Fourth Season for Brokenwood

NZ On Air is bankrolling four more two-hour episodes of The Brokenwood Mysteries for $3.63 million, despite the last season never averaging more than 2.6% of Prime’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds.

However, the picturesque whodunit was competitive by Prime’s standards given the fierce opposition: TVNZ 1’s Victoria, TVNZ 2’s Lethal Weapon and TV3’s Grand Designs.

The premiere averaged 1.4% of 25-54s against Victoria’s 5.2%, Lethal Weapon’s 6.2% and Grand Designs’ 4.1%.

Episode two averaged 2.0%  vs 3.9% for Victoria, 4.4% for The Pacifier and 6.9% for Grand Designs.

Episode three averaged 1.4% vs 3.9% for Victoria, 5.7% for Lethal Weapon and 5.6% for Grand Designs.

The season finale averaged 2.6% vs 5.8% for Victoria, 2.5% for Lethal Weapon and 4.7% for The Croods/5.1% for a Best of Graham Norton.

The following week the season premiere of The Midsomer Murders could muster only 0.4% of 25-54s, so it’s no mystery why Prime was so keen to commission another run of the Kiwi version.

NZOA’s also investing nearly $395,000 in six more eps of Funny Girls and $114,000 in two one-hour Comedy Gala specials for TV3, and is funding a new TVNZ 2 children’s drama, Wilde Ride ($975,000 for six half-hours), as well as contributing $200,000 to a children’s movie, Herbert: The Brave Dog, which will air n TVNZ 2.