“Seven cannot win 2008”

Channel Ten boss, Grant Blackley this week claimed that Channel Seven were going to lose the mantle as Number 1 network in 2008 to Channel Nine.

Blackley’s comment came off the back of Nine winning Week 11 thanks largely to the Underbelly finale plus a strong performance from the network’s ‘Factual Entertainment’ category namely Fire 000, Search & Rescue, Royal Flying Doctor’s Service, Animal Emergency, David Attenbrough’s Life in Cold Blood plus Ramsay, The Footy Show’s and the comeback of 60 Minutes.

As the sting appeared to return to Nine, Week 12 saw Seven grab the mantle back after Nine aired Hitch on Wednesday night after a successful season of Underbelly why would the network air a repeat of an average American movie?

For the next few weeks, the schedule will be chopping and changing because State of Origin starts this week and the ratings should return the week to Nine.

Blackely’s comments came at a time when Seven’s boss, David Leckie is recovering from a serious blood clot saying that Seven had lost ground while Nine was making in-roads and Ten is winning their demographic.

The Sunday newspaper’s have today highlighted Big Brother’s poor performance in 2008 with some suggesting this maybe the last season and the decision to remove Gretel Killen, the last ‘nail in the coffin’ for the show.

Seven do have the Olympics in August which will give the network a certain win for those two weeks but the cupboard is a little bare with programs like Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters being affected by the writers strike. I am not naive to think this will also affect the other networks, but shows like CSI, Without A Trace and NCIS can be easily repeated because the story line is contained usually within one show where as Desperate Housewives and the like need to be shown chronologically.

Ugly Betty has disappointed in 2008 and Gladiator’s has not held onto it’s 1.8million audience that it debuted with. On the other hand Two and A Half Men has been the real surprise for Nine which even defeated Home and Away on Monday night last week.

Nine’s Factual Entertainment shows have been returning sold figures whilst Seven has struggled with the once powerful program Lost which itself now is within Seven’s scheduling.

Still to debut for Seven is the 2008 instalment of Dancing With the Stars, The Battle of the Choirs, a new season of City Homicide and Packed to the Rafters which should have ratings success.

Whilst over on Nine another series of The Chopping Block has been announced, McLeod’s Daughters final season, The Farmer Wants A Wife and the anticipated arrival of Pushing Daises is to be screened.

From next Monday, May 24, Nine take battle in the game show challenge, launching Million Dollar Wheel. The network’s believe that news-lead in is vital to the success of the news/current affair hour but Seven have all ready responded by doubling the maximum prize money on Deal or No Deal to $200 000.

As it stands now after 12 weeks it is:
Seven: 7 weeks
Nine: 4 weeks
and 1 tied week between Seven and Nine.

Saturday and Friday are becoming key night’s for the weekly ratings which are often neglected by the networks but certainly not Seven who win with Better Homes and Gardens on Friday’s whilst Nine is split between Rugby League in Queensland and New South Wales and Airport/Airline in the other states which have never really had a huge following.

Saturday night’s are also interesting because Australia’s Funniest Home Video’s usually wins the 6:30-7:30pm slot over The Great Outdoors but then Seven steal the night with classic comedy’s. From next week, Seven will screen The Rich List in the 7:30PM slot which is an odd time for a show that did quite well in 2007 followed by it’s usual comedy routine.

For Nine it depends what kid’s movie screens and I don’t think they can keep on showing the Shrek collection which appears to be on rotation every second week. All they need is Doc Martin or a similar winning Saturday night show and the Nine may in fact win every week.

Don’t underestimate the lower rating night’s of television, it appears that this is where the networks are winning or losing the week.