Follow-up to “Mermaids: The Body Found” is network’s biggest winner in years

May 29, 2013 06:43 GMT  ·  By

Discovery struck gold with the new Animal Planet special “Mermaids: The New Evidence,” a follow-up to last year’s “Mermaids: The Body Found,” which was also a hit – but not even close as big as this one.

Broadcasting Cable reports that the new docufilm set a new ratings record for the network, with 3.6 million people tuning in to see it on Sunday when it aired.

“The network's previous record was set in 2005 with Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real, which drew 2.8 million viewers,” the e-zine says.

“The special also made Animal Planet the most watched network in that timeslot among adults 25-54 with 1.9 million viewers and women ages 25-54 with 809,000. The special also registered the net's best telecast ever among total households with 2.5 rating; adults 25-54 with 1.9 rating; and adults 18-49 and with a 1.6 rating,” adds the same media outlet.

As I also reported yesterday, “The New Evidence” reopened the debate on whether mermaids are real or they’re only mythological creatures inhabiting children’s stories.

Because of it, many believe the former: mermaids do exist; we just never found them because we were never looking in the right place.