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ABC struggling on Wednesdays

Ratings: ABC's Wednesday line up is struggling against the commercial networks, despite no juggernauts dominating the night.

ABC’s Wednesday line up is struggling against the commercial networks, despite no juggernauts dominating the night.

Seven won Wednesday with 31.8% to Nine 26.7%, TEN 21.0%, ABC 14.2% and SBS 6.4%.

Seven News topped the night with 1.37m followed by Today Tonight (1.17m), Australia’s Got Talent (1.07m), Home and Away (911,000), Bones (817,000), Deal or No Deal (699,000), Castle (569,000) and The Price is Right (423,000).

Nine News was best for Nine on 1.24m then The Block (1.1m) and ACA (1.04m). Hot Seat was 701,000 and Big Bang was 469,000. Nine set a new benchmark in OzTAM data by dividing Celebrity Apprentice into not two but three segments, the lowest of which was only 837,000 for a Reality finale thanks to their own stupid NineMSN leak.

MasterChef Australia‘s 933,000 for its first team challenges was low given it has been one of the brand’s biggest drawcards. Offspring (which pleasingly started on time) was 774,000 then TEN News (699,000), The Good Wife (489,000) and The Project 6pm (460,000).

It wasn’t a good night for ABC1 despite starting out well with ABC News (951,000), then 7:30 (687,000), Wild Life at the Zoo (538,000), Randling (491,000), Agony Aunts (332,000) and Laid letting down the team on just 262,000.

SBS ONE did relatively well with Wildest India on 330,000, Extreme Frontiers: Canada (289,000) and East to West (204,000).

Neighbours topped multichannels with 297,000.

The Morning Show: 160,000
Mornings: 115,000
The Circle: 63,000

Wednesday 16 May 2012

18 Responses

  1. Where is the love? I agree with A, QI and Randling should be paired up and Dr Rudi I am with you on Laid. I laugh more with Agony Aunts and Uncles but I still think Laid is the best written sitcom on the ABC. Much better than Lilley’s Angry Boys.

  2. I’m going to throw my two cents into the same hat as @Dr. Rudi – he’s articulated everthing I feel on this subject.

    See, here’s the problem.
    TV is now only for children and the childlike. Most of us here are clearly outside the target demographies for most TV offerings (and so should you be, David – I don’t know how you sit through all the dreck you must have to watch to write an informed blog:-]) so if we can’t turn to the ABC or SBS for grown-up entertainment where can we go?
    Lift your game, ABC!
    Until then, along with the eloquent Dr. Rudi, my TV is staying off.

  3. Here’s my two cents:

    I haven’t enjoyed what I’ve seen of Randling. As a parlour game for Denton and Byrne at home with friends, I’m sure it’s a hoot – but it doesn’t make good television.

    I am a fan of Laid. I’m clearly in the minority here (or anywhere). I think Hardy is a funny writer, and the two leads (Bell and Pacquola) are excellent.

    Agony Aunts (and its predecessor) are clearly descended from ‘Grumpy’; I didn’t think much of Uncles, but I’m enjoying Aunts rather more.

    ATM is on too late – hey, I commute – so that gets consigned to iView, or doing a quick check of the reviews on the ATM website.

    All of that said, I won’t be watching the current crop of commercial alternatives, or SBS. The TV is off.

  4. The flow of the ABC’s Wednesday line-up seems disjointed. Which is why there are varying fluctuations in the ratings occurring at half-hourly intervals. Also, Randling comes across as an insufficient follow-up to Spicks and Specks. I think if they had worked on the format and concept more, they would have come up with a show that is really engaging and successful.

  5. It’s about time we faced the awful truth – ABC comedy is lost in the wilderness and it has been for quite some time. Executives like taking the credit for the Chaser and Chris Lilley’s successes, but the reality is there is no commissioning vision going on here. Therefore comedy on television generally is in a parlous state.

  6. I’ve really tried to like Randling but I am done. Mostly just boring. Same with Laid although not boring just unlikeable. The first series was OK but the second is too much and I generally like shows with more interesting themes but not this time.

  7. It’s pretty clear that Randling is no Spicks and Specks. I like Andrew Denton and most of the contestants that I’m aware of (seen in ads) but haven’t bothered to watch any since the first ep. It’s too low-key and simply not sufficiently engaging.

    Plus, I found the editing on the first ep to be a bit clumsy. There were a couple of moments where the flow was badly interrupted, leaving it disjointed in places, by having something obviously chopped out.

    Waiting on Gruen…

  8. Lord they need more Hamster Wheel and At Home with Julia (or other loud comedy-type shows people feel they must watch to know what’s going on. That’s where their Wed night numbers have traditionally come from (Gruen the same thing).

  9. It is no surprise the ABC numbers have seen a catastrophic decline as none of the above shows are really worth watching. Why would you create a word quiz and have no wordsmiths on the show, some erudite people who are not showbiz who may emerge as really interesting? This has been the BBC formula for such shows for 40 years. And Laid first series went nowhere so why commission a second. It is a one joke pony. The Zoo is a competent docu soap but completely unchallenging. But I do feel sorry for the Agony Aunts who are far more interesting than the Agony Uncles, but sadly nobody is interested. The ABC requires a major programming rethink or it will continue to slide. Its commissioning is letting it down.

  10. On my problems with Wednesday night. Or the most boring night of the week for TV at the moment. For me at least.

    The ABC: now I’m interested in Randling and At The Movies. But currently what they have paired them with is just not for me. As I’ve said before avoid the scripted comedy pairings preferable with neither unless you want me to choose elsewhere or a DVD.

    Ironically I’ve often liked At the Movies on Tuesday. ‘Cos they often pair it decently. Like non-sitcom comedy with the Chasers. Of course the obvious pairing with Randling would be Qi. And someone mentioned Gruen. I’d love either. But I get that the ABC will stick with Laid until it ends. Please let it be soon. Just save us from sitcoms and Agony Aunts or Uncles or Grumpy people. I’m plenty grumpy enough already.

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