A Small Pop, Not a Big Bang

TVNZ 2’s premiere of the new Kaley Cuoco vehicle Based on a True Story won the 9.30 hour among adults on Wednesday.

It capped a strong night for the network, averaging a 1.18 rating/12.27 share to reap 24,180 viewers aged 25-54 — but drew 5,600 fewer viewers than the previous week’s Send Nudes: Body SOS.

It also shed more than half the viewership of its lead-in, a new episode of Taskmaster UK, which was hastily programmed after TVNZ 2 pulled the previously scheduled My Massive C**k.

The British panel show averaged a 2.60 rating/17.79 share (or 53,327 viewers), to win the 8.30 hour ahead of TVNZ 1’s Race Across the World (2.32 rating/19.05 share, 47,603 viewers) and Three’s Couples Therapy (1.20 rating/8.57 share, 24,665 viewers).

TVNZ 2 also was tops at 7.30, when MasterChef Australia (4.76 rating/28.06 share, 97,673 viewers) led TVNZ 1’s Blankety Blank (3.17 rating/21.58 share, 65,127 viewers) and Three’s Paddy Gower Has Issues (3.03 rating/15.44 share, 62,097 viewers).

The night’s most-watched programmes in the 25-54 demo were: 1 News, The Chase (5.30), Seven Sharp, MasterChef Australia, Shortland Street, Newshub Live at 6pm, The Chase (5.00), Blankety Blank, Paddy Gower Has Issues and The Project.

The biggest 25-54 channel shares were: TVNZ 1, 33.01; TVNZ 2, 21.55; Three, 16.97; Prime, 3.71; Eden, 3.39; Duke, 3.37;  Bravo, 3.04; Rush, 1.39; HGTV, 0.74.