Here\u2019s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.<\/p>\n
The Book of Nielsen.\u00a0 <\/strong> From The Wrap<\/a>: The premiere of “The Bible” from 8 to 10 p.m. (Sunday night) drew 13.1 million total viewers, rivaling last year’s finale of the History miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys,” which drew an astonishing 14.3 million total viewers. With a second telecast factored in, “The Bible” averaged 14.8 million total viewers for the night, with 5 million of them in the advertiser-preferred 18-49 demographic and 5.6 million of them in the 25-54 demo. As Big Hollywood notes<\/a>, those numbers make the debut of the Mark Burnett-Roma Downey-produced History Channel miniseries the highest-rated cable entertainment program thus far in 2013. It even beat last month’s mid-season season premiere The Walking Dead<\/em> which an Entertainment Weekly headline<\/a> blared to have garnered “jaw-dropping record ratings.”\u00a0 Yes, Dead<\/em> drew a sizable total audience of 12.3 million viewers — two million fewer people than are estimated to have watched The Bible<\/em>.<\/p>\n Let there be no doubt about the power of faith. The networks should wise up.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Comment:<\/strong> Zap2It reports<\/a> The Bible<\/em> topped the Sunday nights ratings<\/a>, including all cable and<\/em> broadcast shows. That means The Bible<\/em> beat 60 Minutes<\/em> (CBS), The Amazing Race<\/em> (CBS), Once Upon a Time<\/em> (ABC), The Simpsons<\/em> (Fox), Family Guy<\/em> (Fox), The Good Wife<\/em> (CBS), The Mentalist<\/em> (CBS), Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) and the series premiere of ABC’s Red Widow<\/em>. The Bible<\/em> was also notably strong in the 18-49 demo. An estimated 2.5 million people in that advertiser-pursued age group tuned in.<\/p>\n