'The Last Ship' Premiere Whiplashes Competition As It Becomes 2014’s Most Watched Debut Show On Cable; Michael Bay Gets Budget Of $2.5 Million Per Episode?

"The Last Ship" premiere whiplashed the competition as it became this year's most watched debut show on cable. Michael Bay's action series is reportedly getting a budget of $2.5 million per episode.

According to the blogsite, Coming Soon, Michael Bay's action series drew a total of 7.4 million viewers forTNT. That figure is broken down into 5.3 million viewers for its premiere at 9 p.m.

Based in key demos, "The Last Ship" premiere drew 2.6 million adults in the 25-54 range or 1.7 million for its 9 p.m. premiere. It also drew 2.3 million adults in the 18-49 range or 1.5 million on the 9 p.m. premiere.

Michael Wright, head of programming for TNT, said per the website: "Just two weeks into its summer slate, TNT's Sunday night action-adventures and Monday and Tuesday night crime dramas are delivering on the promise of our newly energized brand."

With the "The Last Ship's" premiere, TNT is very optimistic about the future of the 10-episode series. The show is based on the novel of the same title by William Brinkley, about a ship and its crew that survived a global pandemic that killed billions of people.

"The Last Ship" stars Eric Dane ("Grey's Anatomy") as ship Capt. Tom Chandler who helms the USS Nathan James; Rhona Mitra as the paelomicrobiologist who will unravel the mystery of how billions were killed by the pandemic; Adam Baldwin as the executive officer of the ship; and Tracy Middendorf also stars as Chandler's wife.

"The Last Ship has all the elements of a big Hollywood blockbuster, from its epic storytelling to its top-notch cast headed by the perfect leading man, Eric Dane," Michael Wright said, talking about Michael Bay's action series, according to Colorado's 9News .

"With Bay's star power, and a rumored budget hovering around $2.5 million per episode, TNT has high hopes for the show," 9News added.