HDTV Ratings: Good Night Nurse

Nurse Jackie ended its HD run last night with fewer viewers than usual tuning into the season finale.

It was out-rated in all the key demographics by TV2’s HD rival, Fringe, and TV One’s Real Crime doco about chimps that kill, and kept barely half of the viewership that HD lead-in Outrageous Fortune delivered.

TV2’s repeat of The Mentalist improved on previous weeks but still pulled only 7.8% of the network’s target audience, 18-39 year-olds, compared with the 18.5% who watched Outrageous Fortune.

However, Monday night’s first-run episode was out-gunned by TV3’s HD premiere of the movie, Shooter, which drew 11.2% of 18-39 year-olds vs The Mentalist’s 10.6%.

But with TV3’s key demo, 18-49 year-olds, it was The Mentalist that won the slot.

Meanwhile, in the latest issue of Onfilm magazine, ad agency veteran John Dee, of JDee Media, points out TV3 has suffered a 7% decline in peak-hour 18-49 viewership this year, and blamed “poor scheduling” for new series Modern Family and Parenthood not firing as they should have.

“Not surprisingly, Outrageous Fortune continues to be a winner but the fact that this is its final season highlights the pressure on TV3 to get its schedule and programming mix right in 2011.”