Melrose Place - international hit?

I have to say that I received a good laugh after reading Thomas Calabro, who plays Dr. Michael Mancini, recent interview on E!'s website.

It wasn't because he thought Melrose Place was going to return or hint towards more cast from the original making a reappearance. No it was the statement about the show being an international hit. Here's the quote "Here's what's going on with that: We're coming back," Calabro tells us. "Right now, we're airing our first five or six episodes internationally, and I think the show's a big international hit. That's enough to bring a show back."

I didn't even know that it was airing anywhere else but the US and UK. I can't speak for how Melrose Place is doing in other countries but it debuted, in the UK, with 113,000 viewers on Five's digital channel Fiver, with another 7,000 on the catchup service an hour later. At the time, it gave the channel its best ever Wednesday ratings. However the second episode drew 89,000 viewers.

When Archer debuted a couple of weeks later, on a Thursday night, it gave the channel 159,000 viewers for each of its half-hour instalments at 10pm and 10.30pm.

It's definitely not a hit here where a catchup episode of Desperate Housewives, shown an hour after airing can attract more viewers at 11pm then Melrose Place can at 9pm. I can't say I know anybody that watches it and the media certainly don't mention it any more when reporting ratings or anything else.

I have heard many times that US networks don't look into international ratings. Why would they, if they don't count online viewing from people in their own country. When does someone viewing in Boston, UK count the same as someone from Boston, US.

If The CW choose to renew Melrose Place, then it will be based on viewer figures in the US, money and whether or not they find something better to air instead.