Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings: more losers than winners

Seven’s night easily in metro and regional markets,  thanks to the results episode of The X Factor and the debut of The Blacklist which topped the ratings last night with 2.382 million/ 1.596 million metro/ 786,000 regional viewers. The X Factor Results at 7.30pm had 2.358 million national/ 1.525 million metro/ 823,000 regional viewers. Yes, The X Factor helped as the lead-in, but the small turn-on in metro markets meant viewers went looking for the program, and stayed with it, which is always the mark of high viewer approval of a new program.

The Blacklist was fun — James Spader turns what’s essentially a weak thriller into a drama with a bit of tongue in cheek  scene stealing. And the debut episode was well made with the way the storyline introduced the title, The Blacklist, right at the end.  Good as it was, the test is always in the next couple of weeks and how many viewers return. Up until now the Australian networks haven’t done well from US series in the past couple of years — Seven had the twin flops called Last Resort and Red Widow earlier in the year. Nine’s most successful has been Arrow (which has slid since it debuted) and Ten had the solid Under The Dome as its sole success story this year. Ten’s Homeland glimmered for a few episodes last year, then faded. That fading continued last night.

Politically, Australian Story’s episode on Clive Palmer averaged 1.548 million national/ 1.024 million metro/ 524,000 regional viewers at 8pm on ABC1. The 90 minute Julia Gillard (I did it my way) chat on News24 from 6.30pm averaged 287,000 nationally and a further 78,000 at 11.30pm on ABC1. Both were interesting, Clive was entertaining, and loopy. Q&A decision to put up ALP leader contenders, Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese didn’t set the TV on fire — just 790,000 national/ 530,000 metro/ 260,000 regional viewers on ABC1 and News24.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (35.2%)
2. Nine (25.7%)
3. ABC  (20.9%)
4. Ten (14.3%)
5. SBS (3.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven  (28.0%)
2. Nine  (18.8%)
3. ABC1 (14.7%)
4. Ten  (9.0%)
5. SBS ONE  (3.1%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. GO (4.4%)
2. 7mate (3.8%)
3. 7TWO (3.4%)
4. Eleven (3.2%)
5. ABC2 (2.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. The Blacklist (Seven) — 2.382 million
2. The X Factor Results (Seven) — 2.358 million
3. Seven News — 1.929 million
4. Nine News — 1.783 million
5. Australian Story (ABC1) — 1.548 million
6. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.521 million
7. ABC News — 1.414 million
8. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.374 million
9. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.307 million
10. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.300 million

Top metro programs:

1. The Blacklist (Seven) — 1.596 million
2. The X Factor Results (Seven) — 1.525 million
3. Seven News — 1.305 million
4. Nine News — 1.230 million
5. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.089 million
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.037 million
7. Australian Story (ABC1) — 1.024 million

Losers: Where to start! Seven’s Scandal at 9.30pm (921,000 national/ 605,000 metro/ 316,000 regional viewers). That’s 1.4 million viewers who turned off from The Blacklist. Q&A had more viewers than that. Nine’s The Amazing ’80s at 9pm (669,000 national/ 465,000 metro/ 204,000 regional viewers), Ten’s fast-tracked Homeland at 8.30pm  — 628,000 national/ 443,000 metro/ 185,000 regional viewers (eaten by The Blacklist).  A League of Their Own on Ten at 7.30pm (464,000 national/ 327,000 metro/ 137,000 regional viewers). Crass, poor TV.  Blue Bloods on Ten at 9.40pm (283,000 national/ 195,000 metro/ 88,000 regional viewers). Why is this flop still being broadcast?Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.305 million
2. Nine News — 1.230 million
3. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.089 million
4. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.037 million
5. Australian Story (ABC1) — 1.024 million
6. ABC News — 947,000
7. 7.30 (ABC1) — 879,000
8. Four Corners (ABC1) — 697,000
9. Media Watch (ABC1) — 676,000
10. Ten News — 668,000

Metro morning TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) – 360,00
2. Today (Nine) – 293,000
3. News Breakfast (ABC1, 62,000 + 35,000 on News24) — 97,000

Top five pay TV channels:

1. Fox 8  (3.1%)
2. TV1  (2.9%)
3. LifeStyle  (2.1%)
4. Disney Cartoon Network (1.8%)
5. UKTV, Crime & Investigation  1.9%)

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Modern Family (Fox 8) – 112,000
2. Modern Family (Fox 8 ) — 89,000
3. AFL: On The Couch  (Fox Footy) – 88,000
4. Family Guy (Fox 8 ) – 84,000
5. AFL: 360  (Fox Footy) – 82,000

Tonight: Seven returns Dancing With The Stars to our screens with a freshened (younger) look. It is a bit of a gamble for Seven. The program was whacked by The Voice on Nine last year (as was Australia’s Got Talent, which is no longer on Seven, but dying slowly on Nine). Tonight it’s a three hour first episode — which is a big, big ask for viewers.

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