HDTV Ratings: February 25-27

Modern Family

Continuing coverage of the Christchurch earthquake helped to boost viewership of last night’s rival HD half-hours Modern Family and North.

TV3’s sitcom and TV One’s travelogue screened directly after each network’s news hours, both of which rated higher than the previous week.

Modern Family was up in all of the demographics that matter most to the network: 6.8% of 18-49 year-olds (versus 5.6% the previous week), 7.2% of 25-54 (vs 6%) and 7.6 of household shoppers with kids (vs 5.9%).

It’s still drawing considerably fewer viewers than TV2’s 7pm SD re-runs of Two and Half Men but the gap is narrowing, with Sunday ratings for the Charlie Sheen juggernaut in decline.

North, also was up on the previous week, with 13.3% of 25-54 (vs 11.7%) and 13.2% of HHS/kids (vs 10.4%).

Friday’s Graham Norton Show also benefitted from having extended Campbell Live and 3 News coverage of the earthquake as its lead-in rather than Glee: 6.9% of 18-49 (vs 6.3%), 8% of 25-54 (vs 7.2%) and 10.4% of HHS/kids (vs 7.8%).

However, Super City, which airs 90 minutes later, at 10pm, slipped further in key demos, to 3.6% of 18-49 and 4% of 25-54, and was steady with HHS/kids (5.6%).

TV3’s free-to-air HD premiere of Saturday’s movie, Duplicity, barely out-rated the umpteenth re-run of The Sixth Sense, on TV One: 4.5% of 18-49, 5.9 of 25-54, 6.5% of HHS/kids.

Earlier, TV One’s Coasters also got a lift from One News’ earthquake coverage, achieving double-digit ratings for the first time in weeks.