HD Ratings: Shortland Street Almost Rules

Was Road Cops successor Come Dine With Me NZ “a crime against television”?

The year’s first hour-long Monday episode of Shortland Street boosted the ratings warhorse’s popularity and was almost as widely viewed in the major demographics as lead-out juggernaut My Kitchen Rules.

Up against the series premiere of Come Dine With Me NZ, it averaged 10.8% – 14.4% of the commercial demos compared to MKR’s 10.6% – 14.8%.

Shortland Street’s Bobby (Jazmyne Van Gosliga) and Kane (KJ Apa).

It was the soap’s best performance in weeks, following a year-long decline that’s seen it score mostly single-digit ratings in three of the four key demos.

But the start of the 2015 Winter Season has helped to renew interest in the serial in the wake of solid ratings growth for time slot rivals Seven Sharp and the defunct Campbell Live.

Until a new current affairs vehicle is launched at 7.00, TV3 is filling the gap with Come Dine With Me NZ, a controversial move that many viewers mistook as Campbell Live’s permanent successor (Stuff’s James Croot dubbed it “a crime against television“).

The premiere finished third in its slot, averaging an undistinguished 3.6% – 5.6% of the key demos.

But that was positively herculean compared to lead-out The Embassy (1.3% – 3.9%), which against handicapped the Dancing With the Stars results show (2.8% – 5.4%).

Although DWTS finished third after4 TV1’s Code: 1 (3.8% – 6.2%), the rest of TV3’s new-look Monday line-up rated credibly, with the premieres of Married at First Sight (3.2% – 5.8%) and Reality Trip (3.3% – 5.0%) out-rating TV1’s Criminal Minds (3.5% – 6.7%) and Forever (2.8% – 6.9%) in the 18-49 and 25-54 demos.

Reality Trip even topped TV2’s The Mysteries of Laura (4.4% – 7.6%) among 25-54 year olds.

Nonetheless, TV3 trailed both of its HD rivals by a wide margin: