HDTV Ratings: November 3-7

Viewers were quick to exit Shameless last night, when TV2 launched it at 11pm on the back of a re-run of Happy Endings.

The US remake opened with 3.8% of the network’s target audience, 18-39 year-olds, but barely half were still tuned in an hour later.

Similarly, the 25-54 rating slumped from 3.1% to 1.4%, the 18-49 rating from 3.2% to 1.6%, and the household-shoppers-with-kids rating from 5.7% to 2.3%.

Earlier in the night, TV3’s dated HD thriller, Mercury Rising, held up remarkably well.

It was decisively beaten by TV2’s HD staple, The Mentalist, but over two hours it gained rather than shed viewers.

For instance, it rose from 6.6% of 18-39 year-olds to 8.3%, and from 7.8% of HHS/kids to 8.7%, with smaller gains in the 25-54 and 18-49 demographics.

Sunday’s Raising Hope would have given TV3 new hope. After rating under 3% across the board the previous week, it drew 6.5% of HHS/kids, 5.4% of 18-39 year-olds, 4.7% of 18-49 year-olds and 4.3% of 25-54 year-olds.

However, it still largely drew only half of Two and a Half Men’s audience while TV2’s HD comedies, Mike & Molly and The Middle, averaged 9.6%-12.6% of key age groups and were most popular with HHS/kids: 11.9% and 16.3%.

TV2’s HD premiere of The Exorcist won its late-night Sunday slot, nudging 4% of its biggest viewership, 18-39 year-olds.

TV3’s Saturday HD movie premiere, New in Town, averaged 4%-5% of 18-49 and 25-54 year-olds but was out-rated by TV2’s SD re-run of Seven Days Seven Nights.

HD ratings slipped on Friday for both TV2’s Shortland Street and TV3’s X Factor.

The former dropped from 14.2% of 18-39 year-olds the previous week to 11.1% while the latter’s 25-54 rating was down from 11.1% to 9%.

And after weeks of helping TV3 to win the night, X Factor lost to TV2’s sitcoms in the 18-39 and 18-49 demos, and won only the second half of its hour with 25-54 year-olds.

However, The Graham Norton Show’s 25-54 rating was steady – 11.5% vs 11.9% the previous week – while TV2’s HD opposition, The Bachelor, improved from 4.3% of 18-39 year-olds for its premiere to 5%, and from 4.3% of 25-54 year-olds to 5.5%.

Thursday’s X Factor and Rove LA drew 6%-8.1% of 25-54 and 18-49 year-olds while Chuck’s first 10.30pm airing won its slot with 3.3% of 18-49 year-olds and 2.5% of 18-39 year-olds.