HDTV Ratings: October 18-24

Top HD dramas Homeland and Underbelly: Badness this week rewarded TV3’s faith in their potential while another lousy night for The Killing highlights why the police drama’s being reassigned to late-night.

Despite the inevitable critical backlash, Monday’s Homeland posted its highest ratings so far this season, averaging 8.8% of TV3’s target audience 25-54 year-olds.

It still lost to TV One’s Beyond the Darklands (12.7%) and TV2’s Grey Anatomy (12.1%) but when quality drama is under threat on free-to-air TV, it’s reassuring to see an audience growing for one of the genre’s best.

Homeland averaged 5.8% – 7.4% of other key demos, and was helped by the premiere of lead-in The Block Australia averaging 6.0% – 7.8.

Tuesday’s Block averaged 6.1% – 7.2% and Wednesday’s, 5.0% – 7.6%.

Lead-out Underbelly: Badness continued its momentum from last week, with the penultimate episode averaging 5.8% – 7.2% but HD stablemate The Killing languished with only 2.0% – 3.3% opposite TV2’s Revolution, which rebounded with 6.1% – 9.7%.

TV2’s 8.30 comedies The Big Bang Theory (12.2% – 14.5%) and Cougar Town (10.3% – 11.5%) won the hour while TV One’s Criminal Minds largely finished third (4.0% – 7.1%).

TV2’s 7.30 HD comedy The Middle also was back up to speed, with 13.0% – 14.2%.

Tuesday’s The Mentalist averaged 10.0% – 13.8% and Body of Proof 7.5% – 12.6% opposite Tricky Business’ 2.0% – 2.9%.

In other HD ratings news:

❑ Monday’s Californication (1.3% – 4.0%) continues to draw half the viewership of its HD rivals, Unforgettable (4.3% -9.4%) and Private Practice (4.8% – 8.4%)

❑ NZ’s Got Talent again dwarfed everything else on Sunday (9.5% – 17.3%) while lead-out Nothing Trivial had to settle for 4.0% – 8.6% against unusually competitive HD movies Get Smart (7.7% – 11.0%) and 27 Dresses (6.8% – 7.4%)

❑ Saturday’s late-night double-episode repeat of Revolution rated a robust 2.5% – 4.2% while earlier in the night CSI: NY averaged 2.2% – 4.8% and CSI: Miami 2.5% – 5.7% against the popular movie, Gridiron Gang (7.7% – 10.3%)

❑ Friday’s The Graham Norton Show and TheVoice were neck-and-neck, with the latter averaging 8.3% – 8.9% over two hours and the former, 7.8% – 9.3%, while The X Factor USA averaged 8.4% – 11.3%.

❑ Thursday’s X Factor averaged 8.7% – 12.1% but still couldn’t out-rate Police Ten-7 (12.8% – 15.1%) and Motorway Patrol (12.3% – 15.6%) while at 8.30 few wanted to Meet the Fockers (4.5% – 5.4%).