Fire Country is a bonafide hit for C.B.S.
The Max Thieriot procedural returned from hiatus with Fire Country Season 1 Episode 9 on Friday, and the numbers were very good.
The thrilling episode logged 6.4 million viewers and a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demo.
Fire Country reached a series high in total viewers, proving once again that it is one of the season’s biggest hits.
S.W.A.T. (5.3 million/0.5) and Blue Bloods (5.9 million/0.4) also turned in solid numbers for C.B.S., but Fire Country dominated the night in total viewers and tied for #1 overall in the demo.
News of the strong ratings dropped just a day after C.B.S. ordered up a very early second-season renewal.
C.B.S. said the series eclipses 10 million viewers when looking at live + 35 and multiplatform viewing.
“It’s pretty remarkable to see a new series resonate like this with both broadcast and streaming audiences right out of the gate,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of C.B.S. Entertainment.
“FIRE COUNTRY has so many appealing entry points for the audience. It combines high-stakes action with small town charm, mystery and romance, and a family franchise at its core.”
“We’re blessed to have an incredible team in front of and behind the camera led by amazing producers and writers and an exceptionally talented cast.”
Thieriot stars as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son – until his troubles began.
Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
The series also stars Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway, and Jules Latimer.
Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Tia Napolitano, Max Thieriot, Jerry Bruckheimer, and KristieAnne Reed are executive producers.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.