HD Ratings: Scandal Improves But Fewer Pursue Trivial

There was good and bad HD drama news for TV One on Wednesday: Scandal enjoyed a tentative uptick but Nothing Trivial hit a new low.

The Kiwi drama averaged only 4.1% of the network’s target audience, adults 25-54 – which placed it fourth at 8.30 after TV2’s HD comedies, TV3’s 3^rd Degree and Prime’s Under the Dome.

Dome averaged 2.3% – 4.4% of the key demographics while Trivial’s weakness and the popularity of lead-in The Block NZ is helping 3^rd Degree to turn up the heat on the competition.

Last night’s edition averaged 5.6% – 7.1% opposite Trivial’s 1.5% – 4.1% and put it within shouting distance of The Big Bang Theory (8.2% – 8.8%) and Cougar Town (7.2% – 10.2%).

It’s an impressive turnaround for a programme that’s been in third place for most of the year. (MediaWorks research shows a sharp rise in the current affairs hour’s ratings over the past two months.)

Scandal’s gains were less startling but still an improvement on previous episodes and a vote of confidence in TV One’s programmers’ faith in the series.

It averaged 1.3% – 3.4% — the highest since its premiere — and among adults 25-54 was competitive with Devious Maids (3.6%) and Breakout Kings (3.7%).

The gap was wider among adults 18-49 and 18-39 but Scandal out-rated Kings among household shoppers (3.4% vs 2.9%).

The Block NZ, meanwhile, largely won the 7.30 hour opposite TV2’s HD comedies, with a 9.6% – 14.2% average, while at 8.00 TV One’s Family Recipes dished up 4.2% – 7.8% of the key demos.