Kochie’s Choirs isn’t Singing Seven’s victory song

Battle of the Choirs debuted last night with almost 1.5 million viewers in the key 7:30PM Sunday Night slot but they were still 300 000 viewers behind the resurgent 60 Minutes.

Despite the challenge from Choirs, Sunday night was still Nine’s with Domestic Blitz, 60 Minutes, CSI and Without A Trace all winning their time slots.

The audience share was:
Nine 30.4%
Seven 27.9%
ABC 19.2%
Ten 18.5%
SBS 4.1%

OzTam

Choirs numbers are solid but Seven will be disappointed with that figure. The network would have expected the show to beat 60 Minutes and possibly hit the 2 million mark.

While 1.5 million is not a failure, it is also not a win and that figure will likely decrease next week.
Channel Ten’s figures are more of a worry sliding under 20%. Big Brother continues to bomb and is a liability for the network while Rove did not even get to 900 000 viewers.

Fast-track Australian Idol because that is the only show that may save Ten in 08.

Rugby: League wins the week for Nine while Union loses it for Seven

As expected Nine won Week 16 of the Official Ratings (Week 24 of the year) thanks largely to a high-rating State of Origin clash which returned 2.1 million viewers in the metropolitan markets.

While Rugby League won the week for Nine, it was the Rugby Union that lost Seven Saturday night which rates poorly in the markets that it is shown. A repeat of movie Richie Rich with just under one million viewers was all Nine needed last night for the network to secure the week.

The week's figures were

Nine 28.5%
Seven 26.7%
Ten 20.5%
ABC 18.3%
SBS 6.0%

OzTam

Tonight Seven launch The Battle of the Choirs hosted by David Koch and while I am not a fan of the concept for the show, it’s debut will probably, for some reason be successful. Finales of Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives will also draw viewers this week while Lipstick Jungle and Private Practice are to be launched this month – possibly taking the place of Anatomy and Housewives next week?

Nine have no new shows or surpises on the cards this week apart from another David Attenbrough installment (next week) which has been a surprise hit for the network.

This week will be interesting but I think it may go to Seven.

Kochie versus 60 Minutes

It’s the Battle of Sunday night’s…

In the Red corner we have the challenger, Seven who has struggled to dominate Sunday’s with the falling Gladiators, My Name is Earl, Most Shocking and Grey’s Anatomy (unlike the winning Where Are They Now? / Ugly Betty / Grey’s Anatomy line-up of 2007)….

Against the Champion in the Blue Corner, Nine with a resurgence from 60 Minutes, strong ratings from Domestic Blitz (and before that Royal Flying Doctor Service / Medical Emergency) and the dominant CSI.


Seven are pinning their hopes on David Koch who will attempt to unearth 60 Minutes in the key 7:30PM Sunday night slot. Kochie’s Battle of the Choirs will be screened from Sunday week, June 15.

Competiting choirs vying for $100 000 = riveting television... NOT

Will it work?

I don’t think so.

Seven are on a time bomb with this one. 60 Minutes is back. Dancing With the Stars has been done and will be back, It Takes Two 2008 has been screened and figures were down, so why would choirs be any different?

Seven still have some ammunition within their armour in what has been a successful slot for Australian drama and/or comedy with Kath & Kim and Ugly Betty finding success in the 7:30 slot.

Packed to the Rafters would appear as the perfect fit to their 7:30 Sunday slot. Maybe it is coming and maybe I am going to be proved wrong about Kochie’s Choirs but I don’t think the show will be as big a success as Seven are hoping.

The network has also announced a new reality TV series, Make Me A Supermodel which is cashing in on the success of Fox 8’s Australia’s Next Top Model. The Seven series, Make Me comes from the British format which is a smart purchase for the network to appeal to it’s younger demographic. Somewhat of a surprise that Seven has bought the right’s to what appears on the surface to be a Channel Ten-esque show but nevertheless a clever strategic move.

Seven have also got a lot of new episodes of City Homicide to screen which the network’s scheduele is screaming out for as audience numbers are on the slide with Criminal Minds and Bones being used as 8:30PM shows.

Grey’s finishes up very soon as does Desperate Housewives so expect to see the new spin-off of Grey’s, Private Practice to air in the Grey’s slot, 8:30PM Sunday while City Homicide may replace Desperate Housewives again in what would be an interesting and unique challenge.

Aussie drama versus Aussie drama with City Homicide (Seven, 8:30PM Monday) up against Sea Patrol (Nine, 8:30PM Monday). I cannot remember the last time networks put one Aussie drama against another... can you?

Seven may resist doing this as it has not been done for some time and the Aussie drama sector may wish to protect itself against putting two products against each other.

Which still leaves the debut of Packed to Rafters unknown at this stage while Nine remain tight-lipped about McLeod’s Daughters.

Kochie (The Battle of the Choirs) versus 60 Minutes starts next Sunday, June 15.