TNT’s newest dramedy centers around Niecy Nash (“Desna Simms”) as the leader of a fiesty and (at times) catty group of Floridian manicurists who are using their nail salon to assist as a money laundering front for a neighboring clinic.

The series, which also stars Emmy winner Karrueche Tran, won rave reviews from critics in pre-screens. Yet, when it made its debut on June 11th, viewership figures didn’t exactly match that fanfare.

‘Claws’ Series Premiere Ratings = 1.18 million

The numbers, though far from blockbuster, are fair given a number of circumstances:

• It’s in line with a number of other TNT original programming premiere figures from the past year
• It had to contend with major rating draws like ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ and ‘NHL Playoffs’
• The show’s already given viewers a “sneak preview” during a previously aired NBA game

With all things considered, the show is off to a solid start.  Next week’s ratings will be a good determinant of how well it was or wasn’t able to sustain viewers.

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