Starstruck Strikes Right Note

Thursday’s season premiere of Starstruck held viewers spellbound, despite spirited competition from 7 Days.

The variety show won the 7.30 hour in both of the core commercial demographics.

It delivered TVNZ 1 a 29.8 share of 25-54 year-olds (89,205 viewers) and a 31.8 share of 18-49s (76,714).

Three’s 7 Days had a stellar night, too, with a 25-54 share of 24.7 (76,193) and an 18-49 share of  27.8 (69,124).

That was up sharply on the previous week’s season premiere, which averaged an 18.0 share of 25-54 (51,952) and a 16.5 share of 18-49s (38,153).

Starstruck also improved hugely on the show it replaced, The Great British Sewing Bee, the season finale of which averaged a 16.2 share of 25-54s (46,772) and an 18-49 share of 16.9 (38,924).

The night’s biggest loser was TVNZ 2’s Travel Guides Australia. It won the 7.30 hour the previous week but finished third last night with a 15.0 share of 25-54 year-olds, or 52,567 viewers, and a 12.5 share of 18-49s (31,209).

Starstruck’s popularity proved a great springboard for another TVNZ 1 newcomer, Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job.

It won the 8.30 hour with a 17.0 share of 25-54s vs 13.8 for TVNZ 2’s First Dates and 14.5 for Three’s Graham Norton Show.

The same trend prevailed in the 18-49 demo.

TVNZ 1’s new line-up also helped Coronation Street to win in this demo but TVNZ 2’s Naked Attraction just pipped it in the 25-54 race.

Note: These overnight ratings exclude viewership of the networks’ +1 SD channels.