GMA Network’s highest-rated series of 2021 stages a victorious come back via First Lady, albeit failing to duplicate the massive success of its predecessor.
It did not surprise that First Lady, the sequel to GMA Network’s monster 2021 hit, First Yaya, reclaimed the number one spot among most-watched dramas in the country when it premiered on February 14, Monday.
According to the media rating firm, AGB Nielsen, the pilot episode of the Gabby Concepcion and Sanya Lopez-starrer garnered a TV rating of 14.4%1, based on its National Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM)People data. The show pulled off a 4.3 lead over FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, which kept its rating in the double digits, albeit the arrival of a now stronger rival show.
The six-year-old Kapamilya show recently became the number one drama in the country.
First Lady’s pilot rating also improved GMA Network’s first post-24 Oras slot by 0.8 percentage points. I Left My Heart in Sorsogon aired its 65th and finale episode on February 11, Friday, earning a 13.6% finale rating according to AGB Nielsen. That said, First Lady still massively failed to get near its predecessor’s pilot episode, which rated 23%. That means the much-anticipated sequel lost almost half of its predecessor’s viewers. It is also worth noting that First Yaya even peaked with a 24% People rating and that it also never posted a TV rating lower than 16%.
Following Melody’s (Sanya Lopez) transition to becoming the First Lady of President Glenn Acosta (Gabby Concepcion), the sequel will be a source of joy and happiness amid the pandemic, the cast declared. The series is also set to introduce a new character, including the one portrayed by Alice Dixon.
Despite its failure to duplicate its predecessor’s pilot rating, there is room for First Lady to go higher and pull off more impressive numbers on the rating chart. That said, it probably needs to create more gimmicks now as the total viewership for traditional television has been declining for a while due to the rising popularity of streaming services.
