Alec Baldwin's first episode of Up Late did not blow anyone out of the water, but it proved a solid start for the incoming MSNBC personality.
Nielsen shows the actor's interview series averaging 654,000 viewers and 172,000 adults 25-54 in its 10 p.m. debut. Viewership, up 53 percent from MSNBC Investigates the week prior, marked an even more considerable 71 percent improvement from the last four weeks. The demo showing, while down 7 percent from the previous week, was still up 18 percent from the hour's monthly average.
The night also marked Sean Hannity's first Friday in his new 10 p.m. slot, scoring an expected win with 1.5 million viewers and 338,000 adults 25-54. The series was up in viewers from Greta Van Susteren's last showing in the Friday hour and virtually even in the demo.
CNN seemed to suffer against the new competition. Anderson Cooper shed 52 percent in among total viewers, down from 717,000 to 347,000 viewers, and 58 percent in the demo to just 111,000 adults 25-54.
Baldwin's ratings watch will prove a bit different from the current barrage of cable news shifts and launches, as MSNBC taking a stab at destination viewing with the non-nightly program.
