Duck Dynasty ratings drop sharply on return

Duck Dynasty returned for its fifth season Wednesday night, and the results were surprisingly disappointing.

Just 8.5 million viewers tuned in, a drop of 28 percent from the Season 4 premiere and the first season-to-season drop for the show. While still large numbers for cable, the depressed ratings were unusual for the Duck Commander gang, whose runaway reality hit on A&E has broken records for cable viewership.

Wednesday's double dose of Dynasty was the first airing since patriarch Phil Robertson made explosive comments ranging from a comparison of homosexuality to bestiality, to laughably misremembering the Jim Crow South through rosy-colored glasses in a GQ article.

He was subsequently suspended by A&E, then re-instated after his suspension caused an uproar among conservatives.

And while Season 5 was in the can before the scandal broke, the expectation was that the "all press is good press" principle would draw spiked ratings for Wednesday's premiere.

[Deadline]