‘Killing Lincoln’ sets ratings records for Nat Geo

The ratings are in for Sunday night, and it turned out to be a very good one for the National Geographic Channel. The cable network otherwise known affectionately as Nat Geo (which is certainly a lot easier to roll off the tongue) have been delving into the scripted arena as of late, and it certainly paid off with big dividends courtesy of their adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Lincoln.”

Overall, the two-hour airing of this program Sunday ended up drawing a record audience of 3.4 million, which is even more impressive when you consider what Billy Campbell and company were up against. There was a new episode of “The Walking Dead,” otherwise known as the most-watched drama series on all of television, on over on AMC. Meanwhile, there was also new episodes of “The Good Wife” on CBS and “Revenge” on ABC.

While typically we caution against shows premiering during a holiday weekend (mostly because it does increase the odds that people are out celebrating with friends and family, and Sunday becomes more like a Saturday), this was actually a very smart move for Nat Geo: it’s President’s Day weekend, so why not introduce a program all about one of the most-popular Presidents of all? The timing was also pretty great when you consider that the Steven Spielberg movie “Lincoln” is still fresh in many viewers’ lives, and this is a take on a different part in the famous man’s story.

Did you watch “Killing Lincoln” Monday night, and if so, what did you think? Be sure to share some of your thoughts with a comment below! If you want to see some other ratings news from Sunday night, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: National Geographic Channel