HDTV Ratings: September 8

Is it any wonder free-to-air networks are gun shy of smart HD TV dramas, like those Sky will offer on SoHo, when they languish in the ratings?

Witness TV2’s perseverance with Chuck.

Midway through the fourth season, it finally acknowledged the sly spy romp was never going to build enough viewers to justify continued primetime exposure.

And that was borne out last night when its SD replacement, Embarrassing Fat Bodies, drew twice as many viewers in all of the key demographics.

It even out-rated TV3’s HD movie, What Happens in Vegas, the first hour of which also finished behind TV One’s reality newcomer, 24 Hours in A&E.

However, the second half of the Ashton Kutcher-Cameron Diaz comedy got lucky and largely won the 9.30pm hour.

Over the two hours, it averaged 7% of 25-54 year-olds, 7.2% of 18-49s, 7.3% of 18-39s and 9.1% of household shoppers with kids.