TVNZ 2’s Quick-Fix for Sunday Pain
March 1, 2023 
3 Comments
TVNZ 2 is overhauling its new Sunday night line-up only two weeks in after abysmal ratings at the weekend.
Domino Masters is being relegated to 3.55 Saturday afternoons, replacing In for a Penny and Hotcakes, while Caught on Dashcam will shift from its 7.30 anchor slot to 6.30.
The changes take effect this weekend, when season one of Duke series Kings of Pain will screen 7.30 Sundays.
A casualty of Dashcam’s shift to an earlier slot is episode four. It’s being dropped, presumably because some of the “shocking driving clips” that comprise the programme are too shocking for a 6.30 broadcast.
TVNZ 2 is making the changes after terrible ratings on Sunday led to its movie, Jack Ryan: Shadow Receruit, being walloped by Under the Vines on TVNZ 1 and the movie Terminator: Genisys on Three.
It averaged a 12.2 share of key commercial demographic 25-54 year-olds vs a 23.3 share for Vines and a 16.4 share for Terminator.
In TVNZ 2’s core demo, 18-49s, the gap was even wider, with Ryan posting a 12.9 share vs 21.5 for Vines and 18.7 for Terminator.
That followed Dashcam recording a 25-54 share of 7.1 and an 18-49 share of 7.3 vs 24.7/23.8 for TVNZ 1’s Sunday and a gangbusting 32.4/30.8 for Three’s Married at First Sight Australia.
Kings of Pain, meanwhile, follows the trials in the wilds of a wildlife biologist and professional animal handler.
Warning: preg_replace(): Unknown modifier '/' in /home/customer/www/screenscribe.net/public_html/wp-content/themes/headlines/includes/theme-comments.php on line 66
March 1, 2023 at 9:58 pm
Was incredibly odd programming to begin with. Thought those dashcam-style shows died out in the early 2000s as late-night fodder, let alone anchoring prime-time. I know they tried it a while back, but I do wonder if they should more Shortland St to Sunday-Thursday and leave Fridays as the lighter night.
Agree on all points, Clint. And when they did run SS Sunday-Thursday, Friday replacement The Simpsons scored the show’s best ratings in any slot — signalling there is an appetite for lighter fare on Fridays.
Hang on a minute. Rugby’s back, the NRL is back, the Breakers final, netball and on it goes. Good luck TV One and Two for weekend evening viewing!