HD Ratings: Walking Dead Warms Up

TV2’s The Walking Dead is stepping up the pace, with Tuesday’s episode averaging 4.2% – 8.0% of the major demographics (adults 18-39, 18-49, 25-54 and household shoppers with kids).

It was most popular with HHS, rated above 5.0% of adults 18-49 and 25-54, and won the 9.30 hour across the board, including with viewers 5+ (3.9%).

HD rival Hawaii Five-O averaged 2.1% – 3.9%, which was lower than for the past couple of weeks, partly because TV2 is building up a head of steam quicker in the evening now The Amazing Race no longer has to compete with TV3’s The Block NZ.

Tuesday’s episode averaged 6.8% – 8.1% to largely win the hour opposite Australian Federal Police (5.2% – 8.2%) and Kings Cross ER (5.3% – 6.8%) on TV3 and The Incredible Mr Goodwin (3.8% – 6.1%) on TV One.

The 8.30 hour was similarly competitive, with The Mentalist (5.8% – 11.9%) dominating but Wild Planet: North America (5.7% – 6.9%) and World’s Scariest Plane Landings (5.4% – 6.1%) not far behind except among HHS.

Monday’s network movie premiere of The Help in HD on TV2 crushed the competition, with 8.2% – 12.5%.

TV3’s premiere of Immortals mustered only 3.2% – 4.8% — the worst showing for a movie in that slot in months – while TV One’s Person of Interest averaged 4.3% – 9.6% and the season finale of Castle, 1.8% – 6.2%.

Earlier, The Middle was back in top rating form, with 8.3% – 15.0% on the back of Shortland Street’s 14.0% – 20.2%.

TV2’s Sunday night premiere of The Hangover Part II caused a headache for TV3’s re-run of I Love You, Man – the former averaged 9.9% -12.5% and the latter, 2.7% – 3.1% after its lead-in, Evan Almighty, delivered 6.2% – 7.3%.

TV One’s A Place to Call Home was steady on 2.9% – 9.0% following NZ’s Got Talent’s 6.0% – 10.7%.

TV2 dominated Saturday, with its late-night HD premiere of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits rating surprisingly well: 2.8% – 4.9%, which was better than Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries two hours earlier on TV One (0.9% – 4.3%).

Friday belonged to TV3, with The X Factor USA (6.6% – 9.0%), although TV2’s re-run of The Middle largely out-rated the first half (6.4% – 11.3%), and The Graham Norton Show (7.0% – 9.2%).

X Factor and Project Runway: All Stars also stood TV3 in good stead on Thursday, with the two-hour edition of the former averaging 6.5% – 8.7% and the latter, 3.9% – 7.1%.

Packed to the Rafters rated 2.4% – 5.4% and Mistresses, 4.5% – 6.9%.