HD Ratings: Fantasy Falters Amid Crime Spree

TV2’s fantasy dramas Arrow and Once Upon a Time this week stumbled badly against TV3 crime dramas CSI and Sons of Anarchy.

After trouncing CSI the previous week, Arrow came off second best with only 4.2% – 5.4% of the major demographics, a low for the season if not the series.

CSI averaged 5.4% – 7.6% to win each demo and also topped TV One’s Doc Martin (3.3% – 7.3%).

The race was tightest for all three HD dramas among adults 18-49.

Arrow’s fall from grace will be all the more alarming for TV2 given the size of its lead-in: Motorway Patrol averaged 9.2% – 11.9% compared to only 1.4% – 3.5% for TV3’s Cadbury Dream Factory.

The season finale of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces rated strongly for TV One, with 4.5% – 8.2%.

At 9.30, TV3’s Hens Behaving Badly continued to rate poorly, with only 2.3% – 3.6% of the key demos and was neck-and-neck with TV One’s Benidorm for third place opposite TV2’s 20/20.

Thursday’s peak-hour ratings and channel shares were:

• Adults 18-49: TV One, 5.6 rating/21.0 share; TV2, 8.1 rating/30.2 share; TV3, 4.1 rating/15.4 share
• Adults 18-39: TV One, 5.1 rating/20.3 share; TV2, 7.8 rating/30.9 share; TV3, 3.5 rating/13.9 share
• Adults 25-54: TV One, 6.5 rating/23.5 share; TV2, 7.4 rating/26.6 share; TV3, 5.2 rating/18.7 share
• HHS: TV One, 8.2 rating/26.6 share; TV2, 10.0 rating/32.4 share; TV3, 6.3 rating/20.4 share.

Wednesday’s Once Upon a Time averaged 3.5% – 4.3% compared to 3.7% – 6.2% for HD rival Sons of Anarchy.

It won the hour in the younger demos but lost to Anarchy among adults 25-54 and HHS whereas last week it scored a clean sweep on the back of a stronger lead-in.

TV2’s Wednesday comedies won their slots in all the key demos, to post shares of 22% – 35%, but ratings were down sharply on the previous week.

Mom averaged 8.2% – 10.2%, Two and a Half Men 8.2% – 8.9%, The Big Bang Theory 8.2% – 11.1% and 2 Broke Girls 7.4% – 9.6%.

TV3’s Troy premiere didn’t work much magic, averaging only 2.0% – 2.8%, but the network’s re-run of Drug Bust reached 4.0% – 7.5% and out-rated 2 Broke Girls among household shoppers.

TV One had another woeful Wednesday, with Rake’s 1.9% – 3.8% and Hostages’ 1.9% – 2.3% (even with the network’s 5+ stronghold, its HD dramas finished third).

Wednesday’s peak-hour HD channel ratings and shares were:

• Adults 18-49: TV One, 4.7 rating/17.7 share; TV2, 8.2 rating/30.9 share; TV3, 4.2 rating/15.7 share
• Adults 18-39: TV One, 4.2 rating/16.5 share; TV2, 7.7 rating/30.5 share; TV3, 4.1 rating/16.3 share
• Adults 25-54: TV One, 5.3 rating/18.4 share; TV2, 8.5 rating/29.1 share; TV3, 5.1 rating/17.5 share
• HHS: TV One, 6.2 rating/20.9 share; TV2, 8.5 rating/28.7 share; TV3, 5.9 rating/19.8 share.