The trial of Casey Anthony was one of the biggest murder court cases of the new millennium, so it's no surprise a show about it would do well with audiences. Even so, these numbers for Investigation Discovery's miniseries Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery are pretty astonishing, and they're breaking records for ID in a way few could have expected. Just how big was the 3 part special though? Here's what we've learned.
Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery delivered around 3.6 million viewers for Investigation Discovery over the three-night airing of the docu-series. That's the best series debut for any ID program, as well as the best delivery ever for the network, accounting for all of the key demographics. Of those demographics, the series pulled in its largest audience (1.879 million) from the 25-54 age group. ID's success was not self-contained either, as Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery showed up impressively in the overall ratings for cable and network TV as well.
According to TVByTheNumbers, Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery's first episode ended its premiere night as the second highest-rated show on cable television. While The Real Housewives Of Atlanta did manage to win out in the 18-49 demo, ID's series managed to pull in a considerably larger audience at a later timeslot. To add to the applause-worthy info, Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery won the 10 p.m. time slot for cable television in Live+3 stats, and it even managed to beat out both CBS and NBC on the network side in certain demographics. So given all this information, what does this mean for Investigation Discovery going forward?
Most likely we're going to be seeing a lot more series in the same vein of Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery. (Not much of a shocker for this network, though.) For those that missed the series, the documentary rehashed the full story of Casey Anthony's trial for the assumed murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee. In addition to court proceedings and a recap of what was known, the series also provided never-before-seen footage of Anthony, and new interviews with several key people involved in the process. Ultimately, it gave a viewpoint that showed the trial was more nuanced than what those who experienced it via tabloids and social media would have expected. Will Investigation Discovery be able to find another trial to cover as captivating as the Casey Anthony case though?
That's a very good question, as unresolved murder cases are all the rage, with Netflix already putting their thumb over all the details of Steven Avery's story with Making A Murderer, and the streaming service also provided looks at Amanda Knox's case, as well as the newly announced The Keepers, which sounds creepy. Crime shows have always been popular, though, as evidenced by the existence of Investigation Discovery in the first place, and the success of a series like Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery is only going to push Hollywood to scour headlines and develop more content for the public.
We'll keep you updated if ID has any other murder shows on the way, but until then, be sure to visit our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere schedule to keep up with all the shows premiering or returning in the next few months.
