“Sharknado 2: The Second One” just took a big bite out of the Nielsen ratings sheets.
The Syfy phenomenon pulled in 3.9 million total viewers on Wednesday. That number is nearly three times what the original TV movie got in its debut, with the sequel setting a Syfy Original Movie record in the process.
As a result, the cable channel is replaying it on both Saturday and Sunday.
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The first “Sharknado” premiered on July 11, 2013, to nearly 1.4 million total viewers. A sequel was greenlit less than a week later.
Due to demand — mostly generated by social media — a second airing of the original one on July 18 scored 1.9 million viewers, representing a 24 percent uptick from the debut.
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A third airing continued the rise, pulling in 2.1 million total viewers — making “Sharknado” the most-watched original movie in Syfy history — until now.
That time, it ran during an all-day “Sharkathon” festival that also featured “Sharktopus,” “Two-Headed Shark Attack” and “Swamp Shark.” The then-record led to a one-night-only nationwide “Sharknado” screening in more than 200 movie theaters.
It also led Syfy to air the original one final time last August.
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A production of The Asylum, “Sharknado 2” stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox, Mark McGrath, Kari Wuhrer and Judah Friedlander.
It is stuffed with cameos, including those from Kelly Osbourne, Andy Dick, Perez Hilton, Judd Hirsch, Robert Klein and Kurt Angle. They were joined by Salt N’ Pepa’s Pepa (Sandra Denton), Biz Markie, Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, Richard Kind, Kelly Oxford, Billy Ray Cyrus, Wil Wheaton and Robert Hays.
“Sharknado 2: The Second One” was directed by Anthony C. Ferrante from a screenplay by Thunder Levin. The re-airings will be Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9.