Ratings: Falling Skies Ends on a High, Teen Choice Awards Fall

Some 5.62 million viewers caught the two-episode finale of TNT's Falling Skies, ending almost as strongly as it started, according to preliminary Nielsen data. Of that total, Sunday night's Season 1 conclusion also grabbed 2.53 million among 18-to-49-year-olds.

When the Steven Spielberg-produced show starring Noah Wyle debuted on June 19, it attracted 5.9 million people. But in the wake of V and The Event crashing and burning, the question was whether Falling Skies — about the aftermath of an alien invasion that devastated much of the Earth — would plummet after a promising start.

The cast of Falling Skies discusses why their alien invasion tale could work

Clearly, it did not. The show averaged about 4.8 million viewers during its 10-episode run. That performance earned the show a renewal for Season 2 — scheduled for next summer — long before the finale aired.

"The terrific performance of Falling Skies shows that a compelling series appeals to people of every background," said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies.

TNT renews Falling Skies for second season

On broadcast television, Big Brother continued its steady performance, pulling 7.76 million viewers, easily beating its competition at 8/7c and scoring a 2.8 rating among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds.

It easily outdrew the Teen Choice Awards, which averaged 3.17 million over two hours starting at 8 o'clock — and just a 1.1 in the grown-up demo, which was down 27 percent compared to last year. However, its rating among teens was 2.8, the highest since 2008's awards.