Lifetime grins as "Naked" bares

By Kimberly Nordyke

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "How to Look Good Naked" looks pretty good in Lifetime's view.

"Naked," a reality series in which Carson Kressley teaches women of all sizes to love their bodies, became the female-targeted network's most-watched reality series premiere ever in the key adult demographics of 18-49 (868,000 viewers) and 18-34 (449,000) as well as among women 18-34 (344,000).

Overall, "Naked" averaged 1.8 million total viewers in its debut at 9 p.m. Friday, according to Nielsen Media Research.

By comparison, Lifetime's now-defunct unscripted series "Cheerleader Nation" -- which, like "Naked," received a big promotional push -- debuted to 1.6 million viewers on a Sunday (March 12, 2006).

Following "Naked" were the premieres of the matchmaking series "Matched in Manhattan" (971,000 viewers) and the party-planning programs "Top This Party: Orange County" (871,000) and "Top This Party: Las Vegas" (747,000). Lifetime said they all improved on the network's women 18-34 performance compared with the same time periods a year ago.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter