Jersey Shore returns with ratings muscle

Cabs are here! And so are the nice-looking numbers.

After more than a five-year absence, Jersey Shore returned to MTV as a healthy ratings draw, with Thursday’s two-hour premiere of Jersey Shore Family Vacation netting a 3.0 in the target demo of 18-to-34-year-olds and 2.5 million viewers in live plus same-day viewing. That makes it the most-watched unscripted cable series premiere in the 18-to-34 demo since 2012, according to the network. The numbers grew over the premiere, as the first hour averaged 2.4 million viewers, while the second hour ticked up to 2.6 million.

Of course, those numbers don’t come near Jersey Shore —a parade of twentysomething debauchery that stretched out across New Jersey, Florida, and Italy — at the height of its dominance in 2011, when this reality series could pull in 8 million-plus viewers per episode. By the time the six-season party shut down in 2012, it was averaging about half of that, and its series finale drew just over 3 million viewers. But again, Family Vacation is off to a rather smashing (smushing?) start — and there’s significant initial curiosity among the network’s key demo to see happened when Snooki, the Situation, Pauly D, JWOWW, Vinny, Ronnie, and Deena reunited for more partying in Miami.

Jersey Shore has spawned spin-offs (Snooki & JWOWW, The Pauly D Project), and the format has been adapted in various countries overseas. Last year, the network unveiled Floribama Shore, which has been renewed for a second season.