HD Ratings: Woohoo! Homer Outsmarts Sheldon

In a shocking ratings switcheroo, Sunday’s Simpsons hour on TV3 out-rated TV2’s comedy line-up.

The Simpsons re-run at 7.00 averaged 5.5% – 8.1% of the key demographics to beat another repeat of The Big Bang Theory from episode one, season one (4.3% – 6.4%).

And the original 7.30 broadcast (5.4% – 7.4%) drew up to double the audience of TV2’s Fool Britannia premiere (3.3% – 4.8%).

This flowed through to TV3’s 8.00 ‘toon, Family Guy, averaging 5.8% – 7.4% compared to 3.4% – 5.6% for the season premiere of Anger Management.

As a result, a repeat of a box office bomb like TV3’s movie, All About Steve, proved surprisingly competitive (6.9% – 7.6%) against TV2’s network premiere of the blockbuster comedy Due Date (4.6% – 8.5%).

Indeed, Steve’s popularity even challenged TV One’s HD dramas: Packed to the Rafters, which averaged 4.5% – 9.8% and House Husbands, which averaged 3.0% – 8.1%.

MasterChef NZ was down sharply on last week’s record-breaking season premiere.

It still largely won the 7.30 hour but averaged only 6.3% – 11.2%.

There was more good news for TV3 on Saturday, when its HD trio of Ice Road Truckers, CSI and CSI: New York helped it to win the night among 18-49 year-olds while also winning the 7.30-10.30 zone with 25-54s.

And on Friday, its HD slate of Modern Family, Sunny Skies and The Graham Norton Show, along with 7 Days and The Radio, delivered it more 25-54 viewers than the competition but TV2’s Mr T’s World Craziest Fools and Freaky Friday movie dominated in the other demos.