Wanted No Longer Wanted

Three is replacing the double-episode finale of Wanted with another re-run of the movie True Lies on Monday.

The Australian crime caper starring Rebecca Gibney that was partly shot in NZ has been a ratings disaster for the network.

Last Monday’s episode averaged only 1.9% of Three’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, which earned the channel a 7.7% share of this demographic (compared to a 3.2 rating/12.6 share for the season premiere).

Even lead-out Blue Bloods, which has scarcely been a crowdpleaser, was more popular, with a 2.4 rating/11.6 share while lead-in House Rules delivered Wanted a 4.2 rating/15.9 share.

TVNZ 1’s Criminal Minds averaged a 4.9 rating/19.9 share opposite Wanted, to edge ahead of TVNZ 2’s The Middle (4.2 rating/17 share) and The Mick (4.1 rating/16.5 share).

The final two episodes of Wanted will now screen late-night Monday, from 11.25, pre-empting The Night Shift.

The latter will be off-air for two weeks because of this and Christmas Day programming but will return for a double-episode catch-up on New Year’s Day.