Eddie McGuire’s new game show couldn’t quite make it to the magic million mark last night, averaging 933,000 for its first episode. Million Dollar Drop‘s biggest audience was in McGuire’s home city of Melbourne where it won its slot.
Nationally the show was beaten by Seven’s Conviction Kitchen, but not by much. It had 959,000 viewers. The trick for the game show will now be to do exactly what that audience catchcry asks: “Stop the Drop!”
An episode of House, including with a musical number and Hugh Laurie parody of Two and a Half Men, managed 761,000 in the same timeslot, with Four Corners / Media Watch (750,000 / 700,000) and Man vs Wild (297,000) following.
The top show for the night was Today Tonight on a big 1.44m ahead of A Current Affair‘s 1.2m. Both shows tackled Sydney’s bullying story and touched on TV nostalgia with A Country Practice and Rowena Wallace respectively.
Seven News (1.41m) led Nine News (1.28m) but Nine won in Sydney and Melbourne.
Home and Away (1.1m) won at 7pm over ABC News (1m), Two And A Half Men (852,000) and The 7pm Project (732,000).
At 7:30 it was another big win for Seven with My Kitchen Rules (1.39m) over 2 x Two And A Half Men (1.12m / 1.17m), Glee (972,000), 7:30/ Australian Story (785,000 / 772,000) and Mythbusters (281,000).
Brothers and Sisters (767,000) continued a winning run for Seven over Q & A (627,000), Harry’s Law (594,000) and Good News Week (508,000).
6pm with George Negus starts the week with 388,000 and TEN Evening News was 318,000, both were down on last Monday’s numbers, but they were arguably bolstered by the end of a long weekend in some cities, which traditionally helps yield higher numbers.
Footy Classified returned with 241,000 for Nine.
Neighbours was 317,000 on ELEVEN.
Monday all went Seven’s way winning timeslots from 6pm until 10:30pm and taking the night in shares.
Corrected.
Dear Eddie,
The Million Dollar Drop is so very exviting and conrestants can get heart attacks. I suggest Eddie you should give away 20k to the contestants of what ever amount stays in play. At the final question you give them an option to choose between what they have in hand and what it left in the tray. Poor contestants why go back empty handed
Way too theatrical… I’d rather sit through an episode of Bold and the Beautiful.
I feel sorry for 9…it’s an ok show, if you tivo it and fast forward eddies suspense.
The answer to the last question was wrong.
Eddie would have to be the most overexposed Channel 9 Celebrity this side of Charlie Sheen or Humphrey Bear.
This show was Dreadful- Eddie was the wrong person and whoever picked that hideous couple to be on should be shot- they were so over the top. The game was too slow- turn it into a half hour show and maybe it could work. I won’t be watching again- i predict next weeks rating will be in the 700′s.
I didn’t mind it but the promos gave away too much (you felt like you saw half of the episode already) and the fact the questions were too easy just meant it was boring. I was waiting for a decent question so they would lose it all. A teenager would have been able to answer most of those questions.
agree with Jason D. The chase is a great show and given the right ‘chaser’ talent would do well here I think.
the cube on the other hand is drivel. but somewhat addictive. hmm.
It was just too slow. The couple were making me cringe. Crying and holding on to each other. It’s a game. She actually said “this will make our life”. It just had a very unauthentic feel to it. I prefer The Rich List. Bring that back.
I was there for the record, there was cheering and applauding at the right moments and occasional “stop the drop” chants. I wouldn’t say we were going nuts though. No idea if it was sweetened.
like other, I switched over from conviction kitchen on an add break (by accident), and thought MDD was overdrawn and dull. I didn’t like how dragged-out it felt. The couple give their answer, and it then felt like an eternity where they were in eachother arms, looking into eachothers eyes saying words to the effect of “it’s ok baby, I got you” etc etc. Completely overly dragged out. I could almost imagine the couples getting briefed before going on stage – drag out the drama and turn on the water works when we signal you. I found it peculiar how the behaviour of the studio audience didn’t resemble the “sound” of the audience. The looked quite settled, yet they sounded like they were going nuts. Suspicious.
Drop this and run The Cube – I was furiously addicted to that show!
What an awful game show, the questions were so easy and the gameplay was dull. I recently saw a game show in the UK called The Chase, it’s quite riveting, why not bring us some decent game shows.
Unfortunately for 9, Eddie is just too polarising these days. He has been overexposed and there is a significant population who can’t stand him and won’t watch him whatever he does.
He is a skilled presenter but a huge block of the public, particularly those outside of Victoria, don’t like him and won’t watch him. 9 can’t afford a $5M man with this sort of baggage.
Half of the comments below are exactly what I expected – Eddie haters going on about what a supposed flop it was. To be honest, I think 9 would be happy with the result it got, I mean they wouldn’t have expected it to get 2 million. And what’s to hate so much about Eddie anyway? The reason he hosts so many shows is because he’s actually good at it… shock horror…
Thought it was great. I’ll be tuning in again.
Don’t watch game shows and can’t stand Eddie…
Just find someone other than Eddie to host Million Dollar Drop.How about an ex hi 5 presenter or someone else looking to move on from Kids/Preschoolers television
The announcer on MDD wasn’t even the well-known Pete Smith-9 got someone else to do the show’s open.
@david @ green point LOL funniest thing i have read today well done
@deedeedragons that would be good if it did happen
<3 The Million Dollar Drop <3
I don't care what they say, i love Eddie!
@ vladivostlk, They are no longer prisoners, and not all of them have been to prison, just been convicted of a crime.
Million Dollar Drop is seriously the best game show ever, kicks the hell out of watching prisoners
The Million Dollar Drop… hosted by the Million Dollar Drip.
I thought it was great. Something about that couple was captivating so i couldn’t switch off. I also liked the format with the focus on the couple rather than the host. I’m backing it for more viewers next week.
I’ve seen it twice now. First time and last time!
Million Dollar Flop. It was nowhere near as good as the British and a European version that I’ve seen. I didn’t like the changes that they made where they spent way too much time building the suspense just before the drop, when nothing happens. A fast show is a good show.
I didn’t watch Million Dollar Drop, as I am totally committed to Conviction Kitchen and wouldn’t give it up for any show.
not a great start, hard to see it picking up next week with the last half hour of a 90 minute MKR up against it
Home and Away = 1.1million!!! Excellent!
Poor old Neighbours with 317,000. Clear which is the more successful show … obviously I am a H&A supporter!
Endless Game Shows and endless Cop Shows … I’m Bored!!!!!
Plus I also find anything Eddie does bores me…
Worst game show ever!
More like Million Viewer Drop…
The amount that the contestants had left during the episode’s gameplay would be a direct comparison to the number of viewer who tuned in at that moment.
It was interesting and exciting enough, even though some of the questions seem too simple…particularly the final one which you’d expect to be the hardest. Me thinks Nine would have wanted a good win for the first episode to entice viewers to stay, so made the final question easy, or played a switcheroo with episodes and played the best one first. It horrifies me to think contestants only get a 50/50 shot at the end though… 50% chance of walking away with nothing! Couple walked away with 180K, a very nice win indeed.
I too watched Conviction Kitchen and in the breaks flicked across to Million Dollar Drop (which should be renamed Million Dollar Droppings). Firstly, CK has really come into its own, establishing a real connection with the workers trying to get their lives back on track, and Ian Hurley and his restaurant manager providing guidance and compassion without being soft touches. It works a treat.
In comparison, MDD’s try-hard suspense while we wait to see the outcome of the question went from long, to longer, to laughable, to so boring I began to shout abuse at Eddie and hurl things at the TV. Ridiculous, boring, pointless.
Nine has already slated replays of MDD at 2pm Sunday (Syd / Bris) and 3pm (Melb) plus more a week later.
It tanked in the US too. Nine can’t get a break.
Why can’t Eddie just stay in Vic?
I watched CV but flicked over to it in the ad breaks. I saw the gist of the show. How much did that couple walk away with in the end. I know they were on 700,000 at one stage. It looked interesting though. Im not sure if game shows are somehting that viewers want anymore.
Another flop at Nine’s Docklands studios. Can they get their bond back?
David, according to your ratings report – 31 Heartbeat (R) 7TWO 328,000 actually beat 35 Neighbours Eleven 317,000
The Million Dollar Drop isn’t a completely terrible format, but who wants to watch a game show at 8:30pm at night anymore?
It’s only March and Nine have used this timeslot for Underbelly, This Is Your Life and The Million Dollar Drop – all they’re going to do is confuse their audience.
Also, Eddie’s running the risk of becoming Eddie Everywhere once more – is there nobody else on that network who can ask multiple choice questions?
thankyou lord lets home it looses half a mil nextweek
…but could anyone sit through another excruciating episode of it again?
Although CK and MDD were close in total numbers CK dominated MDD in all the key demos.