AMC's 'Hell on Wheels' draws 4.4 million in debut

AMC's latest series, the western "Hell on Wheels," came 4.4 million in the debut Sunday evening. That's far beneath the recent second season launch from the cabler's zombie drama "The Walking Dead," however the second greatest debut within the net's history. "Wheels," which broadcast at 10 p.m., had the advantage of a "Walking Dead" lead-in. Sunday's 9 o'clock "Walking Dead" received 6.3 million audiences, meaning while "Hell of Wheels" was strongly tried, there is a drop-from nearly two million audiences (31%). Next week's rankings determines if "Wheels" has got the strength to become a season-lengthy hit for that cabler. Within the 18-49 demo, "Wheels," the industry Canadian production shot in Calgary, Alberta, came 2.4 million in comparison towards the 4.3 million for "Dead." Retention was certainly better with older audiences, making sense thinking about "Wheels" happens within the Old West and it is a genre that's an appropriate fit for lengthy-time TV viewers. Within the 25-54 demo, 2.3 million audiences updated in, only a hair beneath the 18-49 total. Show happens in publish-Civil War America and focuses on a revengeful Confederate soldier and also the building from the Transcontinental Railroad. Anson Mount, Common and Colm Meaney star. Skein was produced by Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton, who professional produce with Jeremy Gold, John Shiban and David Von Ancken, who directed the pilot. Series was created by Endemol USA, in a single of their couple of non-reality endeavors, and Entertainment One. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com