Mad Men’s season six finale on Sunday night didn’t draw as many viewers as Discovery Channel’s coverage of the Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk, but it did set a record for the acclaimed series. It drew the biggest audience for a finale in the show’s history.
The episode, titled “In Care Of,” drew 2.7 million viewers, which is a bit up from the season five finale last year, notes Entertainment Weekly. During the show’s sixth season, it averaged 2.5 million viewers.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the show also drew a 2.1 18-49 rating, another high for the show. But, the audience is getting older, since only 1.3 million viewers in the 25 to 54 demo tuned in, a 7 percent fall.
“There is nothing else on television like Mad Men, and for the series in its sixth season to deliver the highest-rated finale ever – and an episode that critics and fans have already declared an instant classic – is a testament to everyone who brings this world to life,” AMC’s president Charlie Collier said.
MAd Men had some stiff competition Sunday night, including the end of Wallenda’s stunt, ABC’s Whodunit and Lifetime’s Devious Maids. Wallenda’s walk averaged 13 million viewers, THR reported.
While Mad Men remains one of the most acclaimed dramas on TV, it clearly isn’t drawing the same huge audience as The Walking Dead, AMC’s zombie drama that keeps drawing bigger audiences. You can check out our recap for “In Care Of” here.
Mad Men stars Jon Hamm as the mysterious ad executive Don Draper. It was created by Matt Weiner, who plans to end the show after season seven.
image: AMC