@lifetimetv @aetv LIFETIME REACHES 10.5 MILLION VIEWERS FOR WEEKEND TELECASTS OF COCAINE GODMOTHER AND GRISELDA: THE GODMOTHER The Catherine Zeta-Jones feature drove Lifetime to rank as the #1 cable network in its time period with Women 18-49 on Saturday night
Lifetime is feeling the ratings high after reaching 10.5 million total viewers with the Lifetime Original Movie Cocaine Godmother and the documentary special Griselda: The Godmother across all weekend telecasts.
On its Saturday, January 20 premiere, Cocaine Godmother delivered 2.2 million Total Viewers in Live+3, according to Nielsen Media Research. It also drove Lifetime to be the #1 cable network in its time period among Women 18-49 (506,000) and #2 with Adults 25-54 (927,000), Women 25-54 (604,000) and Adults 18-49 (762,000).
Following Cocaine Godmother, Saturday’s premiere of the one-hour special Griselda: The Godmother averaged 1.4 million Total Viewers in Live+3.
Starring Academy Award winning and Golden Globe nominated-actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cocaine Godmother explores the complicated life of Griselda Blanco, who, at just 17, made her way to the U.S. with a fake passport with her first husband Carlos (Carlos Rodriguez). Living in Queens with her three sons (Dixon, Matteo Stefan; Osvaldo, Spencer Borgeson; Uber, Jose Julian), Griselda became enticed by the money the drug world offered, and quickly became embroiled with local drug runners. Griselda masterminded the use of beautiful women, the elderly and children as the mules and created false-bottom suitcases to smuggle cocaine from Colombia. With money rolling in, her sons abandoned school and entered the family business instead. A move to Miami would further expand Griselda’s empire, and lead to the death of her second husband Alberto (Juan Pablo Espinosa), giving the rise to her nickname, The Black Widow. Her willingness to use violence against her Miami competitors, led her rivals to make repeated unsuccessful attempts to kill her. In order to protect her youngest son with third husband Dario (Raul Mendez), Griselda moved to California where she was later arrested by the DEA and sentenced to a decade in jail. The case against her collapsed and upon her release, she was deported to Colombia, where she was ultimately gunned down in 2012. In her lifetime, Griselda’s drug distribution network spanned across the United States and she was suspected of ordering over 200 murders. The film also stars Jenny Pellicer as Carolina, Alejandro Edda as Rudy, Jonah Stark as young Dixon, Jaden Rain as young Osvaldo, Dagan Nish as Michael, Lauren Guci as young Michael, Warren Christie as Jimmy and Darcy Laurie as Pablo Escobar.
Cocaine Godmother is produced by Asylum Entertainment for Lifetime with Emmy Award-winning Steven Michaels, Jonathan Koch (The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe), Joan Harrison (Manson’s Lost Girls) and Alisa Tager (Enemy at the Gates) executive producing. Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labrynth, Narcos) directs the script written by David McKenna (American History X) and Molly McAlpine (Nash Bridges).
A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for Cocaine Godmother.
*Source: Nielsen Npower Reach (000s) based on a 1+ Min Qual, 1/20/18-1/21/18, L+3 and most current for Sat 1/20/18 and Sun 1/21/18, P2+, 6 Telecasts (2 specials + 4 movies)
About Lifetime
Lifetime is a premier entertainment destination for women dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning scripted series, non-fiction series and movies. The critically acclaimed UnREAL, Project Runway, Dance Moms, Bring It!, The Rap Game, Married at First Sight and Little Women franchises anchor the network’s programming, in addition to its over 25 original movies annually that continue to define the TV movie genre. In 2015, Lifetime launched Broad Focus, a major global initiative dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers to make its content which totals over 450 original hours. Lifetime Television®, LMN®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.
