Dear Kathy Bates,

Remember how NBC cancelled your Harry’s Law drama series in spring 2012, at the end of its second season, even though it was then the network’s most-watched drama series — because NBC suits felt its audience skewed too old and Warner Bros, not NBCU, owned the show? If memory serves me, you were asked about this at Summer TV Press Tour 2013, and you observed, “I think they treated us like shit. They kicked us to the curb. They disrespected us; they disrespected our 7-11 million viewers. I think they’re getting what they deserve this year, Thank you.”

I’m writing to make sure you are aware that, last night, in the premiere of your new FX mini-series, American Horror Story: Coven you attracted 3.9 million 18-49-year-olds, at the same time NBC aired an episode of a new drama series — one it DOES own and which it presumes will do better than you could at attracting 18-49-year-old viewers. That new drama — ironically, a remake of the late 60’s NBC cop drama Ironside — attracted an average of 1.4 million viewers in the 18-49-year-old age bracket. That is less than half of your young-viewer audience. Ironside did come very close to matching your 3.87 million demo viewers – but it was the 3.64 million viewers Ironside attracted in the 50+ demo. That is a demo in which NBC places little value, as you learned on Harry’s Law.





And, in conclusion: the median age of the Ironside audience last night was 58.5 years. It is the oldest skewing show on NBC’s primetime schedule so far this season. The median age of your AHS: Coven audience last night was 35.3 years.

Congratulations.

Related:

‘American Horror Story’ Scares Up Record Ratings For FX

Kathy Bates Tackles Serial Killer Socialite In American Horror Story: Coven