MUMBAI: Family entertainment channel Hallmark claims to be on the upward tack in the ratings, at least for some of its shows. The first episode of Flipper, the new series launched on Hallmark channel, gave the channel fourth position amongst all other English channels in India, an official release says.

The premiere showing of Flipper, which was aired on 2 September 2002, attracted viewers belonging to 25-54 age-group in the four metros, says the release. The single episode, gave Hallmark third rank among all channels in Mumbai and eleventh among all channels in the key metros in India, the release says.

"We are delighted that Hallmark Channel has gained such high ratings in India's metro areas. This demonstrated the popularity of quality programming and great stories that we offer," Hallmark Channel marketing director- Asia, Laxmi Hariharan was quoted as saying in the release.

Flipper, a series for the entire family, explores the timeless fascination and relationship with dolphins. It follows the activities of a group of ocean scientists at a marine mammal research facility where groundbreaking studies are being conducted on dolphin behavior and other marine life.