0/5

Scripted shows draw a bigger bang than Reality

Ratings: More viewers for 800 Words and Big Bang than X Factor and The Block.

2015-10-07_1018

Last night Seven and Nine viewing was higher at 8:30 than it was at 7:30.

Both channels scored higher for their scripted content –800 Words and The Big Bang Theory– than they did for their reality shows, The X Factor and The Block, which is encouraging in the current landscape.

That said, both drew good numbers for their reality fare as well, both above 900,000 viewers.

TEN’s best was The Project 7pm while TBL Families was up by 11,000 on last Tuesday. ABC’s Changing Minds drew high praise on social media but was third in its timeslot.

Seven Network won with a 30.9% share then Nine 28.0%, TEN 18.8%, ABC 16.6% and SBS 5.6%.

800 Words (1.06m) led for Seven then Seven News (970,000 / 963,000), The X Factor (953,000), Home and Away (805,000), The Chase (597,000 / 423,000) and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (493,000).

Nine News (1.06m / 1.01m) led for Nine then A Current Affair (1.01m), The Big Bang Theory (974,000 / 781,000), The Block (924,000), Hot Seat (560,000) and Two and a Half Men (450,000 / 294,000).

The Project (634,000 / 476,000) was best for TEN. TBL Families was 581,000, TEN Eyewitness News was 543,000, NCIS was 401,000 and NCIS: LA was 343,000.

ABC News (857,000), 7:30 (760,000), Catalyst (639,000), Changing Minds (460,000), Antiques Roadshow (320,000) and Cast from the Storm (224,000) comprised ABC’s night.

On SBS it was Who Do You Think You Are? (263,000), Insight (220,000), Dateline (176,000) and SBS World News (121,000).

ABC2’s Shaun the Sheep led multichannels with a sheepish 241,000.

The Morning Show: 150,000 / 103,000
Mornings: 89,000 / 82,000
Studio 10: 67,000 / 26,000

OzTAM Overnights: Tuesday 6 October 2015

38 Responses

  1. Daylight Savings, people get home later, have dinner later.

    1 drama and 1 sitcom trying to hang onto 1m in the same timeslot isn’t a great for scripted content. The TBBT didn’t take many viewers away from 800 Words. Both of them will get some
    +7s.

    1. Considering that anything over 1 million is great, I think it’s a good thing that there are 2 scripted shows around the high 900s/low million mark

  2. I’ve been watching 800 Words but I am actually finding it boring compared to ABC and channel 10 drama offerings like last year’s Puberty Blues, Offspring, Time of our Lives for example. This year Love Child was another show that kept you wanting more (except 9 kept giving the plot line away in their promo ads). 800 Words reminds me of season 1 of PTTR where every episode finished off nicely, with no cliff hanger. I like to get to the end of an episode and want more, but 800 Words has short term stories about sufing, museums and renovations that are over in 42 minutes with no carry over plot lines. Does anyone else agree?

    I am glad to hear its rating above reality TV but I want more from my drama and this isn’t doing it for me.

    1. Yeah, I got 20 mins into last nights episode and have held the rest over for another night. Everything wraps up neatly at the end of each episode with no real draw card to get you wanting more. Perhaps they need to give the dad a real job during the day so there are more stories.

    2. Personally….I do not not like cliff hangers….being pushed into watching the next episode…tends to turn me off watching a series….when I ‘have’ to commit….
      I watch each week because I enjoy the show…as is.

        1. Thank you everyone for your view. And I see Maev….Sydney has a valid point that I hadn’t thought of. Blue Heelers, All Saints etc. were like that and people kept going back every week. Dr Blake is similar & highly successful.

          Having said that though many do agree that we want a reason to tune in again next week. Thanks again fellow TV enthusiastists.

          1. It’s not going to happen-an audience that small is entirely unsustainable for a prime time slot-10 gave it a chance and cannot be blamed in any significant way for its utter failure here.

          2. @Chuck128
            Yes 10 can be blamed for its utter failure. They stuffed it around to begin with. They couldn’t make up their mind where to put it and stuffed its premier for weeks pretty much like what 7 are doing now with their fast track failure.

            If you’ve forgotten about he musical chairs that happened with empire season 1 before it premiered here earlier this year then refer to the article below.
            http://tvtonight.com.au/2015/02/update-empire-elementary-update.html

          3. The shuffling was unhelpful, but I believe there are deeper reasons it did not connect in Australia, pertaining to the subject and tone.

          4. Yes you did. I wouldn’t of known it was back if it wasnt for this site. Same for HTAWM

          5. @David Knox
            I do agree with you that empire is probably not a show that necessarily resonates with a large aussie audience. My previous comment was focused on the fact that ten aren’t blameless in the demise of empire. I don’t know how any show good or bad could survive that kind of shuffling before the first ep. It had to have lost viewers that may have given it a go.

  3. It’s great to see scripted content winning. I watch neither BBT or 800 Words but I particularly like that an Aussie scripted show is kicking goals. Good to see our actors working.
    That said I’m watching Biggest Loser this year because the blue team are must watch TV. The funniest group of bogans I have ever seen.

    1. “Our” actors and writers in the Trans-Tasman FTA sense. 800 Words is basically a NZ version of Sea Change with 1 Scot/Kiwi/Aussie and 3 Aussies in it. Makes it more interesting than another soap shot in Sydney or Melbourne’s beachside suburbs.

  4. Didn’t turn the TV on last night because there was nothing to watch of interest. Podcasts / surfing the net, youtube are more interesting these days then wasting your time with free to air. Have to catch up on a couple of shows post 9.30pm (far too late ) from last night but the rest of the week looks pretty bleak. Think I have 2-3 shows for the rest of the week that I might watch which is really low. A couple of those are new so not sure if they will stick. It looks like 7, 9 and 10 have shut up shop for the rest of year and its pretty much a wasteland.

    1. Actually I disagree. The content being dished up by the networks at the moment, whilst certainly not perfect is infinitely better than the dross they were delivering in July and August. Here’s a reminder – Reno Rumble/House Rules, Restaurant Revolution/Hot Plate, Cats/dogs/animals make you LOL.

      1. I don’t see any difference really. You gave examples of reality shows and we still have 5 of those ie. x factor, tbl, bacholerette, celebrity apprentice, the block. So really same sh*t different spelling.

        Whether something is considered better is a matter of opinion and we differ. You see what’s come out as better whereas most of what’s come out doesn’t interest me so its not better for me. Its just more crap.

        1. Yes there is a lot of reality on still at 7:30 but they are all different types of reality shows across the networks at the moment not carbon copies ie. House Rules/Reno Rumble. Plus most of the shows at the moment are only on 2-3 times a week, not 5 -6 times like earlier this year which has forced the networks to put a broader range of shows on. 800 Words has been successful and is starting at a decent time, not 9 or 9:15 like seven were doing with their dramas earlier this year. Plus new episodes of shows from the US are slowly filtering through. Look it’s not a great improvement and I’m still very glad I have Netflix but it’s a step up I feel from a couple of months ago.

    2. The ABC aired one of the best and most important documentary’s Australian TV has seen in a long time and you complain about there being nothing to watch?

      1. You didn’t actually say what the name of the doco was?

        Rarely watch docos anyway.

        Everyone has different tastes. Unfortunately free to air doesn’t cater for my tastes anymore.

Leave a Reply