Lots of extreme nastiness propels FX's 'Sons of Anarchy' to record ratings

There's just not enough gang rape, oral sex, brutal murder and white supremacy on the tube these days. At least, that's one conclusion to draw from the eye-popping ratings posted this week by FX's Sons of Anarchy. The drama, about a gun-running motorcycle gang in the fictional Northern California town of Charming, pulled in 4.3 million viewers for its second-season premiere. Now here's the real kicker: that's a 95 percent gain over the launch of season one in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demo, the biggest leap for any show in FX's history, according to our brother blog, The Live Feed. There are a number of contributing factors, as far as I can see, including the cable network's relentless on-air Sons promotion during buzzworthy shows like Rescue Me. There's the content itself, of course, which earns a mini-alphabet of parental-warning letters (TV MA, L, S, V) and the addition of punk-rock pioneer Henry Rollins to the cast. And, thank God and FX's elastic standards, there's star Charlie Hunnam without a stitch of clothing. Did I mention I'm a fan? Check out Mediaweek's interview with Hunnam and co-star Katey Sagal, who works her best Lady Macbeth-as-steely-motorcycle-mama. And catch the show on Tuesday nights.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley