in Norway on , M-Net Series in South Africa on , and on Warner TV in Singapore on . Rizzoli & Isles started to air on Alibi in the United Kingdom on . A subscription is required. The series second season premiered on . The series, shown in original broadcast order, began airing on Lifetime in September 2020 as well as Start TV in January 2021. Streaming Rizzoli & Isles is available to stream on HBO Max. It streams on Amazon Prime in the UK. Reception Ratings The series started strong in the ratings, as 7.55 million viewers tuned in for the premiere episode. Rizzoli & Isles was the second most-watched cable program on the evening of July 12, 2010, behind its lead-in, The Closer, which had 110,000 more viewers. The show finished the week in third behind The Closer and the final episode of Deadliest Catch. The premiere set a record as the highest-rated debut for a commercial-supported cable series, and it was the second-highest debut ever for a basic cable TV series. Rizzoli & Isles is second only to the 2008 premiere of Raising the Bar, which attracted 7.7 million viewers during its commercial-free debut. Live + 7 day ratings for the premiere updated the show's status as the all-time most-watched cable series launch, with DVR viewers increasing the show's rating to just over 9 million viewers. The show has ranked in the top five cable programs all five seasons and was the number one basic cable program in its fifth season. Critical response The show has been described as having lesbian undertones, and the purported sexual attraction between Rizzoli and Isles has been the subject of critical and fan attention, with sites such as The Advocate connecting the show's lesbian subtext to its popularity. Harmon said that she was not surprised by the attention and that, while it was "super fun" to play a role that has some same-sex romantic vibes", the characters are "straight" and "just best friends". Alexander said that she was not initially aware of the subtext but believed it reflected the characters' chemistry. She also expressed skepticism that Rizzoli and Isles' friendship was out of the ordinary. Awards and nominations References Works cited External links 2010 American television series debuts 2016 American television series endings 2010s American crime drama television series 2010s American mystery television series 2010s American police procedural television series American