Aussie Drama Rates its Way to the Top
After years of reality television and infotainment shows, it looks like Australian drama is finally heading back to the top of the ratings! With Sea Patrol and City Homicide both proving successful in the ratings and other dramas improving their viewing figures, things are looking pretty good at the moment. So what exactly are the viewing figures like? Here’s the rundown:
Sea Patrol debuted in early July with a massive 1.971 million viewers. It was the highest rated show of the night for its first eight weeks and despite some criticism for simplistic storylines and wooden acting, no-one can dispute the fact it is doing well for Channel Nine. Though ratings have since fallen by about a third, this is normal for any new show and it continues to be Nine’s best rating show on Thursdays. A second series has been confirmed.
City Homicide has had an equally impressive start on Seven, proving that there is indeed an appetite out there for well made Aussie drama. It has received generally good reviews and debuted with a two-hour special episode that gained it 1.648m viewers. Unusually for a new show the ratings actually improved for the following episode to 1.717m, though this is probably explainable by the timeslot. As the rating are an average of the show’s viewing figures over its time on air, City Homicide’s 2hr opener kept the show on air into the 9.30-10.30pm slot, a time when ratings are generally lower. In spite of this the high rating for week two shows that viewers obviously liked what they saw and came back for more. Could City Homicide end up lasting as long as its predecessors Blue Heelers and Homicide?
All Saints can do no wrong at the moment. Ratings have been on the increase this year and a show that was sitting comfortably around 1.2m is now regularly attracting audience figures of nearer to 1.4m on a regular basis. No doubt the show was helped along earlier in the year by being scheduled after Dancing with the Stars but nevertheless the show has continued to perform well. Its best rating episode in 2007 (so far) was on 10 April when it attracted a very healthy 1.609m.
Home and Away has also been a strong performer this year ratings-wise. A recent wedding storyline has made good ratings even better with an episode on Monday 3 September rating 1.508m. Figures remained high for the rest of the week with the show out-rating its more expensive local competition - Sea Patrol, McLeods Daughters and All Saints.
One show that isn’t so buoyant in the ratings is McLeod’s Daughters which seems to have received a bit of a battering this year. The loss of a number of high profile (and much loved) cast members has combined with increasingly fanciful storylines to hit the show right where it hurts. A show which should be attracting around 1.3./1.2m has dipped since the departure of Aaron Jeffrey in June with one episode (29 August) even setting a new all-time low of 0.989m. Unimpressive ratings do not bode well for McLeod’s future and though an eighth series has already been commissioned for 2008, this could be the show’s last unless ratings pick up considerably.
Another looser in the ratings is poor old Neighbours. A recent, much publicised, revamp only provided a temporary reprieve in the ratings and it has since slipped back down to worrying levels. With station bosses hoping the show will attract in excess of 1m per night, ratings around the 0.7/0.8m level just aren’t good enough. Neighbours does have one thing in its favour though – with its solid fan base in the UK and its recent sale to Channel 5, the show is guaranteed to be in production for at least another three years.
Comedy also a winner
Drama isn’t the only thing that Australian audiences can’t get enough of as homegrown comedy is also finding plenty of support out there. Kath and Kim’s move to commercial television has been an out-and-out success so far. It’s debut on 19 August set new records at 2.521m and though ratings had decreased two weeks later, they were still sitting at a very satisfactory 1.767m.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s new sitcom Summer Heights High debuted on 5 September with 1.220m viewers tuning in. With the ABC’s ratings generally being lower than the commercial channels, this is certainly a good start. Thank God You’re Here continues to draw in the crowds for Ten – with the third series debuting at 1.771m, every episode since has improved on that very healthy figure. Its success peaked on 22 August with an incredible 2.050m, breaking the much hailed 2m barrier.
I hope you enjoyed that tour round the ratings – next time we’ll take a look at some more new shows coming your way.
MARTIN MCDOWELL
maconthebox@thesoapshow.com
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