martin Scorce and Terence Winter, and takes a unique look at the music scene of the early 70’s. It’s two-hour pilot episode offered viewers a good look at what’s to come, though not many people tuned in to get a first taste. It turns out that Vinyl was a bit of a dud for its Valentine’s Day premiere.
According to Variety, in a report that’s mostly about the juggernaut that is The Walking Dead, HBO’s Vinyl scored less than literally all other HBO drama premiers in the past several years. That’s not a great start. So what stopped people from tuning in?
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Valentine’s Day night might have not been the best night to premiere a new show, thought The Walking Dead didn’t have any trouble. That’s a well-established brand with fans that consider it appointment viewing. Vinyl doesn’t have such luck. It’s a bit surprising that the involvement of at least Terence Winter, the executive produce of both Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos, wasn’t a big enough draw.
The fact that was two hours long also may have had something to do with it. The Vinyl premiere was close to being a self-contained movie, and was just about as expansive as a pilot can be. Asking viewers to donate two hours of their time for a new series is a lot.
Next: HBO Debuts the First Game of Thrones Season Six Trailer.
It will take several more weeks for Vinyl to establish not only itself, but also a trend in ratings. The premiere may have been a fluke, but it will take time to sort that out.