CMT wins big with the premieres of BAYOU BILLIONAIRES and MY BIG REDNECK VACATION on Saturday, January 21, marking the network's highest-rated original series telecasts in history. BAYOU BILLIONAIRES earned a .72 among P18-49, and averaged 724,000 viewers among the same audience according to early Nielsen reporting. Immediately following, MY BIG REDNECK VACATION earned a .70 among P18-49, and averaged 707,000 among P18-49.
BAYOU BILLIONAIRES is a modern day rags-to-riches story starring the crazy Dowden family who recently became crazy rich. MY BIG REDNECK VACATION, hosted by Tom Arnold, follows the extended Clampet family as they experience the vacation-of-a-lifetime in the Hamptons. Additional CMT launches this month include the third season of the dating series SWEET HOME ALABAMA and SWANDEROSA, a new series that chronicles the Swan family's event planning business, right in their own backyard.
The series follow a ramp-up in production for the network, which currently has more series in development than ever before. CMT recently announced several new series slated for 2012, including MELISSA & TYE: A NEW REALITY, starring Melissa Rycroft ("The Bachelor," "Dancing With the Stars") and husband Tye Strickland. Also set for spring air I LOVE JENNIE, is a new series following Jennie Garth ("Beverly Hills, 90210").
BAYOU BILLIONAIRES is produced by Magilla Entertainment. Brian Flanagan, Matt Ostrom, Laura Palumbo Johnson and Brad Johnson serve as executive producers. Eliot Goldberg and Jayson Dinsmore serve as executive producers for CMT.
MY BIG REDNECK VACATION is produced by Pink Sneakers. Kimberly Belcher Cowin, John Ehrhard, Brad Johnson, Lewis Bogach (CMT) and Jayson Dinsmore (CMT) serve as executive producers.
CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.
