Paramount Network Has Another Hit With ‘68 Whiskey’
Mar 12, 2020
The Ron Howard-produced series about a group of U.S. Army medics drew significant viewership in its first weeks.
Paramount Network’s newest series 68 Whiskey has become one of the network’s most popular original series. The military comedy—in the style of CBS’ classic hit M*A*S*H—attracted an average of 1.6 million viewers in its first five weeks. This success is due in part to audiences in middle America, who were also integral to the ratings of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone.
Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, the series follows a group of U.S. Army medics based in Afghanistan. A majority of 68 Whiskey viewers are in Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and Indiana, many of which are home to major military bases.
Jeremy Tardy, who plays Staff Sergeant Mekhi Davis in the series, says that many viewers are watching the series to understand global events within a human context.
“I don't think most people really get why we're in Afghanistan still, or in several different countries around the world,” he told ViacomCBS during a special screening in partnership with the USO in February. “With this show, you get to look at the day-to-day life of a soldier in a way that is not just super serious and sometimes super graphic. It also makes you laugh. It makes you smile and question things… I think that's why viewers are responding.”
“I think we're all wondering, ‘What the hell is still going on over there [in Afghanistan]?’” said Sam Keeley, who portrays Army medic Cooper Roback.
Another Hit for Paramount Network
In many ways, 68 Whiskey builds on the success of Yellowstone, Paramount Network’s first original scripted series. Its premiere season in 2018 was the second most-watched cable show and racked up more than 20 million digital views. It was created with non-urban audiences in-mind and its setting is integral to its character development.
“Paramount Network did a really good job with Yellowstone, and I think they created a great fan base and audience there. They created a great platform for us to follow up,” Keeley said. “Our show is somewhat in the same vein, because it's telling stories about American people who are struggling. It's also a real-life story.”
68 Whiskey is based on an Israeli TV series, Charlie Golf One, which was also about a battalion aid station in the desert. Keith Cox, president of development and production for Paramount Network and TV Land, was a big fan of the original series and wanted to adapt the story for American audiences. Howard and Grazer helped bring it to life, centering on American soldiers, with a script by Emmy-award winning writer Roberto Benabib.
“This is really about offering audiences insight into a world and a group of characters, who really run the gamut,” Howard said in a series trailer produced by Paramount Network.
The Heroes at its Story Core
The cast says they jumped at the chance to portray these characters. Cristina Rodlo, who portrays medic Rosa Alvarez, was eager to join after reading the pilot script. She says she appreciates being part of a storyline that’s rarely seen on-screen.
While on duty, Rodlo’s character discovers that her family is being deported and that she will probably be deported because she doesn't have papers. “We need to tell those stories,” she said. “For me, being Mexican, it was very important to tell that story.”
The setting within a stressful medic base in Afghanistan amps up the drama and brings viewers back, week after week.
“At its core, 68 Whiskey is about a group of diverse medics who become friends in the most unlikely way,” Cox said. “These characters represent the ultimate heroes who have fought/are fighting for our country and remind us that they are just as human as we are.”
