A&E Viewers Attracted to Playboy Special

Who said leering at an old man in silk pajamas with several buxom playthings on his arm ain’t what it used to be?

A&E Network special Playboy’s 50th Anniversary Celebration posted a 1.3 average audience rating (1.51 million viewers) Dec. 7 from 8 p.m.-10 p.m., according to Nielsen Media Research data. And an immediate encore of the show -- featuring Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and a tour of the famous mansion -- drew a 1.2 (1.36 million viewers).

The special scored particularly well among adults 25-54, attracting 725,000 and 804,000 of those viewers during the respective shows.

A&E officials said the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. airings ranked as the Nos. 1 and 2 cable specials in the fourth quarter to date.