HD Ratings: Bodies Embarrasses X Factor

Replacing the low-rating HD drama Mistresses with Embarrassing Bodies on Thursday helped TV2 to restore viewership that had drifted away to TV3’s The X Factor USA.

Bodies won the 8.30 hour with adults 18-39 and household shoppers whereas the previous week the second half of X’s two-hour broadcast topped all the key demos, including adults 18-49 and 25-54.

Overall, X averaged 6.5% – 8.7% of the major demos, which was comparable to the previous week but down a point among HHS and TV2’s target audience, adults 18-39.

TV One’s HD drama Packed to the Rafters also struggled against the new competition, averaging only 2.8% – 4.5%.

On the back of Street Hospital’s robust season finale (7.9% – 12.4%), Bodies averaged 7.3% – 9.7% compared to Mistresses’ 4.5% – 6.9% a week earlier, which helped to boost lead-out 20/20.

As a result, TV3’s Project Runway: All Stars also was down (2.1% – 6.6%) but looked like a winner compared to what screened on the network 24 hours earlier.

The latest in TV3’s crime franchise, Underbelly: Squizzy, is faring as badly here as it did across the Tasman, with episode three averaging only 2.5% – 3.4% opposite an ailing Tabatha Takes Over (3.9% – 7.0%).

But Squizzy was still ahead of TV One’s Scandal, which averaged a shockingly bad 1.1% – 2.4%.

Earlier in the night, TV One’s Life and Times of Temuera Morrison (4.6% – 6.7%) finished third to TV2’s Mike & Molly (6.3% – 9.3%) and TV3’s Prison Families (6.6% – 9.4%).

Prison Families was tops except with adults 18-49, who narrowly favoured Mike & Molly; lead-in Family Secret averaged 4.3% – 5.6% against Two and Half Men’s 9.3% – 12.0% and Fair Go Ad Awards’ 4.5% – 8.1%.

At 8.30, TV One’s Nothing Trivial (1.8% – 5.8%) seesawed with TV3’s 3^rd Degree (4.2% – 5.1%), with the latter dominating adults 18-39 and 18-49.

But neither could threaten a re-run of The Big Bang Theory (8.5% – 10.0%) and this season’s penultimate episode of Cougar Town (5.8% – 7.9%).