HD Ratings: Jake the Muss Still Has Muscle

The Life and Times of Temuera Morrison and Prison Families proved competitive on Wednesday when they premiered opposite Mike & Molly.

Morrison, which showcased the Once Were Warriors star (above) on the comeback trail and boasted “much clowning around … but few good laughs”, averaged 5.4% – 8.3% of the major demographics — adults 18-39, 18-49, 25-54 and household shoppers with kids – versus 5.6% – 8.6% for Prison Families and 6.4% – 8.7% for Mike & Molly.

Prison Families drew up to twice as many viewers in couple of the demos as its lead-in, Family Secret (3.1% – 7.1%) – but the latter was up against tougher competition: Fair Go (4.8% – 7.6%) and Two and a Half Men (8.6% – 10.2%).

The big loser was 3^rd Degree, which, without The Block NZ as a lead-in, slumped to 2.7% – 3.4%.

The flow-on to Underbelly: Squizzy was just as disastrous – it rated 2.5% – 2.7% against Tabatha Takes Over’s 5.5% – 8.6%.

TV3’s 8.30-10.30 woes allowed TV One’s Nothing Trivial to improve after weeks of dismal ratings – it averaged 2.5% – 7.0% — but lead-out Scandal remained stubbornly in the doldrums on only 1.6% – 2.8%.

TV One’s Tuesday night newcomer, The Incredible Mr Goodwin, was anything but, with the premiere averaging only 2.8% – 5.8% against The Amazing Race’s 7.8% – 10.1%.

Race started strongly on the back of Shortland Street’s 14.8% – 23.6% but TV3’s Australian Federal Police: Frontline (7.5% – 8.2%) and Kings Cross ER (7.8% – 8.6%) soon gained ground.

The 8.30 hour was fiercely contested, with TV One’s Wild Planet: North America averaging 5.3% – 7.0%, TV2’s The Mentalist 5.4% – 8.0% and TV3’s World’s Scariest … Drivers, 5.1% – 6.5%.

After last week’s season high, TV2’s The Walking Dead slipped back at 9.30 (4.4% – 6.3%) while Hawaii Five-O was steady (3.3% – 4.6%).

Grey’s Anatomy bounced back for its double-episode season finale on Monday, to dominate 8.30-10.30 against a re-run of Star Trek (5.1% – 6.9%), Person of Interest (3.1% – 6.3%) and Castle (1.8% – 4.6%).

The Block NZ bowed out victoriously with its Unlocked postscript averaging a whopping 12.5% – 17.3% while a re-energised The Middle posted its best average in weeks, 9.4% – 15.5%.