ScreenScribe

Season Finale: The Middle (TV2, 7.30, 5.1, F) Frankie and Mike are stunned to discover that Mike’s brother has chosen the Heck house as the site of his fast-approaching wedding … without asking their permission. The Comedy Critic thought this “an absolutely hysterical season finale … that really showcased what the Heck family is all about!” Agreed […]

Viewers have given TV3 a slap in the face for daring to launch a quality human interest drama in primetime. Wednesday’s premiere of The Slap averaged only 6.1% of the network’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, compared to Undercover Boss’ 7.2%, The Big Bang Theory’s 14.1% and Happy Endings’ 7.4%. In other key demographics, it averaged […]

SoHo Highlight: Band of Brothers (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) HBO’s searing, authentic, true-life dramatisation of an elite paratroop regiment going to hell and back in wartime Europe at last screens in HD on NZ TV — just in time to mark its 10th anniversary. While the first of 10 episodes suffered from too many boot camp […]

Series Premiere: Kings Cross ER (TV3, 8.00)  Set in St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, this documentary series opens with a young man rushed to the Emergency Room after being stabbed in the heart at a nightclub in Potts Point. “This is what a hospital reality show should look like – interesting cases, clearly presented without sensationalism or emotional manipulation,” […]

Season Highlight: The Middle (TV2, 7.30, 5.1) Sue finds a kindred spirit in her awkward school guidance counsellor (guest star Whoopi Goldberg), who inspires her to reinvent herself; Frankie is ecstatic when she and Mike buy a much needed new bed but is gobsmacked when her stubborn husband insists on assembling it himself; and Brick attempts to […]

Tuesday’s HD premiere of Highway Cops got off to a fast start in the ratings while those Hawaii cops from Five-O at last showed signs of turning the corner. TV One’s reality newcomer averaged 10.0%-12.9% of the major demographics and dented TV3’s Funny Roots (4.9%-6.3%) more than it did Suburgatory (9.3%-14.0%). It was most popular […]

TV One’s MasterChef NZ finale sconed the competition on Tuesday but ratings were still relatively high for HD comedies The Middle and Suburgatory. However, it proved a disastrous night for TV3 to try to relaunch Hawaii Five-O off the back of NCIS. The latter had been rating strongly in recent weeks but against the second […]

Season Premiere: Hawaii Five-O (TV3, 9.30, 5.1) The reboot that bombed in different time slots last year returns to ride the ratings wave of NCIS. The second season opens with McGarrett in prison awaiting trial for the governor’s murder, with Kono suspended from the force pending an internal investigation. “What makes the show so much fun to […]

Tuesday’s explosive season finale of NCIS: Los Angeles won its time slot in all the key demographics except household shoppers. It averaged 9.0% of TV3’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, 8.2% of the 18-49 demo and 7.0% of viewers aged 18-39. The HHS rating was 7.4%, which put it ahead of TV2’s Necessary Roughness but nearly […]

Not even the sight of Sports Illustrated cover queen Rachel Hunter out of her comfort zone in Sumatra could win Tuesday’s return of Intrepid Journeys as many viewers as the season finale of Yellowstone. The premiere of the first season to screen in HD averaged 7.5%-10.7% of the key demographics compared to Yellowstone’s 11.7%-15.3% the previous […]