HDTV Ratings: August 25-28

Global Radar's ratings true bliss

TV One’s HD premiere of the Katherine Mansfield drama, Bliss, wasn’t as blissfully received as Billy or Tangiwai: A Love Story.

At least not by viewers — writing in The Dominion Post this morning, TV critic Linda Burgess hailed Bliss for its “good writing, good acting and very lovely filming” and for being “extraordinarily beautiful to look at”.

But viewers thought otherwise. Bliss was still largely competitive with the movies on TV2 and TV3 but rated only 7.2% of 25-54 year-olds compared with Billy’s 18% the previous week.

Likewise, it rated 5.3% of 18-49 year-olds (versus 15.2%) and 6.4% of household shoppers with kids (19.6%).

Moreover, viewers deserted the two hour-hour drama as it progressed. It opened with a 25-54 rating of 9.4% but ended with only 5.6%.

TV One had more success with Global Radar at 7pm, which roughly drew twice as many viewers as TV3’s HD option, Raising Hope, in the 25-54, 18-49 and HHS/kids demographics.

It was a similar contest on Saturday, between Hyundai Country Calendar and The ITM Fishing Show while on Friday, TV3 had the upper hand with its two-hour HD block of NZ’s Next Top Model and The Graham Norton Show.

The former may not be rating as well as the previous series but the audience is building as the finale looms.

And TV2’s decision to push back The Vampire Diaires to 9.45pm hurt its ratings, especially as the episode started midway through TV3’s Family Guy.

On Thursday, TV3’s HD re-run of Juno was out-paced by Chuck, which was less a reflection of the latter’s ratings improvement than the former suffering a fate as undeserved as Bliss.