HDTV Ratings: August 31-September 4

Launching a new drama series, even one with an Outrageous Fortune identity and Packed to the Rafters appeal, can be a tricky business. 

As TV3 learned when its HD premiere of Tricky Business on Tuesday rated as poorly as repeats of NCIS in the previous weeks.

The new vehicle for Kiwi actor Antony Starr averaged only 4.5% of TV3’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, and 3.5% – 4.0% of other key demographics.

It was always going to be a tough launch given Tuesday is one of TV3’s least-watched nights and the chief competition at 8.30, TV2’s The Mentalist, this week averaged 11.6% – 17.4%.

Its lead-out, Body of Proof, averaged 6.7% – 11.5% while the night’s (and, indeed, the week’s) best HD crime drama, Southland, could muster only 0.0% (that is not a misprint) – 0.8% post-11pm. (TV2’s 11.30 HD drama, The Whole Truth, averaged 2.0% – 4.1%.)

On Monday, TV2’s Grey’s Anatomy had its 25-54 popularity dented by TV One’s new-season SD premiere of Beyond the Darklands: it averaged 10.8% compared to the former’s 9.8%.

But Grey’s owned the 8.30 hour in other demos, which averaged 9.3% – 12.8%, while HD stablemate Private Practice won the 9.30 hour against TV One’s Unforgettable: 6.5% – 10.0% vs 3.7% – 5.1%.

Sunday’s network HD premiere of Princes of Persia: Sands of Time averaged 9.1% – 9.6% to beat TV3’s HD repeat of The 40 Year Old Virgin (6.0% – 6.9%) and TV One’s HD duo Nothing Trivial (5.0% – 8.3%) and Offspring (3.1% – 6.4%).

At 7pm, The Zoo largely won the half-hour (6.7% – 12.1%) against TV2’s SD premiere of Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (9.9% – 10.8%) and TV3’s Modern Family re-run (4.9% – 6.0%).

TV3’s CSI: New York/Miami double-bill on Saturday continues to be competitive and its ITM Fishing Show was up from previous weeks (3.0% – 4.8%) against Hyundai Country Calendar (5.8% – 9.7%).

TV2’s HD re-run of The Big Bang Theory averaged a combustible 12.5% – 13.8% while TV3’s HD re-run of The Graham Norton Show an hour later averaged 5.6% – 8.4%, with viewership largely split between it, TV One’s UK comedies and TV2’s The Voice.