The L Word (Showtime): Ratings Recap

'The L Word' premiered January 18, 2004 to a 0.5 adults 18-49 rating/share and 936,000 viewers - one of Showtime's best premiere numbers ever. It averaged 609,000 viewers over the course of its first season, dipped to 490,000 in its second season, and rose up to 555,000 for its third. The next two seasons were both low-performers, pulling between 300,000 and 500,000 viewers for its premieres and finales, but the sixth and final season in 2009 managed to recover lost viewership. The final season premiered to 664,000 viewers in January 2009 and concluded to 756,000. Note: for seasons 1-3, only ratings for the premieres, finales, and averages are provided. Full episode-by-episode numbers begin with season 4.

The L Word Season 1 Ratings (2004)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Jan. 18, 2004	0.936	0.5
Apr. 11, 2004	0.585	0.4
Average	0.609	0.37

The L Word Season 2 Ratings (2005)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Feb. 20, 2005	0.515	0.3
May 15, 2005	0.461	0.3
Average	0.490	0.30

The L Word Season 3 Ratings (2006)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Jan. 8, 2006	0.652	0.4
Mar. 26, 2006	0.646	0.4
Average	0.555	0.32

The L Word Season 4 Ratings (2007)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Jan. 7, 2007	0.359	0.2
Jan. 14, 2007	0.347	0.2
Jan. 21, 2007	0.399	0.3
Jan. 28, 2007	0.368	0.2
Feb. 4, 2007	0.448	0.3
Feb. 11, 2007	0.387	0.2
Feb. 18, 2007	0.381	0.2
Feb. 25, 2007	0.325	0.2
Mar. 4, 2007	0.513	0.3
Mar. 11, 2007	0.474	0.3
Mar. 18, 2007	0.331	0.2
Mar. 25, 2007	0.485	0.3
Average	0.401	0.24

The L Word Season 5 Ratings (2008)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Jan. 6, 2008	0.460	0.3
Jan. 13, 2008	0.430	0.3
Jan. 20, 2008	0.241	0.1
Jan. 27, 2008	0.450	0.3
Feb. 3, 2008	0.281	0.2
Feb. 10, 2008	0.376	0.2
Feb. 17, 2008	0.414	0.2
Feb. 24, 2008	0.382	0.2
Mar. 2, 2008	0.349	0.2
Mar. 9, 2008	0.402	0.2
Mar. 16, 2008	0.529	0.3
Mar. 23, 2008	0.365	0.2
Average	0.390	0.23

The L Word Season 6 Ratings (2009)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Jan. 18, 2009	0.664	0.3
Jan. 25, 2009	0.502	0.3
Feb. 1, 2009	0.308	0.2
Feb. 8, 2009	0.464	0.3
Feb. 15, 2009	0.430	0.2
Feb. 22, 2009	0.511	0.3
Mar. 1, 2009	0.518	0.3
Mar. 8, 2009	0.756	0.4
Average	0.519	0.29

Source: Nielsen Media Research