HDTV Ratings: Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Waitangi – What Really Happened, Modern Family, The Simpsons

TV2’s free-to-air HD premiere of Journey to the Centre of the Earth proved to be dino-mite competition for TV3’s new-look Sunday night line-up but was neck-and-neck with TV One’s Animal Rescue and Islands of Britain.

Only with the household shoppers with kids demographic did TV2 pull well ahead of TV One from 7pm-9pm, with the movie averaging a 14.1 rating.

Surprisingly, it rated higher with TV One’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds (10.2%) than TV2’s, 18-39 year-olds (7.5%).

TV One’s HD Waitangi Day drama, Waitangi – What Really Happened, was watched by 8.3% of 25-54, 8.5% of 18-49, 7.1% of 18-39 and 8% of HHS with kids.

TV3’s only HD drawcard, Modern Family, rated 4%-6.1% in these key demos but the SD season premiere of House, which should have been in HD, either was competitive with or ahead of the competition from 8.30pm-9.30pm.

Another SD attraction that should be airing here in HD, The Simpsons, was well down on its traditional TV3 viewership as one of relaunched sister channel Four’s flagship shows.

The 6pm Flight of the Conchords episode drew only 3% of the channel’s new market, 18-49 year-olds, and the 7.30pm episode, 3.5%; they fared better with 18-39 year-olds (3.5% and 5.2% respectively) and HHS with kids (4.8%/4.1%), and worst with 25-45 year-olds (2.8%/3.4%).

This time last year, the 7.30pm HD episode on TV3 drew 7.3% of HHS with kids, 11.1% of 18-39 year-olds, 9.6% of 18-49 year-olds, and 9.4% of 25-54 year-olds.