HD Ratings: Wednesday Night Plight

Three hopes to relaunch its new high school rugby drama to a bigger audience tonight than it did on Sunday.

But the challenge could be just as great, given the opposition it will face on both TVNZ 1 and TVNZ 2.

At 8.35, Head High will go head-to-head with Race Across the World and MRK: The Rivals.

The South Pacific Pictures drama will have the advantage of a top-rating lead-in, although in recent weeks the double-episodes of Bondi Beach have proved vulnerable.

Last week’s 7.30 first-run broadcast lost to TVNZ 1’s Towies in the 25-54 demographic that both networks target but won in the 18-49 and 18-39 demos.

And the 8.00 re-run out-rated The Force and MKR across the board, helping the penultimate episode of 9-1-1 to win the 8.30 hour in all the core commercial demos.

But Head High will face fiercer competition than 9-1-1, with TVNZ 2 shifting MKR to 8.40 as the replacement for How to Look Good Naked off the back of MasterChef Australia.

TVNZ 1’s Race Across the World is strongest with 5+ and 25-54 viewers but its 18-49 and 18-39 support is susceptible to Head High’s appeal as the only drama at 8.30.

Here are last Wednesday’s 20 most-watched primetime programmes on the free-to-air HD channels (excluding +1 and in order of their 5+ rating and audience share):