‘Petals On The Wind’ Ratings Drop From ‘Flowers In The Attic’; Major Changes To Blame? [POLL]

“Petals On The Wind,” the highly anticipated sequel to “Flowers In The Attic,” premiered on Lifetime on Monday, May 26. But the movie didn’t make as much of a splash as the first film based on author V.C. Andrews's incestuous Dollanganger series. Ratings for the sequel are in, and viewership was almost half that of January’s “Flowers In The Attic” premiere.

According to Nielsen Research, Lifetime’s adaptation of the 1980 novel brought in 3.4 million viewers on Monday night. The movie averaged 1.5 million viewers in the adults 18-49 bracket, 1.5 million viewers in the adults 25-54 bracket, 1.3 million women in the 25-54 bracket, and 1.2 million women in the 18-49 bracket.

While “Petals In The Wind” is now ranked as one of Lifetime’s most-watched original movies of the year, it was down 44% from “Flowers In The Attic’s” record-setting premiere numbers. The first film brought in 6.1 million viewers when it aired in January.

The second movie received some criticism on social media from fans of V.C. Andrews’s original novel. Viewers were upset by the movie’s decision to make some major changes in story line from the book. One difference that left fans furious was the decision to leave out Dr. Paul Sheffield, a character who appeared throughout the book as the Dollanganger children’s guardian and Cathy’s eventual love interest.

This isn’t the first time that fans were upset over the adaptation of a V.C. Andrews book. “Flowers In The Attic” was turned into a movie in 1987 and received criticism over its bizarre and inaccurate ending. While the book ends with the children escaping Foxworth Hall, the movie concluded with Corrine falling off a balcony after a confrontation with Cathy. The ending ultimately ruined any chances of a sequel since “Petals On The Wind” focuses on Cathy’s revenge against her mother.

What did you think of Lifetime’s “Petals On The Wind”? Take the poll and tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.