HDTV Ratings: March 14

The Almighty Johnsons is starting to get into full ratings swing, with Wednesday’s episode delivering season two’s biggest audiences yet.

While the first half was dwarfed by TV2’s The Big Bang Theory, the second started to challenge Happy Endings.

And in the 18-49 and 18-39 demographics, Johnsons out-rated TV One’s Winners & Losers.

Last night’s episode averaged 7.0% of TV3’s 25-54 target, 7.2% of 18-49, 8.1% of 18-39 and 7.5% of household shoppers.

While the HHS rating was steady, the other demos were up 2-3 points on the previous week.

Winners & Losers also was up, albeit not as sharply, while Big Bang was up and down depending on the demo — it averaged from 14.5% of HHS and 18-39 to 16.4% of 25-54.

Nonetheless, with TV3’s World’s Deadliest Roads and Road Madness nibbling away at Two and a Half Men and 2 Broke Girls, Big Bang has become the night’s highest-rating show after Shortland Street.

The male skew of TV3’s predominantly HD line-up is helping to turbo-charge Sons of Anarchy’s ratings, which last night roared ahead of TV2’s The Walking Dead.

Ratings for the two shows have been see-sawing but this week Anarchy averaged 9% of 25-54 (versus Dead’s 6.3%), 8.3% of 18-49 (vs 7.0%), 8.7% of 18-39 (vs 6.5%) and 10.5% of HHS (vs 6.4%).

Left in the dust of both was TV One’s Harry’s Law, which averaged 3.1%-5.8% of the key demos.

TV One’s other HD attraction, SPCA Rescue, also is getting thrashed by 2 Broke Girls and Road Madness, with ratings of 4.5%-7.9%.