HD Ratings: Super Fun Monday Sours
January 21, 2014 
13 Comments
Don’t be surprised if TV2 pulls Scandal from its “super fun Monday” line-up after the second episode nosedived worse than the first.
While the network’s two-hour comedy block largely won 7.30-9.30, lead-out Scandal came a distant third after TV One’s Britcom re-runs and TV3’s movie, a repeat of Repo Men.
Clearly, Kiwis aren’t as “crazy in love” with Scandal as viewers in the US, where the power-play soap is a top-rating sensation.
Monday’s episode averaged only 1.4% – 2.9% of the major demographics — compared to 3.3% – 4.4% the previous week for its mid-season premiere — and was least watched by TV2’s target audience, adults 18-39.
Instead, they tuned into Mrs Brown’s Boys (4.0%) and Repo Men (6.8%).
It was a similar story in the 18-49, 25-54 and household shopper demos – despite TV2 dominating the first half of the night with Shortland Street (13.5% – 16.8%), the season five premiere of The Middle (9.5% – 12.4%), Hot in Cleveland (6.5% – 9.4%), Super Fun Night (7.2% – 10.6%) and Trophy Wife (6.0% – 11.2%).
Repo Men averaged 5.5% – 6.8% on the back of The Block: All Stars’ 5.8% – 8.7%.
Although season two of Scandal has only five more episodes to run, it’s hard to imagine TV2 sticking with it so early in the new season when after only two episodes it’s already rating as badly as it did on TV One.
TV One took another hit over the weekend with its new HD Aussie drama series failing to fire.
Saturday’s premiere of The Doctor Blake Mysteries averaged only 1.7% – 3.0% of the key demos and lead-out, a repeat of Sherlock, only 0.9% – 2.3% — and both faced unusually soft competition on TV2 and TV3.
Another Australian drama, the telemovie The Great Mint Swindle, fared slightly better for TV One on Sunday, averaging 3.1% – 5.4% and while low in most of the key demos, largely won its slot with HHS.
TV2 and TV3 fought it out at 7.00 with the network HD premieres of Tangled (5.3% – 8.4%) and We Bought a Zoo (4.9% – 7.2%).
The former won with adults 18-39 and HHS, the latter was tops with adults 18-49 and 25-54.
There was similar see-sawing with the 9pm-ish movies, with TV2’s Fright Night averaging 2.5% – 3.3% and TV3’s Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby drawing 1.8% – 3.2% to dominate most of the demos.
TV2’s re-run of Miss Congeniality on Friday (5.5% – 6.5%) wiped the smile off the face of the competition but its Bachelor Australia (4.9% – 5.6%) was no match for The Block: All Stars (7.6% – 10.3%).
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January 23, 2014 at 1:41 am
Sad to say it but looks like Scandal will be joining the 10.30 drama club.
As I’ve said to TV2, Revenge should of come first than Scandal. Revenge has better ratings. Scandal had terrible ratings on TV One, why put a struggling TV One show first than a show that has been a hit for TV2 for the last two years. But I guess Revenge will replace it.
Scandal is axed 🙂
What???? Are you serious Richard, is Scandal gone? Can anyone confirm please?
Just checked the updated TVNZ ratecard and Scandal’s being replaced by The Walking Dead on Feb 10, which is awesome news for Walking Dead fans but for us Scandal fans its all over rover. At least TVNZ tried! I must say TVNZ have dropped the ball in terms of not bringing MKR same week as Australia (although this may change) with so many spoilers from family and friends from Aussie bound to pop up on your Facebook newsfeed.
Thanks for the update, Leo. That does surprise me. I would never have thought TWD strong enough for 9.30 Mondays and it seems a strange lead-out from such a girly line-up as TV2’s comedies and an odd clash with TV One’s similarly grisly The Following.
My thoughts exactly but as you always say, those ratecards are notoriously unreliable and could change again. Possibly Revenge will swap Tuesday 9.30 for Monday night. We will have to wait for an official announcement from TV2.
Yeah I agree, Revenge would be better suited to Mondays, but I think it’s to attract more viewers of The Walking Dead, so they don’t have to watch online as its not even 24 hours from its US air date on TV2.
It will be interesting to see if TV2 does follow through and airs TWD on Mondays within hours of its US return which, as Richard said, should encourage people to watch it on broadcast TV.
I still don’t believe TWD is popular enough to sustain a 9.30 Monday slot. Sure, it’s important a series like this with its avid fan base screens virtually day-and-date with the US but it’s always been a niche show. After a high-profile four seasons, it still hasn’t delivered consistently strong ratings in this market. Tellingly, no other FTA broadcaster was interested in the series and while I’m a big fan of it, I don’t see its popularity burgeoning here as it has in the US.
Also, from reading the ratecards it looks like Once Upon a Time moves to Wednesday nights. Nice to see it in a new slot for a change, and Arrow returns to its slot where it last left us. I guess The Tomorrow People will go to 9.30 Sundays after Agents of SHIELD. Sunday nights will get very interesting indeed, with Blacklist on TV. I wonder which show will take the top ratings. Oh well, not all can be winners and thank god we get the 2hr Wednesday comedies back instead of MKR.
Philip: TV2 have just confirmed via Twitter that The Walking Dead will air on Mondays at 9.30 from February 10, just eight hours after its US airing. No word on the remaining eps for Scandal.
Brooklyn Nine Nine is now the new lead-in for The Walking Dead as TV2 rejigs its Monday night following the failure of Scandal.