HD Ratings: A Tale of Two Charmings

Prince Charming and the town of Charming battled it out Wednesday, with Once Upon a Time and Sons of Anarchy seesawing in the ratings.

The bikie drama revved up after last week’s season low (and dramatic cliffhanger) to average 5.0% – 8.4% of the major demographics against the fairy tale drama’s 3.8% – 6.0%.

The TV2 series lost in the 18-39, 25-54 and household shopper demos but had the edge with adults 18-49.

Other than in the HHS stakes, where the gap was 4.6 points, the two were neck-and-neck.

Their competitiveness left TV One’s Hostages in the dust, with only 0.3% – 1.8%, which was even worse than Scandal had been averaging midweek at 9.30 on the channel.

It’s tempting to say US dramas don’t work on TV One but on the strength of Hostages’ lead-in, Australian dramas are a risk, too.

Newcomer Rake continues to be a disaster, with Wednesday’s episode averaging merely 1.4% – 4.3% and HHS being the only demo to top 2.0%.

Rake’s weakness helped TV3’s HD doco Playground Murder Plot to average an impressive 5.8% – 7.7% on the back of Richard Hammond’s Miracles of Nature rating 4.1% – 6.2%, which was consistent with its premiere.

TV2’s HD sitcoms maintained their dominance after Shortland Street’s 10.3% – 17.8%: Mom, 8.7% – 12.5%; Two and a Half Men, 9.0% – 11.9%; The Big Bang Theory, 11.8% – 12.9%; and 2 Broke Girls, 11.0% – 11.7%.

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

• Adults 18-49: TV One, 3.9 rating/15.2 share; TV2, 8.4 rating/32.7 share; TV3, 5.4 rating/21.0 share
• Adults 18-39: TV One, 3.1 rating/13.0 share; TV2, 7.9 rating/33.4 share; TV3, 5.2 rating/21.9 share
• Adults 25-54: TV One, 4.7 rating/16.7 share; TV2, 8.7 rating/30.4 share; TV3, 6.0 rating/21.3 share
• HHS: TV One, 6.5 rating/20.9 share; TV2, 9.5 rating/30.6 share; TV3, 7.7 rating/24.8 share.