The CW’s Swamp Thing Premiere Draws Solid Rating, Viewership

DC Universe’s cancelled Swamp Thing series saw its broadcast network premiere on Tuesday and drew pretty solid numbers for The CW. The show’s 90-minute premiere episode brought in a 0.2 rating in the 18 – 49 demographic and 1.105 million viewers. That’s an improvement on what the show has been doing in the timeslot, the best there since the CW premiere of Stargirl had a 0.3 demo rating and 1.207 million.

The show aired on DC Universe from May to August of 2019 but was cancelled before it even premiered due to creative anmd budgetary issues. When it was announced back in May that the show would air on The CW in the fall amid the delay of the net’s own content due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CW boss Mark Pedowitz did not rule out the idea of the show getting a second season if it performs well. He noted, “Obviously that would be a discussion for Warner Bros. and The CW. But at this time, Swamp Thing is just the episodes we have.”

While a 0.2 demo rating would not be exceptional for an entirely new show, the fact that it is a rebroadcast bodes potentially well if the series holds up in successsive weeks. The show, which was given good critical marks, is described as follows:

Swamp Thing centers on CDC researcher Abby Arcane (Reed). When she returns to her childhood home of Houma, Louisiana, in order to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, she develops a surprising bond with scientist Alec Holland — only to have him tragically taken from her. But as powerful forces descend on Houma, intent on exploiting the swamp’s mysterious properties for their own purposes, Abby will discover that the swamp holds mystical secrets, both horrifying and wondrous — and the potential love of her life may not be dead after all.