“Snowpiercer” (finally) debuted on Sunday, when it punched the tickets of 3.3 million total viewers across TNT and TBS.
In the key adults 18-49 demographic, 607,000 people tuned in for the 9 p.m. premiere. Counting an encore, the key-demo tally reached 1 million. The 3.3 million included two replays.
“Snowpiercer,” an adaptation of the 2013 movie of the same name, is set over seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. Much like the Bong Joon Ho film, the series centers on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe.
This “Snowpiercer” stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs. The film about a rail transport vehicle was a Chris Evans vehicle.
It was a five-year journey to get “Snowpiercer” to Sunday night’s premiere.
The TV adaptation was first put in development in 2015. Its first showrunner, Josh Friedman, best known for helming “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and co-writing “War of the Worlds,” was fired over “creative differences” when TNT greenlit the series in 2018. Freidman was replaced by “Orphan Black” co-creator Graeme Manson, who started the series from scratch, prompting an angered Friedman to denounce Manson as a “vichy motherf—.”
Once Friedman was replaced, director Scott Derrickson followed him out the door after complaining about Manson’s “radically different vision” compared to the pilot he shot for Friedman. Veteran TV director James Hawes came in for the reshoots.
The show finally appeared to be back on track when it was set for a summer 2019 debut — only to be delayed again to the following spring so Turner could use March Madness to market the increasingly-expensive drama. This time, “Snowpiercer” was also re-routed to comedy-focused TBS and given a second season order.
But it wouldn’t stay on TBS for long. After less than five months, Turner reversed course, moved it back to TNT.
“Snowpiercer” the show is produced by Tomorrow Studios and CJ Entertainment.
“Snowpiercer” airs Sundays at 9/8c on TNT.