HD Ratings: Crisis for TV3

TV3’s new flagship HD drama Crisis proved to be just that in the ratings.

Tuesday’s two-hour premiere was a disaster, averaging just 1.3% – 3.8% of the major demographics.

The network’s confidence in Crisis was surprising, given the conspiracy thriller has been axed in the US and the like-minded The Event bombed so badly a few years ago it was quickly consigned to Four.

Crisis’ ratings were well down on the previous week’s season finales of NCIS (4.9% – 9.5%) and NCIS: Los Angeles (3.6% – 8.1%).

It finished a long way behind TV One’s Britain’s Got Talent, which averaged 4.5% – 6.0% for its first hour and 3.5% – 5.1% for its second.

And it didn’t stand a chance against the tail end of TV2’s My Kitchen Rules (13.3% – 17.7%) and HD comedies Mom (8.7% – 9.4%) and Two and a Half Men (6.4% – 8.3%).

However, the network’s pulling out all stops to improve its prospects by pre-empting Saturday’s late movie, Taking Woodstock, to re-run last night’s double-episode.

Earlier on Tuesday, TV One’s Highway Cops averaged 5.5% – 8.1% and lead-out Water Patrol 5.9% – 7.4% while TV3’s Grand Designs Australia trailed on 1.7% – 4.6%.

Week-on-week, TV3 was in freefall while TV One and TV2 were steady.

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

• A18-49: TV One, 5.4 rating/20.5 share; TV2, 9.4 rating/35.7 share; TV3, 3.2 rating/12.1 share
• A18-39: TV One, 4.8 rating/18.3 share; TV2, 10.3 rating/39.3 share; TV3, 3.4 rating/12.8 share
• A25-54: TV One, 7.1 rating/23.4 share; TV2, 9.6 rating/31.5 share; TV3, 4.1 rating/13.5 share
• HHS/k: TV One, 7.1 rating/20.2 share; TV2, 11.6 rating/33.1 share; TV3, 6.3 rating/17.9 share.

Meanwhile, low Monday ratings for TV3’s World Deadliest Roads (1.6% – 2.3%) has seen the re-runs pulled for repeats of Drug Bust and Road Madness from next week.

Having two half-hour shows will make it easier for viewers of Shortland Street (16.3% – 20.8%) to switch over when the hour-long Monday episode ends at 8.00.

Given the feeble lead-in it’s a wonder TV3’s movie In Time was able to average 4.5% – 5.3% opposite the second half of MKR (14.1% -17.2%) and TV One’s double-ep season finale of Person of Interest, which rated 3.7% – 7.8% in its first hour and 3.0% – 7.9% in the second.

In Time built post-MKR to beat PoI and Grey’s Anatomy, which had one of its better weeks this season (3.6% – 6.3%), in the 18-39 and 18-49 demos while proving competitive with 25-54 year-olds.

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

• A18-49: TV One, 6.5 rating/21.0 share; TV2, 10.9 rating/35.4 share; TV3, 4.4 rating/14.3 share
• A18-39: TV One, 5.5 rating/17.6 share; TV2, 11.5 rating/36.9 share; TV3, 4.9 rating/15.7 share
• A25-54: TV One, 8.3 rating/24.1 share; TV2, 10.9 rating/31.9 share; TV3, 5.0 rating/14.7 share
• HHS/k: TV One, 8.8 rating/23.5 share; TV2, 13.3 rating/35.5 share; TV3, 5.1 rating/13.6 share.