Castaway Newcomers Shipshape

The 7.30 Monday premiere of Three’s Million Dollar Island finished third among adults 25-54 but drew twice as many viewers as the previous week’s penultimate episode of Tracked.

It averaged a 3.18 rating/18.65 share to deliver 65,270 viewers in the core commercial demographic.

TVNZ 1’s Fair Go averaged a 5.04 rating/26.48 share (103,522) and its stablemate, Border Security, a 4.69 average/26.16 share (96,152).

TVNZ 2’s MasterChef Australia averaged a 4.16 rating/23.86 share (85,333).

The popularity of TVNZ 1’s duo on the back of Seven Sharp (5.14 rating/26.75 share, 105,573) set up the premiere of Ruby Wax Castaway to win the 8.30 hour with a 2.85 rating/21.09 share and 58,482 viewers.

However, this was down sharply on the previous week’s HMP Wakefield: Evil Behind Bars (3.33 rating/28.78 share, 68,256).

TVNZ 2’s The Rookie (1.38 rating/10.60 share) lost to Three’s 9-1-1 (1.45 rating/14.75 share) but The Rookie: Feds out–rated a 9-1-1 re-run — although it was the final of TVNZ 1’s 20/20 that won the 9.30 hour.

The night’s most-watched programmes in the 25-54 demo were: 1 News, The Chase (5.30), Seven Sharp, Fair Go, Newshub Live at 6pm, Shortland Street, Border Security, MasterChef Australia, The Project and Million Dollar Island.

The biggest 25-54 channel shares were: TVNZ 1, 34.49; Three, 21.09; TVNZ 2, 18.34; Duke, 4.51; Prime, 2.39; Eden, 2.33; Bravo, 2.30; Rush, 1.45; HGTV, 1.45.