Seven News thrashes Nine

Unless everyone has taken up the opportunity to watch the news on the internet, then Nine news is in trouble. Dropping the title ‘National’ has not boosted ratings as last night, Seven thrashed Nine by almost 600 000 viewers nationally.

Seven News accumulated 1.7 million viewers and was Australia’s most popular program last night while Nine News lagged in 11th position with a tickle under1.2 million viewers.

Nine lost every single market convincingly with Seven News having almost 200 000 more viewers in Sydney alone. Seven (510 000) versus Nine (307 000)

Melbourne was slightly better for Nine who lost by only 60 000 viewers. Seven (424 000) versus Nine (362 000) while Brisbane saw Seven win by a similar margin.

Adelaide and Perth were also Seven's by 43 000 viewers and almost three times the audience in Perth where Seven flogged Nine 271 000 versus 100 000 viewers.

The news for fill-in A Current Affair host Eddie McGuire is not much better who had a sensational start to the week with Monday’s ratings some of Nine’s highest with ACA attracting 1.42 million viewers nationally which was marginally behind the winning Today Tonight, 1.47 million viewers.

Tuesday was a different story as Eddie’s honeymoon finished, ACA returned only 1.21 million viewers as apposed to Today Tonight who had 1.5 million viewers and like Seven News had the highest current affairs audience in every major capital city.

Million Dollar Wheel continues to struggle and could now realistically be facing the axe delivering only 561 000 viewers to the news and current affairs hour while Deal or No Deal provides Seven News and Today Tonight with 937 000 people.

So what is so different that makes Seven News more popular?

The lead-in? The reporters? The presenters? Peter Meakin?

And what will Nine do?

Seven win one back

Channel Seven’s decision to drop The Rich List from its Saturday night schedule and replace the game show with repeats of The Vicar of Dibley has won the network the week.

All the millions of dollars networks spend on developing and producing new concepts, Australian dramas, game shows, lifestyle, reality shows, factual documentaries and the like, when all you need is a repeat of a British comedy to win you the week.

If only it was that simple…

It came down to Friday and Saturday night in which Seven and Nine were once again neck and neck but a strong performance from Better Homes and Gardens and the Saturday’s with Seven News, The Vicar of Dibley and The Great Outdoors swung the 8th weekly victory to Seven.

The weekly figures were –

Seven 28.2%

Nine 27.7%

Ten 20.4%

ABC 18.1%

SBS 5.6%

OzTam

In the 15 weeks of ratings for 2008, Seven have now won their 8th week, Nine sit on 6 weeks with one week tied.

Nine are continually let down with their Friday night scheduele with four hours of live and delayed rugby league while the Southern States were subject to 1 v 100, The Closer and Close to Home.

The three programs failed in previous seasons, so why would they work for Nine now?

Australia’s Funniest Home Videos continually wins the 6:30PM slot but Nine’s movies are then a gamble from 7:30. If Nine could screen a similar British comedy, like the successful Doc Martin from the ABC then the week might be theirs.

Million Dollar Wheel has failed to make ground this week which must be hurting Nine’s news and current affairs hour with The Sunday Telegraph and Baby John Burgess launching an attack on host Tim Campbell and the current version of the show… sour grapes Baby John?

Burgess hosted Wheel of Fortune successfully during the 1990’s and publicly criticized Nine on his Melbourne breakfast show when they decided to bring the format back, without him. It would be bitter sweet for Burgess if Campbell and the game show fail.

To Week 16 which tonight sees Australia’s Most Popular show 60 Minutes airing which should give Nine and good lead into the week. The 2nd State of Origin airs on Wednesday night as well as Eddie McGuire sitting in the A Current Affair hot seat and the week is guaranteed to be Nine’s.

Channel Ten is more of a concern sliding to it’s lowest figure of 2008, 20.4% and without House this week the network may slide under the 20% mark which is a major concern to Ten.

Didn’t The Footy Show sum up the appointment of Big Brother 2008 with Kyle and Jackie O as hosts? …. Why Bother? 08

One week separates Nine and Seven

Nine has won Week 14 by 0.2% with 60 Minutes taking the Number 1 most watched show. This trend will continue with another State of Origin contest in Week 16 which should see Nine take that week and this week, things would not appear to be changing too much.

The week came down to Saturday night with Seven screening The Rich List which is bombing in its new day and time slot capturing only 715 000 viewers. The previous season, in 2007 screened on Monday’s at 7:30PM consistently rating around the 1.2-1.4 million mark.

Are game show’s dead?

Million Dollar Wheel has not exactly shot out of the blocks with its first week figures looking like this:

Monday 26/5: 733 000
Tuesday 27/5: 607 000
Wednesday 28/5: 596 000
Thursday 29/5: 542 000
Friday 30/5: 607 000

Deal or No Deal on the other hand consistently beat Wheel with its figures:

Monday 26/5: 975 000
Tuesday 27/5: 904 000
Wednesday 28/5: 890 000
Thursday 29/5: 799 000
Friday 30/5: 815 000

Figures courtsey of MediaSpy

Million Dollar Wheel’s figures are not impressive or challengine Deal in it’s first week but the show must be given time to find an audience. I do think there are some flaws with the show that may prevent a successful reinvention.

The set looks tacky with bright neon lights and the debut show had an over zealous audience whose clapping and cheering was a distraction.

On the plus side, Tim Campbell is an energetic fresh faced host while Kelly Landry’s role is still being developed. Is a letter spinner actually needed, especially when the letters are not spun, rather ‘touched’?

In plain and simple terms one would imagine that Wheel should be more popular than Deal because it actually makes you think. Deal is just a game of luck, opening suitcases, basically gambling. Wheel encourages you to think about sayings, names, words, phrases and the like which makes for more viewer interaction.

The host’s role is important and like him or loathe him, Andrew O’Keefe is very professional. Witty, knowledgeable and funny – he is what gets Deal over the line but Campbell, given time will give O’Keefe a run for his money, as the entertainer.

Looking at the game show genre in further detail there seems to be a decline in the number of productions on air and in further development on commercial networks. At the moment, Ten does not have a game show on air, Nine is only screening Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune (plus old episodes of 1 v 100 in non Rugby League states), Seven is running Deal or No Deal and The Rich List.

Nine’s decision to currently ‘rest’ a two of its game show franchises, Millionaire and Temptation is further indication to the changing genre. The network is developing a new type of game show, Hole in the Wall, a popular Japanese concept that breaks from the traditional game shows that the networks have previously screened.

Thought provoking, challenging game shows are currently on the backburner with network’s and audiences preferring game shows that entertain or allow you to ‘tune out’.

Re-inventing that Wheel

Nine launch Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune tonight with the desire to lure viewers back to the 5:30PM slot and then stay on for National Nine News and A Current Affair.

So far the network has faired well in 2008 winning last week and MediaSpy reports that Nine and Seven are neck and neck on total audience shares for 2008 at 27.7% each.

Last week Nine’s decision to run the State of Origin in every capital city payed off attracting close to 2.2 million viewers, peaking at 2.4 million viewers.

Two and a Half Men continue to return healthy week night figures with thanks to the lack of interest with Big Brother 2008 which has allowed Home and Away’s position to be challenged for the first time in a few years.

It has been the performance of Sunday’s that is getting Nine off to a good start with last night, Nine captured 31% of the share from Seven on 24%. 60 Minutes is back and Domestic Blitz overtook Gladiators.

Gladiators fad is now wearing off while Scott Cam and Shelly Craft move in to the 6:30 Sunday role which for the last few years has seen the strong performance of Backyard Blitz and prior to that, The Block.

Domestic Blitz is all apart of the same formula which Nine does very well. It sees Renovation Rescue meet Changing Rooms meets Backyard Blitz and Cam has been groomed by the network as a very likeable host suited to the role with Craft.

Whilst Domestic Blitz has been apart of the ‘re-inventing wheel’ Nine will dust off the Wheel in about 15 minutes time to see if that too can assist the Network as they prime themselves towards ratings success in 2008.

With the very likeable Tim Campbell as host and Kelly Landry on the letters, Nine could have a successful new formula.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves but the Today Show’s ratings have increased and a number of Nine’s new shows like Search and Rescue, David Attenbrough, Fire 000 and now Domestic Blitz have been returning healthy numbers. Attenbrough even beat Border Security/Surf Patrol last week; perhaps that has something today with the new voiceover on Surf Patrol, Naomi Robson.

Seven still dominate the news and current affairs hour from 6PM which Nine will look to take ownership of once again.

The re-invention of that wheel continues tonight...