HD Ratings: House Starts to Rule But Tuesday Dramas Tank

Escalating interest in House Rules as it nears Sunday’s finale rattled the foundations of TV2’s Tuesday night strongholds.

The Aussie do-it-yourself hit out-rated TV2’s Mitre 10 Dream Home in the household shoppers demographic while challenging it in other key demos.

Moreover, it had a domino effect on the rest of the schedule, with lead-out Grand Designs Australia rating unusually well to the detriment of its time slot rival, The Mentalist.

TV2’s once top-rating HD drama averaged only 5.0% – 8.4% of key demos against GDA’s 5.2% – 7.7% and 4.4% – 6.6% for TV One’s First Crossings.

Mentalist stablemate Body of Proof also struggled (2.4% – 6.7%), barely out-rating TV3’s turkey Chicago Fire (2.3% – 3.5%) in TV2’s own 18-39 demo.

Over on TV One, Descent From Disaster was down on last week (3.5% – 6.3%) but rated well enough to win the 9.30 hour with adults 18-49 and 25-54.

But the keenest competition was at 7.30, when House Rules, which has been chipping away at Dream Home for several weeks, averaged 6.6% – 12.2%.

It won the 7.30 hour with HHS and the second half with adults 25-54, who switched over after TV One’s Coastwatch (6.0% – 10.6%), but Dream Home (8.7% – 11.8%) stayed ahead in the other key demos.

At 8.00, TV One’s Cause of Death Unknown finished third with a 5.1% – 8.1% average.