'Hatfields & McCoys': Just how hot were those record ratings?

“Hatfields & McCoys” fired off its last rounds with another ratings record. But it was nothin' compared with the old days of broadcast TV.

History’s three-part miniseries about the 19^th century clan feud starring Kevin Costner, Tom Berenger and Bill Paxton drew 14.3 million total viewers for its final episode Wednesday, making it the most-watched scripted entertainment program in the history of basic cable TV, according to Nielsen.

In fact, all three parts of the miniseries now occupy the Top 3 spots in the cable record books. Monday’s premiere drew 13.9 million, while Tuesday’s middle chapter gathered a clan of 13.1 million.

Cable networks such as HBO now dominate miniseries, which broadcasters have all but abandoned. But records aside, the numbers are much lower these days than in the format’s glory days. The 1977 finale of ABC’s historical epic “Roots,” for example, was seen by more than 36 million viewers.

What did you think of the "Hatfields" finale? Would you like to see it as a series?

— Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Tom Berenger in History's "Hatfields & McCoys." Credit: Chris Large / History.

'Hatfields & McCoys' is a hit, but Kevin Costner is missing

Not only is History's miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" a smash hit, but it's earned star Kevin Costner glowing reviews while giving his career, which has hit a few bumps in recent years, new life and vibrancy.

But Costner is not exactly basking in the acclaim. In fact, he's doing just the opposite.

Leslie Greif, CEO and founder of Thinkfactory Media, the key driving force behind "Hatfields and McCoys," has been reaching out to Costner to congratulate him on the project's huge success, but he's been unable so far to connect with the Oscar winner.

"He's MIA, he's out of the country, he's incommunicado," said Greif, who is also executive producer of the miniseries. "No one can reach him. We're all desperate to reach him. He has no idea what's going on."

But don't panic. Greif has a pretty good idea where Costner is.

"He's off the coast of Africa somewhere," Greif said. "He has a company that goes on explorations, and he's on a treasure dive in parts unknown. He's diving for treasure."

Costner has always been around for the premiere of his movies. The only other time he's missed an opening was with his epic "Dances With Wolves" in 1990.

And we all remember what happened with that film -- it pulled down a bunch of Oscars, including one for best picture and a directing award for Costner.

"So this is a good omen," Greif said.

Tuesday, the second night of the three-night miniseries about the 19th century family feud, attracted 13.1 million viewers, only a slight decline from the massive audience of 13.9 million viewers who tuned in for Chapter 1 on Monday.

"Hatfields & McCoys" has been a passion project for Greif for 30 years. He first tried to produce at the height of popularity of network miniseries, thinking it would be an instant hit.

"I never wavered," he said. "Someone asked me if I feel vindicated. But I really feel validated more than vindicated. It's a story that's timeless."

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Photo: Kevin Costner, center, in "Hatfields and McCoys." Credit: Chris Large 

 

'Hatfield & McCoys' ratings stay high as fans choose sides

History's smash-hit miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" has fans choosing sides all over again -- this time with hashtags instead of buckshot. 

On Tuesday, the second installment of the miniseries about the 19th century family feud starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton drew 13.1 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. That's only a slight drop compared with the enormous 13.9 million for Chapter 1 on Monday, and "Hatfields" retained all of its viewers among adults ages 25 to 54.

Because very few programs match their premiere ratings -- first nights always include curiosity-seekers and the fickle -- the "Hatfields" score is impressive indeed. The miniseries ends Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, fans are already choosing sides in social media, with the Twitter hashtags #teamhatfield (for the family headed by Costner) and #teammccoy (Paxton's side) surging in popularity. In so doing, they've rearticulated an infamous clan war into something akin to a modern sporting contest.

Take, for example, @mickshaffer, who tweeted: "Devil Anse has shown he won't mess with the McCoys unless they mess with him. #TeamHatfield."

Countered @micks20: "I hate the Hatfields!!! #teamMcCoy."

Given that the real Hatfield-McCoy feud raged on for nearly 30 years, the possibility of a TV series arising from all this does give one pause.

So what are you, #teamhatfield or #teammccoy?

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-- Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Bill Paxton leads the McCoy clan in "Hatfields & McCoys." Credit: Chris Large / History

 

'Hatfields & McCoys' shoots up record ratings for History

If "Hatfields & McCoys" is any indication, viewers just can't get enough of old-fashioned feudin'.

History's three-part miniseries about the 19th century Appalachian clan war broke all records with its first installment Monday night with a gigantic 13.9 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. "Hatfields & McCoys" stars Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton as patriarchs whose grudge match spans generations. Among adults aged 18 to 49, 4.8 million tuned in.

That made it the No. 1 non-sports telecast ever on an ad-supported cable telecast, as well as a pretty powerful validation of History's decision to leap into scripted dramatic programming.

"With all the success we have had at History, we felt strongly for some time that we should own historical drama," History president and general manager Nancy Dubuc said in a statement.

And here's maybe the most ominous sign for broadcast networks: History actually faced some competition for the night. And "Hatfields" shot holes in its rivals. The latest episode of NBC's "America's Got Talent" drew 10 million viewers, while ABC's "The Bachelorette" averaged just 5.8 million.

What did you think of "Hatfields"? Did the ratings surprise you?

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Photo: Kevin Costner, center, starred in History's high-rated "Hatfields & McCoys." Credit: Chris Large/History.

'Hatfields and McCoys' brings out Kevin Costner haters

Kevin Costner rode again in "The Hatfields and the McCoys" on Sunday night, with his haters in hot pursuit.

Taking its first shot at scripted drama, History begin airing its three-part epic miniseries about the notorious late 19th century feud between warring Appalachian clans, with the former "Dances With Wolves" star-director as patriarch Anse Hatfield and Bill Paxton as his rival, Randall McCoy.

Reviews were mixed, but Costner's detractors -- whose dislike of the actor is so intense they have actually discussed it in detail on a straightdope.com message board -- were out in full force Sunday.

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"I cannot remember if I hate Kevin Costner because he is a Hatfield or McCoy or if it's just because he is Kevin Costner," tweeted @markjanese.

"This reality show on The History Channel is great. I didn't realize that Bill Paxton and Kevin Costner hated each other," @stevenamiri added wryly.

Ratings won't be available until later, but it already looks like Costner might have the last laugh. "Hatfields" was near the top of Google search rankings most of Monday and zoomed to the No. 1 spot around airtime. Meanwhile, another historical drama, HBO's heavily promoted "Hemingway & Gellhorn" with Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman as the title characters, seemed virtually ignored, at least online.

As @julianspivey44 summed up: "Part 1 of "Hatfields & McCoys" was pretty good ... seems like Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton will be locks for Emmy nominations."

Did you watch "Hatfields"? What do you think of Costner and Paxton?

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-- Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Kevin Costner, right, and Matt Barr in History's "The Hatfields and the McCoys." Credit: Chris Large/History.

Mitchell Guist dies: Will brother Glenn stay on 'Swamp People'?

As History prepares to pay tribute to fallen costar Mitchell Guist on tonight's "Swamp People," it's unclear whether his grieving brother will stay with the show next season.

Glenn Guist was virtually inseparable from his brother, who died suddenly this week at age 47 after a fall on his boat in Louisiana's Intracoastal Waterway. Executive producer Brian Catalina told Show Tracker on Thursday that no decisions have been made yet regarding Glenn's future on the hit reality series about Cajun alligator hunters.The current season will run into the summer; fresh episodes will be shot in August and September, which is prime gator-hunting season.

"This is a really hard time for Glenn," said Catalina, who is traveling to Gonzales, La., for Mitchell Guist's Saturday funeral, which will be public. "Our concern is for Glenn's well-being."

Producers were astounded by the outpouring of emotion from fans after Mitchell's death, Catalina said. "These guys connected us to so much rich history in the basin," he said. "The way it was 75 years ago, 100 years ago."

The cable network has created a brief montage of Glenn's scenes on the show that will run with Thursday's new episode.

Meanwhile, the coroner determined from a preliminary autopsy that Mitchell died from "natural causes," although a more specific cause of death may not be known for weeks, according to Catalina.

The funeral home handling Guist's services included a message from Mitchell's family to their departed brother: "One day you'll kill that big buck."

Do you think Glenn Guist should stay on "Swamp People"? Sound off in the comments.

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--Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Mitchell, left, and Glenn Guist of History's reality hit "Swamp People." Credit: Zach Dilgard/Associated Press

 

 

 

Mitchell Guist dies: New details in 'Swamp People' case

On the History cable hit "Swamp People," Cajun hunter Mitchell Guist was often inseparable from his brother Glenn. But when Mitchell died Monday, the two were apart.

The 47-year-old Guist was in a boat being towed by a barge on the Intracoastal Waterway in Louisiana, roughly 70 miles west of New Orleans, when he collapsed, Mike Waguespack, the sheriff of Assumption Parish, said in an interview Tuesday. A coworker in a neighboring boat saw what had happened and guided Guist's vessel back to the dock about 100 yards away, where he called 911.

"He fell backwards as if he had had a heart attack, stroke or some sort of seizure," Waguespack said of Mitchell Guist's sudden collapse. Guist developed a fan base with his backwoods savvy on History's "Swamp People," about alligator hunters in the Cajun wetlands.

The coworker did not wish to be identified, but it was not Glenn, who was not at the scene, the sheriff added.

An autopsy by the St. Martin Parish coroner's office had not been completed as of late Tuesday. "This case is still pending and there is no comment," said Dr. Daniel Wiltz, the parish coroner.

Meanwhile, History will air a brief tribute this Thursday, with a more extended memorial later. "We are trying to decide the best way to honor Mitchell's memory," a spokeswoman said.

This season of "Swamp People" runs through July 12.

What do you think of Mitchell Guist and "Swamp People"? Sound off in the comments.

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Photo: "Swamp People" star Mitchell Guist died suddenly Monday. Credit: History

 

Mitchell Guist: History's 'Swamp People' star dies after boat fall

"Swamp People" star Mitchell Guist died on the bayou.

Guist, the grizzled and bearded costar of the History reality series about Cajun alligator hunters, died Monday after suffering a fall while loading items into his boat in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, according to the network and news reports. He was four days short of his 48th birthday.

He appeared on "Swamp People" with his brother Glenn; the two resembled each other so strongly that many people mistook them for twins.

In a statement, History wrote in part: "Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he loved."

"Swamp People" has become an important part of History's swing toward docu-reality series about people doing tough jobs whose inner workings are seldom seen by outsiders. The Season 2 finale last year drew a record 5.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.

What did you think of Guist? Are you a "Swamp People" fan? Sound off in the comments.

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Photo: Mitchell Guist (right, with brother Glenn), who died Monday, was a star of "Swamp People." Credit: Zach Dilgard/History

 

 

Titanic's 100th anniversary will go on and on -- on TV

The RMS Titanic sank below the icy waters of the north Atlantic in the early-morning hours of April 15, 1912. Now, 100 years later, it's considered one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century, the basis of one of the biggest movies of the 20th century and the cause of everyone's problems on "Downton Abbey."

To commemorate the anniversary, director James Cameron gave a multimillion-dollar 3-D face-lift to his movie epic, "Titanic" and re-released it into theaters. But for those watching the small screen, there are still lots of ways to relive those moments without heading out to the theater.

National Geographic Channel is, quite understandably, all over the anniversary. After all, Cameron is an explorer-in-residence, along with Robert Ballard, the man credited with discovering the wreck of the Titanic in the modern era. Both men are getting new specials on National Geographic Channel, both premiering a week before the anniversary and both re-airing during a nine-hour Titanic marathon on Sunday.

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"Titanic: The Final Word With James Cameron" features the director and sometime deep-sea diver working with engineers, architects, historians and a 42-foot replica of the ship itself to solve all the remaining mysteries behind how and why the massive vessel sank like it did.

Meanwhile, "Save the Titanic With Bob Ballard," looks at the very real jeopardy the ship is in today, as treasure hunters are slowly but surely looting the wreck. He also travels to Ireland to meet the descendants of Titanic's Guarantee Group, the nine men who helped build the ship and were selected to sail on its maiden voyage.

National Geographic will also air five hours of the "Rebuilding Titanic" series, in which modern-day craftsmen attempt to re-create portions of the mighty ship using the practices that were used to build it in the first place.

On PBS on Tuesday, "Dancing With the Stars" judge Len Goodman goes back to his roots as a welder at Harland & Woolf, the company that built Titanic, and interviews the descendants of the ship's passengers -- both the survivors and the victims. "Titanic With Len Goodman" airs at 8 p.m., so it won't interfere with Goodman's other appearance on the "Dancing With the Stars" results show on ABC.

ABC has its own "Titanic" film on the way on Saturday, with the two-night miniseries, titled "Titanic." What sets this production apart from Cameron's big-screen extravaganza is the name on the scripts: Julian Fellowes. Fellowes is the man behind the PBS hit "Downton Abbey," and this miniseries looks to be taking many of the class issues from the show and bringing them to sea.

Turner Classic Movies will air two Titanic-themed movies on Saturday: the 1958 version of the Titanic's final voyage "A Night to Remember" and the 1964 Debbie Reynolds musical, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," about the Titanic survivor.

Discovery will air a trio of Titanic-themed documentaries on Saturday: "Last Mysteries of the Titanic," featuring James Cameron's return dives to the wreck, "Titanic: Birth of the Legend," about the construction of the mighty ship, and "What Sank Titanic?" about the ship's final moments.

On Sunday, History will air three Titanic documentaries: "Titanic's Final Moments: Missing Pieces," recounts a 2005 trip to the wreck to attempt to determine exactly how the ship sank. "Titanic's Achilles Heel" follows experts to the wreck of the similarly designed ship, the Brittanic, as they investigate whether the ship had a fatal flaw in its design. And then comes the premiere of "Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved," which presumably will answer every other question left unanswered about the wreck. Which, judging from the number of people on Twitter who weren't even aware it was real, should mean there are still plenty of questions out there.

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Photo: Titanic leaves Southampton on April 10, 1912. Credit: AFP / Getty Images

'Vikings' will be History's first scripted series

History has ordered its first scripted series, "Vikings," set to debut in 2013.

The series, set in the world of those brutal, bearded pillagers from the north, is being created and written by "The Tudors" creator Michael Hirst. It will follow the adventures of an actual historical figure, Ragnar Lothbrok, a hero of much Viking mythology and the one-time "king" of Denmark and part of Sweden. Part of his mythology holds that he was a descendent of Odin, the Norse god of warriors.

Lothbrok's ascent to becoming king of the Vikings is the main thrust of the series, which promises all kinds of brutal Viking battles, along with some beautiful northern landscapes. It will be filmed primarily in Ireland with locations throughout northern Europe.

"People think they know about the Vikings. We see references to them all the time in our popular culture from TV commercials to football teams. But the reality is so much more fascinating and complex, more vivid, visceral and powerful than popular legend," History's president and general manager Nancy Dubuc said in a statement. "We will explore the mysteries of the Vikings -- the adventures they took and the people who led them.  And we will start to understand a past that is very much part of our collective DNA today."

Ireland has played host to several recent TV series set in the distant past. In addition to the upcoming "Vikings," parts of "The Tudors," "Camelot" and "Game of Thrones" have been filmed there.

This isn't the only upcoming instance of History branching out from its traditional mix of semi-dramatized documentaries. Later this year it will broadcast a miniseries about the Hatfields and McCoys starring Kevin Costner.

History has given a full season commitment to the series, which was brought to the network by MGM who will also handle international distribution. The series promises to explore the Vikings' story from inside their culture. So don't expect a lot of mindless slaughter. There will be lots of slaughter, but it'll be thoughtful.

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Photo: A Viking reenactor attends the Up Helly Aa Festival in the Shetland Islands. Credit: Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty Images

'Mankind The Story of All of Us' to premiere on History

"Mankind The Story of All Of Us," History's follow-up to its epic miniseries "America The Story of Us," is currently in production and will premiere on the network later this year.

Executives at the network said the project, which will run for 12 hours over six nights, would be the most in-depth TV series ever produced by History.

"We are traveling to every corner of the world in order to portray the heroic story of man and the collective story of all of us," said History President Nancy Dubuc. Producer said the project would utilize CGI and dramatic reconstructions "of the most critical events in human history."

Among the events to be explored are the construction of the pyramids, the Vikings landing in America, the Industrial Revolution and the making of the modern world.

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 Photo: An image of Easter Island from "Mankind The Story of All of Us." Credit: Joe Alblas / A+E.

'Pawn Stars' helps History finish in top five among cable networks

History has had a banner year, finishing in the top five cable networks and growing its audience in advertiser-coveted age groups on the strength of programs such as “Pawn Stars,” “Top Gear” and “Ax Men.”

No one even calls it “the Hitler channel” anymore.

The network, home also to “American Restoration,” “Ice Road Truckers” and “Swamp People,” is the top-ranked nonfiction network in key viewer demographics and the second-ranked network for men behind ESPN. It was the only cable channel in the top five to grow its ratings among adults age 25 to 54 and adults age 18 to 49.

While History has long been a favorite for scholars, documentary fans and older viewers, the cable network has made major inroads with younger audiences that draw in significant ad dollars. It now rates as the No. 2 choice of men 18-49 in primetime, and is the fifth most popular network with adults 18-49.

Aside from its regular series, History has become a destination for event specials and miniseries. This year’s “Gettysburg,” from Tony and Ridley Scott, won four Emmys, and “Vietnam in HD” and “Targeting Bin Laden” drew large audiences.

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Photo: Rick Harrison of "Pawn Stars" on History. Credit: History