One Lane Bridge Starts Strongly

The reviews were underwhelming but TVNZ 1’s new Kiwi crime drama, One Lane Bridge, has made a solid ratings debut.

According to TVNZ Sales, the first two episodes averaged 6.8% of TVNZ 1’s core commercial demographic, 25-54 year-olds.

It went to air last week, amid middling reviews.

“It could all add up to something compelling” said The Spinoff, “but One Lane Bridge is let down, as so many local productions are, by its writing and pacing.

“Characters are sketched so thinly prior to the incipient murder that their grief washes over viewers, leaving hardly a mark.”

“The big city cop/small town cop dynamic is a bit time-worn and the cast of supporting characters is reasonably interchangeable with those of any other small town murder-mystery,” The Medium Is Not Enough judged.

“However, the central pairing, the casting, the location shooting and its infusion of Maori culture and folklore lift One Lane Bridge to a much higher level than you have might have expected, making it one to try, for even those who hate procedurals.”

Two other TVNZ 1 newcomers also have started strongly, Eat Well For Less NZ and Bradley Walsh & Sons: Breaking Dad, off the back of a four-week lockdown that TVNZ Sales says not only led to more people using TV (PUTs) but also higher engagement levels, with increased frequency of viewing and time spent in front of the TV.

Last week, 3.2 million people AP 5+ watched TV, with nearly half of these tuning in every single day. This is an increase of 36% for the same week last year. Viewers are also watching for longer, spending 4h 52m on average daily. An increase of 29 minutes YOY.

Here are TVNZ Sales’ latest despatches: