Matthew Perry's GO ON Preview, Featuring Laura Benanti and Julie White, Draws 16.1 Million Viewers

Last night's sneak peek preview of Matthew Perry's NBC sitcom "Go On," which co-stars Tony Award winners Laura Benanti and Julie White, drew 16.1 million viewers overall, following primetime Olympic coverage. The special averaged a 5.6 rating in adults 18-49, according to "fast official" ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

While the special telecast gave the broad Olympic audience an opportunity to sample the new NBC comedy, last night's post-primetime preview of "Go On" aired without commercials and will not be measured in official national Nielsen reports and will not be included in averages for the night, week or season.

Misery loves company. Unless you're sportscaster Ryan King (Matthew Perry, "Friends," "Mr. Sunshine") who thinks misery should just be left alone. After taking some time off, Ryan – who recently lost his wife in a car accident – is now ready to get back to work. And while he seems like his same old charming, cocky self, his boss won't set him back on the air until he seeks counseling. So, Ryan reluctantly joins a support group with one goal in mind: get in, get out and get back on the radio as quickly as possible. Played by the fast-talking, sarcastic, and charismatic Perry, Ryan gives grief a real run for its money.

Within one day of group therapy, he hijacks the meeting and suddenly the downtrodden are cajoled into playing a game of "who's got the best sob story?" And in no time all of them are battling it out, trying to one-up each other's despair. Now, this is fun! Ryan's total lack of interest in healing might be just what this group needs – and maybe, exactly what he needs to move on with his life. Also starring are Tony winner Julie White ("Transformers"), Bill Cobbs ("The Muppets," "Night at the Museum"), Suzy Nakamura ("Dodgeball"), Khary Payton ("General Hospital") and Allison Miller ("Terra Nova").

NBC's new series GO ON stars Broadway vets Laura Benanti and Julie White. White has appeared on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Heidi Chronicles. In 2006, she appeared in The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane, playing Diane, a screen agent. The show, originally produced off-Broadway, transferred to Broadway with a new cast, including former Grace Under Fire costar Tom Everett Scott. She won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance.

Laura Benanti starred as Candela in 2010's Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and in the title role of the Patti LuPone revival of Gypsy in 2008, for which she was honored with the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Drama League nomination. She previously starred in the Encores! production. Broadway: The Sound of Music (Maria, opposite Richard Chamberlain), Swing! (Tony nomination: Best Featured Actress), Into The Woods (Cinderella; Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, LA Ovation and Tony nominations), Nine (Claudia, opposite Antonio Banderas; Outer Critics Circle, Drama Leauge nominations), The Wedding Singer (Julia Sullivan).

From the Emmy-winning writer and executive producer Scott Silveri ("Perfect Couples," "Friends") the new series GO ON proves grief can be good. Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle") and Karey Burke ("Free Agents," "Miss/Guided") also serve as executive producers. The pilot was directed by Holland. "Go On" is a production of Universal Television, Dark Toy Entertainment and Silver & Gold Productions.

To post a comment, you must register and login.