Run it up the tentpole and see

TV in the old days was simple. You could put on really big show on a night and the big audience it drew would stick around for the surrounding shows.

They'd tune into the show beforehand so as not to miss out on their favourite and they'd be so buzzed they'd stick around for the following show.

This strategy in television programming is known as the 'tentpole' in TV terms both Dancing with the Stars and Masterchef are tentpole shows, but one network's tent seems to be made of a lot sterner stuff.

We're gonna need a bigger tent...

Looking at the performance of Dancing with the Stars a competition which is in its 11th cycle, its performance is simply phenomenal.

Even moreso when you consider that recent seasons have had a less than spectacular result for Seven.

Masterchef nets a more desirable younger demographic but Masterchef was never about chasing demos, it was its power as an all-audience draw that made it a household name - a performance of 1.4 million is not poor, but given the investment by Ten in the series versus Seven's much smaller outlay for Dancing and you begin to wonder whether the money has been well spent.

You can bet that the Masterchef prods will be scrambling to come up with some sort of hook to draw in the casual auds over the next few weeks, something to justify their huge pricetag. No doubt we'll see some of these gimmicks advertised in the next few weeks and we'll red flag them here as we see em!

SUNDAY'S NETWORK SKED

SUNDAY'S DIGITAL SKED

Sunday May 8th, 2011

Part of me wonders about the wisdom of Seven taking off their flagship public affairs program, Sunday Night, in order to show the aging crapfest Dancing with the Stars.

Then I see that Dancing beat Masterchef (though it came a distant second in viewers 18-49) and held that audience over 2 and a half hours and well frankly with those numbers who gives a crap about 'Sunday Night'

Loser of the night is actually no-one (thought I was gonna say Nine didn't you!) while Nine didn't pull great numbers for its telemovie (honestly networks in this country embraced telemovies at the fag end of their popularity as a format in the US but that's a topic for another post) and 60 minutes was down, they did get a decent aud for In Their Footsteps which actually surprised me.

Furthermore while Ten is facing a problem with hanging onto their huge Masterchef audience into the night, they are at least doing well in the 18-49 demographic with Merlin and Hawaii Five-0 posting good demos despite lacklustre overall numbers.

Also worth mentioning is the revamp of OneHD which kicks in this week, although Sunday night had purely sports programming it went well with a peak of 507,000 people tuning into the channel for Formula One racing.

Well see how they go throughout the week and if they start to make a blip on the radar - I'll start including them in the chart!

Beaten and Bloodied

OK Ten - it's not you, it's Dupree!

Ten tried (yet again) to trot out this turd of a movie - now on a Sunday night - with lacklustre results.

Luckily they had an outstanding number for the preceding movie - Night at the Museum.

When combining it's powers with grey-magnet Dancing with the Stars, Museum sapped 60 minutes' numbers down to a woefully low 980k resulting in an equally poor turning out for the latest of the increasingly pointless Oceans Eleven sequels!

The short story of Sunday is that Seven did well with their regular schedule, Ten scraped in with a good movie choice and Nine's flagship was left beaten and bloodied on the side of the road.

It's all about to change

It’s worth noting that the often repeated Harry Potter franchise has finally reached the point of diminishing returns for Nine, not one of the reruns has average a million this year, not even on the high traffic Tuesday night.

Next week they’ll be going for gonzo with the US reality train-wreck Dance Your Ass Off – which can be neatly described as The Biggest Loser meets Dancing with the Stars! The fact that this show featured neither Darryl Somers nor Ajay Rochester is a plus and I wish them all the best!

Ten and Seven were neck and neck – at least across the night, with Masterchef blowing away it’s competition early on and NCIS shoring up the late hour, though Seven feasted on Prime Time with the return of Surf Patrol making a strong impression and Packed to the Rafters dominating the 8.30 hour.

At least for Seven this is the last week they’ll have to worry about Masterchef spoiling their Tuesday, for Ten the question is, was NCIS’ poor performance due to ‘special time’ or is this a sign of things to come?

It's no long term strategy...

Mixed fortunes all around on Sunday night

6.30 was shared fairly evenly, Dancing with the Stars giving Seven the edge on the competition, but no where near as definitively as the show's peak years in 05/06.

Despite coming third in the slot Random Acts of Kindness is shaping up to be a competent performer for the beleaguered Nine Network and once the double threat of Merlin and Dancing leaves they should get some clear air in the back half of the year.

More worrying for Nine is the 7.30 hour where 60 Minutes lost 17% from it's lead-in and 13.13% week on week. Dancing with the Stars also dropped in the 7.30 hour by 8% feeling the heat from the Masterchef which barely lost a soul week on week.

At 8.30 Miss Marple dropped an astonishing 21.7%, Bones an alarming 24.17%! Rove by 18.68% all of this thanks to Nine shelving the Hugh Grant sitcoms and pulling out a recent film that's actually rivetting - The Pursuit of Happyness which saw their week on week performance post 8.30 improve by 10% (Adjusting for Perth Audience). It was a good improvement, but still overall a poor showing and (being a movie) no guarantee of a good turnout next week, this is the dilemma with scheduling movies - it's no long term strategy, which itself is apt as a description for Nine as I can think of right now.

Shaken up Sunday

Some big changes afoot on Sunday night with the return of Dancing with the Stars pushing out seven's current affairs skein (Sunday Night) and their fly on the wall hour.

Dancing with the Stars was heavily promoted for several weeks with the promise of seeing a blind man dance and it seems that viewers were only too eager to check it out.

Though 1.5 million is nowhere near the lofty heights of the show's early years - it's way better than last season and a marked improvement over last week's schedule for the net.

The move also pushed Bones in front at 8.30 with Rove dropping back on account of a weaker guest lineup, also Rove's shorter running time meant an earlier Biggest Loser, doing more damage to Ten's overall evening share.

However, Ten can pat themselves on the back for showing a "special" on their drama hit Merlin in the 6pm timeslot giving them a 69% increase in the slot week on week.

Nine's decision to sked in a Hugh Grant movie (a premiere at that) may seem logically sound but it didn't work out that way with viewers already preferenced to the ongoing series on rival channels, there isn't that many remaining viewers to woo, and one off movies aren't going to draw people away from regular hit series.

2 Channel Universe – Sunday 9 November 2008

Last night’s top rating show was Dancing with the Stars which has grown stronger in it’s last weeks, but nowhere near the dominating highs of it’s Tuesday night run. Nonetheless Seven can be happy with a night where all their shows (including one heavily rerun sitcom) performed well.

Nine too can be happy, 20 to 01 now dominates the 6.30pm timeslot and 60 Minutes continues strongly, moreover it’s North/South strategy paid dividends last night with CSI Miami picking up the slack from their underwhelming Rugby League telecast.

Ten meanwhile have locked themselves out of the competition, they got a decent figure for Australian Idol and probably won in the important young demographics (wait for the press release I guess) but their showing last night reveals a schedule with more holes than they can patch.

First of all they threw in NCIS reruns to stop the leaking at 9.30, this has shown some improvement in the slot. Californication was only retaining a woeful 54% of Rove’s Audience, the first week in for NCIS they retained 68% of same audience, this week the Naval drama did even better with 84% retention.

After patching the hole that was 9.30 they then had to try to fix the drop from Californication to The Office by scheduling the International Edition of The Daily Show but their 11pm figures have barely budged – it’s a pity because it’s currently the best post 10.30 lineup on a Sunday night but did you know that – I’m going to guess that you didn’t because Ten don’t promote it! They never promote any show properly unless it falls between 7.30 -10.30 (with the exception of Neighbours) Ten need to advertise The Daily Show and The Office then maybe some people will tune in.

The other part of their night where they’ve sprung a leak is at 6.30 – Thank God You’re Here Reruns, which at times have won their timeslot against subpar competition are now struggling where they once flourished but why?

First of all Seven and Nine have better 6pm lead ins – The News. People will usually watch the news to start their night, now Ten nets a timeslot win by slotting their news at 5pm, but those people don’t stick around for Sports Tonight or The Simpsons – what can they do about this – either Put the Simpsons at 5pm, then Sports Tonight leading up to The News at 6pm or Move Sports Tonight to 4.30 then News then find an hourlong show (it’s a weekend so it can be rated PG) to show leading up to 6.30 – just a thought.

The bigger problem though is Thank God You’re Here – the show has been in reruns forever, it is produced by Working Dog – a group which doesn’t seem to have it in them to produce anything that runs for a long time. Apparently there is another season of 10 (that’s right folks 10) episodes on the way – better savour them I guess.

It’s not like the folks at Ten haven’t tried either to coax these burnt out geniuses back for more – I’ve read numerous reports over the last two years about the back forth dance between Ten and Working Dog over this show.

In the meantime Ten has used the show to plug a hole in their schedule – but by now everyone who wanted to see it has probably already seen it – all it seems to have accomplished is whetting people’s appetite for something light and breezy in the timeslot and Nine has delivered it with the newly hot 20 to 01, a show that has been on the air for roughly the same length of time as TGYH, has approximately similar production values and the same ‘forget instantly after watching’ quality.

Strangely enough the people behind 20 to 01 haven’t attempted to ration episodes or take a year off or ruminate in public on the difficulties of producing such a show, yet that’s all we’ve heard from the producers of TGYH and yet now their precious show, preserved in amber is in the ratings toilet, no doubt it will be fished out for 10 more glorious weeks in the sun next year after which Ten’s long term problems will still persist and 20 to 01 will still be going (twice a week no less)

NBC's Presidential Heroes - Monday 3 November 2008

Last night's US ratings and NBC's Primetime Saturday Night Live special did huge business for the network cleaning up after the 9pm time period. CBS kept a steady ship with Two and a Half Men their best performer in both total viewers and demographics.

Best total viewer performance went to ABC's Dancing with the Stars which although helping Samantha Who? against Worst Week did nothing for the performance of Boston Legal vs CSI Miami, perhaps an indication as to why this is it's last season.

Viewers stuck in the outdoor room - Sunday 2 November 2008

A reprieve for the Outdoor Room? Anything is possible and the fate of Jamie Duries’ Big New Show™ looks a little healthier after it nudged a million last night – but still this is Seven and such a low figure for what does not look to be a cheap show, whilst a very cheap show (20 to 01) knocks it out doesn’t make for a good look, especially when compared to other hits on Seven coupled with the fact that they already seem to have a plan for 6.30 Sundays next year.

Ten can be happy they managed two shows over 1 mill last night (that’s as many as they got for the whole of last week) and improved ratings for the NCIS rerun.

Overall it was another low rating night (though not the dead zone that Saturday was) with a slightly lower turnout than last week although everything more or less held it’s place from the week before without much variation.

Perhaps viewers are getting the jump on the networks and starting summer non-ratings a month early.

It will be interesting to see what happens tonight when Seven switch from Border Security/The Force to The Rich List and what the knock on effect will be for the City Homicide vs CSI battle.

Watch this space.

Consolidation Prize – Sunday 26 October 2008

All three commercial networks were in tactical retreat last night, rather than launch into something bold or new all three have (in recent weeks) fallen back on safe and predictable.

Channel Nine
Nine has been consolidating for two weeks now, extending their flexible nostalgia series 20 to 01 to a second hour in the 6.30 slot in order to stop the haemorrhaging caused by Battlefronts a widely criticised gardening show which I never personally bothered with on the sole pretence that it was a gardening show and we shouldn’t be (as a nation) encouraging this cheap trash on the airwaves. Nonetheless the show failed to fire even with the ample hordes of people who normally go for this sort of program (look at the millions transfixed to Seven on a Friday night) and Nine swiftly booted it subbing in a more broadly appealing hour.

The move paid off for Nine which now rides in first place in the timeslot

Channel Seven
Seven dropped to disastrous numbers with the US adaptation of Kath & Kim and wasted no time subbing with reruns of the original. They were duly rewarded for their diligence pushing back into second spot ahead of Ten

Channel Ten
Poor Ten, their initial move at consolidation (ie: reruns of Thank God You’re Here at 6.30) looked great until Nine put them in check with 20 to 01 a similar light appeal show which has the advantage of being able to seem fresh even when it’s not. For ten the recalcitrance of producers Working Dog is a thorn in their side with a knock down concept sitting on the shelf while a bunch of overpaid and over-respected producers whine about having to recharge their creative juices – it’s not the Sopranos people – it’s a fucking cheap concept, just make some more already!

To add to Ten’s woes they took a second tactical retreat this week, pulling back their niche comedies (Californication and The Office) to 10.30 and putting up a second hour (repeat) of NCIS, generally reruns of NCIS have done exceptionally well but the bubble may be starting to burst with last night’s instalment pulling similar embarrassing figures to it’s timeslot predecessors.

In other news
The other big thing last night was Nine’s Rugby League world cup which didn’t really set the world on fire, one wonders if it will do any better next week with a match to be staged in Melbourne, the Main Beneficiary was Dancing with the Stars which saw huge gains from stranded viewers of The Mentalist and CSI Miami to become the night’s third most watched show.

Channel Nine rides again – Sunday 19 October 2008.

Nine would be well pleased that the Mentalist is picking up steam becoming the night’s top show and giving it maximum exposure going into it’s new Wednesday slot, it will be interesting to see whether viewers stick with Criminal Minds on a Wednesday or drop it like a bad habit for local boy made good (Simon Baker for those keeping score!)

Nine in fact can be pleased with their whole night, 20 to 01 will cause problems for Thank God You’re Here next week, while Seven caused problems for themselves with Kath & Kim losing 34% of it’s lead in and pushing into channel Ten territory.

Elsewhere the continuing Financial Crisis was a theme with Seven snaring a timeslot win at 6.30, all but sealing their current affairs plans for next year and Nine’s 60 Minutes answering a question that has been on my mind since this sub-prime mess blew up – “Are many people being made homeless from this” the answer was a distressing yes.

Dancing with the Stars did alright with no Idol to go against, the ARIA awards kept Ten respectable but didn’t do anything spectacular on the night.

Can Idol’s results show pull out of it’s slump tonight or will it continue to drag Ten’s Monday into the abyss, also did last night’s encore of CSI encourage any more City Homicide viewers to make the switch tonight.

Stay Tuned.

Ten Lifts, Seven Sags, Nine’s the one – Sunday 12 October 2008.

All the attention in the early evening was focused on Seven, buoyed by a generous lead in from the Bathurst 1000, the network had two aces up it’s sleeve, the US version of Kath & Kim (more on that later) and the David Koch special on what to do during the all consuming world financial crisis.

This half hour news special features Kochie at the news desk, a quick cut to Kevin Rudd (that’s the Prime Minister for any overseas readers) who announced that they’re guaranteeing deposits a la Ireland’s recent move, a response for the opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull and any number of crackpot economic theorists who varying predicted we would either “ride the storm out” or spiral in Armageddon!

It worked because people watched – shoving Thank God You’re Here under the million mark and pushing Battlefronts (how many of these Gardening makeover shows can they do) out to the boondocks.

Kath & Kim held over 80% of that Audience and wasn’t that bad really, the trick for them will be to make it there own, like they did with The Office (the first 6 episode season of The Office was shaky but from second season on they had nailed it)

Alas none of this helped Dancing with the Stars, it’s worth noting that even though this show has only been around since 2004, this is season 8 (two rounds per year in 05, 06 & 07) is it possible they’ve made one to many trips to the well, expect to see an all stars edition next year I reckon.

It was beaten by Australian Idol which cleaned up in the demographics as did it’s follow on Rove which also held over 1 million viewers, Californication even rose by 45,000 viewers.

The question for ten is – have they hit their nadir, or is there worse to come?

In the past two weeks only 3 Ten shows have over the million each week (Wk 40 TGYH, Idol Sunday, NCIS, Wk 41 Idol Sunday, NCIS, Criminal Intent) With the return of Good News Week and Download this week can they lift their performance on Mondays and Fridays or will their 6pm – 7.30pm sked keep them underwater?

Nine had the run of the night, clearly affected by Seven’s bolt out of the gate the panicking aspirationals took a look at Kath & Kim then headed over to 60 minutes for even more Kevin Rudd action.

The Mentalist dropped but still won it’s timeslot as did CSI Miami a show which once dominated Wednesday nights but is now reliant on a good lead in to get by. Will a fast-tracked CSI (Las Vegas) be the evidence viewers need to switch to Nine or will it be DOA?

Stay tuned to find out…