Limited series “George & Tammy” delivered a solid opening for Showtime and two other Paramount outlets in its Sunday debut.
In total, the premiere airing across three nets — Showtime, Paramount Network and CMT — brought in 3.3 million viewers. The series, produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, stars Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain as married country music superstars George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
With the other Paramount platforms factored in, the “George & Tammy” premiere marked a high for a Showtime original series in multi-platform era.
” ‘George & Tammy’ made history as the most-watched Showtime premiere ever, thanks to the mesmerizing performances of Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime & Paramount Media Networks.
The remaining five episodes of the series will air exclusively on Showtime. Paramount and other conglomerates have been experimenting with amplifying high-priority original series projects with multiple airings across streaming, broadcast and cable platforms.
“George & Tammy” has been more than 10 years in the making for Sylvia, Chastain (who also produces through her Freckle Films banner) and others. In a recent interview with Variety, Chastain said she sought to capture the couple’s “special energy” despite their tumultuous relationship.
“When they performed when they were married and when they performed when they were divorced, and there was always something incredibly magical. They knew they were on stage, but it was like they were the only two people in the world, and there was a very special energy there,” Chastain said. “That’s what I felt like I really wanted to show in this series.”
Based on the memoir by the couple’s daughter, Georgette Jones, “George & Tammy” was created by Abe Sylvia, who also executive producers alongside Andrew Lazar, Josh Brolin, Chastain and Kelly Carmichael. John Hillcoat directed the six episodes and also served as EP/ David C. Glasser, David Hutkin and Bob Yari are executive producers for 101 Studios.