MTV's 'Jersey Shore' attracts record 6.7 million viewers

MTV's popular reality TV series, Jersey Shore, is enjoying record television viewers, with the most recent ratings data demonstrating the soaring popularity of the show.

The weekly television ratings are in, and Snooki and company have a lot to party about. MTV's hit series, Jersey Shore, hit a series high this week - with 6.7 million total viewers and a 3.4 rating among the key adult 18-49 demographic. The 3.4 rating is notable for a cable television show, representing wins over network competition in the same time period - beating Private Practice on ABC, The Mentalist on CBS and NBC's reality show The Apprentice. The 6.7 million figure is an increase from the 5.9 million the show attracted the week before - when Jersey Shore placed second for the week in cable television viewership, behind ESPN's Monday Night Football. This is the second season of MTV's reality hit, placing the Jersey Shore gang in the hopping Miami Beach scene - where the cast regularly hook up with scantily-clad locals, dancing under the hypnosis of the tropical air and the grooves of the latest club tunes. Jersey Shore has attracted broad criticism and controversy for its portrayal of young Italian Americans. The show inspired calls for boycotts and even drew death threats for MTV employees. The show airs Thursday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern on MTV.