HDTV Ratings: November 2-5

Homeland’s been renewed for a third season but it’s unlikely to return in a plum primetime slot if its ratings don’t improve.

While the Emmy-winner has hit a series high in the US, on TV3 it comes up sharply short against TV2’s Grey’s Anatomy and TV One’s Beyond the Darklands.

True, that’s exceptionally tough competition but you would expect same-week repeats, positive local press, and the global buzz that should help to drive viewership given it airs here only hours after the US to offset this.

Yet Monday’s episode averaged only 4.4% – 6.1% of the key demographics, which typically is half the viewership of the competition.

While it rated only 5.0% of TV3’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, the good news for the network is viewership’s consistent across all the major demos.

Ironically, lead-out Californication’s season finale posted some of its highest ratings, averaging 3.3% – 4.2% opposite Unforgettable’s 2.7% – 7.3% and Private Practice’s 7.2% – 9.3%.

Next year TV3 might be better to run single half-hour episodes of Californication, so the audience can build over three months instead of six weeks.

TV2’s HD premiere of Clash of the Titans won the Sunday movie contest, averaging 9.2% – 10.4% against TV3’s re-run of What Happens in Vegas (6.8% – 8.6%).

TV One’s night started strongly, with NZ’s Got Talent (10.0% – 18.9%) but dropped dramatically with Nothing Trivial (5.3% – 9.3%) and Offspring (2.7% – 6.9%).

TV3’s HD premiere of On the Grill on Saturday (4.0% – 5.8%) heated up the competition with Annabel Langbein the Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures (4.4% – 8.4%).

Friday’s extra-long edition of The X Factor USA helped TV3 to win the night, averaging 7.4% – 12.8%, but the first hour still lost to TV2’s HD comedy re-runs in most of the demos.