HD Ratings: Bad News for The Project

Shortland Street’s season premiere crushed the return of The Project on Monday, which was also chewed up and spat out by The Extreme Cake Makers.

Indeed, Three’s “stealth attack” on TVNZ, as the NZ Herald dubbed it, was so under the radar that The Project drew less than half the 25-54 viewership of Cake Makers on TVNZ 1 and an hour-long Shortland Street on TVNZ 2.

The latter averaged 7.3% of this demographic and the former 6.2% — which was better than what Seven Sharp typically rates.

Not even “the Jacinda effect” could empower The Project. Even with a guest turn by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, it averaged only 3.0%, which was fewer than TVNZ 2’s 6.30 repeat of The Middle.

It didn’t fare better in the other key demos, either, with only 2.3% of 18-49, 1.7% of 18-39 and 2.2% of household shoppers with kids.

The Project wasn’t helped by Three’s new 5.30 lead-in for Newshub Live at 6pm.

The re-run of Modern Family could muster only 0.8% of 25-54, compared to The Chase’s 3.1% on TVNZ 1 and The Big Bang Theory’s 1.6% on TVNZ 2 — which led to Newshub being hammered by 1 News: 9.3% of 25-54 vs 3.8%.

The celebrity version of The Chase averaged 4.8% at 7.30, but was out-rated by the second half of Shortland Street — as was the first half of House Rules on Three.

But the latter went on to trounce Criminal Minds (3.1%) and Family Food Fight (2.5%) with a 5.2% average.

TVNZ 2’s re-run of Sweet Home Alabama averaged 1.9% opposite Three’s re-run of Ride Along (3.2%) while TVNZ 1’s second hour of Criminal Minds averaged 2.7%.

TVNZ 1 won the night in the 25-54 race with 25.6% compared to TVNZ 2’s 21.1% and Three’s 21.0%.

But TVNZ 2 had the edge with 18-49 year-olds — 24.4% versus Three’s 22.6% and TVNZ 1’s 22.4% — and its lead among HHS/k was much greater, with TVNZ 1 and Three trailing it by 8-10 ratings points.