Record audiences for Disney's High School Musical sequel
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 | 10:52 AM ET
CBC Arts
Disney's High School Musical 2 has smashed the notion of a sophomore slump, with the made-for-TV movie setting a new television record on its debut last week.
The TV movie's premiere on Friday drew a U.S. audience of 17.2 million to the Disney Channel, making it the most-watched basic cable program ever, Nielsen Media Research said on Monday.
The U.S viewership for the sequel's debut was more than double that of the first movie, which drew 7.7 million in 2006.
The audience for the teen-centred, summer-themed musical beat out past record-holders, including CNN's broadcast of a 1993 North American Free Trade debate (16.8 million viewers) and a 2006 Monday Night Football game on ESPN (16 million viewers).
High School Musical 2, which aired on the Family Channel in Canada, also drew one million viewers north of the border.
The original High School Musical was a surprise hit for Disney last year, with the $4-million US production eventually making more than $100 million US.
The original film — which centres around a bookish student and a jock who decide to try out for the school musical — has been described as a modern-day successor to Grease.
Its upbeat soundtrack became the bestselling album of 2006 in the U.S., and the movie was eventually seen by more than 200 million people in 100 countries around the world.
High School Musical 2 reunites the cast of the original production and set it at a posh country club, where students have landed summer jobs. It is set for broadcast in international markets in the coming months, with the U.K. premiere scheduled for September.
A feature film edition is also planned for release in 2008.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
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