Glenn Dyer's TV ratings, May 28, 2013

The Voice dominated, Nine's 6pm block is kicking Seven, and Ten's new highly-hated US import The Americans wasn't loved by audiences nearly as much as critics.

With The Voice (2.275 million national/ 1.640 million metro/635,000 regional viewers) and The Block (1.945 million national/1.394 million metro/551,000 regional viewers) doing solid figures, it was always going to be Nine’s night. Seven’s House Rules (1.650 million national/1.072 million metro/578,000 regional viewers) had its second reveal ep and achieved a modest result (but again beat The Block in the regions. But that was not enough to startle the horses in the paddocks around Nine’s programming departments or give their counterparts at Seven hope that the corner has turned for this dull offering. The ABC again beat Ten into third spot. Nine also won overall and the main channels in regional markets, with the ABC beating Ten.

But for yet another night, the real story was the hiding Nine News and A Current Affair handed out to Seven News and Today Tonight from 6pm to 7pm in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Nine News won Sydney by 85,000, Melbourne by 81,000 and Brisbane by 67,000. ACA beat TT by 109,000 in Sydney, 125,000 in Melbourne and 65,000 in Brisbane. If ACA‘s big wins continue for much longer then its curtains for TT (and Seven News‘ black hole in Melbourne hasn’t gotten any shallower). The losses are not helping Home and Away at 7pm, stuck like a shag on a rock — but it is still doing well up against The Block on Nine. The 1.454 million national/966,000 metro/498,000 regional viewers for Home and Away last night underlines how strong a hold the program has on its core audience.

And once again TV critics in newspapers and online showed they are out of touch with Australian TV viewers. The new Ten series The Americans received a lot favourable reviews in the past week (The Guardian‘s Australian website being the latest and the “Show of the Week” in the Fairfax Guide). The Ten audience thought otherwise and it bombed — just 676,000 national/487,000 metro/189,000 regional viewers. It’s Parade’s End or The Following (the Nine buys this year from the UK and the US that critics gushed about) all over again. Australian-made programs usually rate well; US programs are mostly on the nose; UK programs are solid when they are good (I didn’t mind it either).

Tonight: Packed To the Rafters on Seven. The final of The Biggest Loser on Ten. Dateline and Insight on SBS ONE. The Block on Nine.

Network channel share:

Nine (34.7%)
Seven (27.7%)
ABC (17.6%)
Ten (15.9%)
SBS (4.1%)

Network main channels:

Nine (29.3%)
Seven (20.6%)
ABC1 (13.6%)
Ten (11.0%)
SBS ONE (3.4%)

Top 5 digital channels:

7TWO (4.1%)
GO (3.4%)
7mate, Eleven (3.1%)
ABC 2 (2.4%)
Gem (2.0%)

Top 10 national programs:

The Voice (Nine) – 2.275 million
Nine News — 2.047 million
Seven News — 2.002 million
The Block (Nine) – 1.945 million
House Rules (Seven) — 1.656 million
Home and Away (Seven) — 1.454 million
ABC News (7pm) — 1.438 million
A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.434 million
Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.315 million
Revenge (Seven) — 1.305 million

Top metro programs:

The Voice (Nine) — 1.640 million
Nine News — 1.412 million
The Block (Nine) — 1.394 million
Seven News — 1.313 million
A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.217 million
House Rules (Seven) — 1.072 million
Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.026 million

Losers: Ten: the second last ep of The Biggest Loser could only pull 1.033 million national/728,000 metro/305,000 regional viewers which was not good enough. Will it be back in 2014 if Ten is aiming up at the 25 to 54 age group who are “young at heart”?Metro news and current affairs:

Nine News — 1.412 million
Seven News — 1.313 million
A Current Affair (Nine) – 1.217 million
Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.026 million
ABC News (7pm) — 969,000
Australian Story (ABC1) — 813,000
7.30 (ABC1) — 770,000
Ten News At Five — 700,000
Q&A (ABC 1) — 602,000 + 75,000 on News 24
Four Corners (ABC1) — 635,000

Metro morning TV:

Sunrise (Seven) – 357,000
Today (Nine) – 338,000
News Breakfast (ABC1) – 50,000 + 26,000 on News 24

Top five pay TV channels:

Fox Sports 1 (4.0%)
Fox 8 – 2.3%
TV1 – 2.1%
Fox Footy, LifeStyle (1.9%)
Fox Classics – (1.7%)

Top five pay TV programs:

NRL: Cronulla v South Sydney (Fox Sports 1) – 316,000
Monday Night With Matty Johns (Fox Sports 1) – 196,000
On The Couch (Fox Footy) – 125,000
360 (Fox Footy) – 111,000
Open Mike (Fox Footy) – 97,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.