The Sun-Herald

The Tribal Mind: A generation found in space

To learn how Australians spend their new wealth, go to Who We Are

by David Dale
Last week marked the end of Australia's Second Age of television and the start of the Third Age. Two days separated those events. On Monday, Channel Ten farewelled Big Brother, and with it the notion that broadcast television can save its life by targeting viewers aged 16 to 39. On Wednesday, the ABC welcomed iView, and with it the notion that people who own computers need never use their TV sets again. Both hastened the doom of the networks as we know them.

The first age of television lasted from the mid 50s to the mid 80s, a period when the networks made and bought TV shows designed to appeal to everyone. The second age began when Channel Ten decided to limit its audience to viewers aged 16-39, recognising that it could not compete with Nine and Seven for the mass market. The launch of Big Brother in 2001 was the pinnacle of this niche marketing.

But as the Noughties proceeded, the 16-39s came to regard broadcast television as a quaint anachronism. There were too many other things to do. Big Brother didn't fail because Kyle Sandilands is embarrassing and Jackie O is pathetic. It was just a victim of social change (go here to discuss BB's contribution to our culture).

The 16-39s are the lost demographic. They will never again commit to, identify with, or enthuse about any program crafted specifically for them. They still switch on the box sometimes, but they are usually doing something else at the time -- texting, MSNing, surfing the web, loading their iPods, making their own programs for Myface, bookYou or spaCetuBe. And they won't stop doing that when they pass 40.

To the extent that they engage with mainstream television at all, these have been their favourite shows this month: Two and a Half Men, Dexter, Wipeout, How I Met Your Mother, Rove, Big Brother evictions, My Name is Earl, The Simpsons, NCIS, The Gruen Transfer, Good News Week. But if all those programs disappeared from the nightly schedule, the under 40s wouldn't be concerned.

On Wednesday, the ABC demonstrated that it has a better understanding than the commercial networks of the way Australians now expect to consume their entertainments. It launched a website on which anybody with high speed broadband can watch most of the programs currently associated with the ABC, anytime they like, with the capacity to pause, rewind and fast forward.

The ABC's managing director Mark Scott acknowledged that less than half of Australian households at this point have the broadband speed that will show iView at its best. But he pointed out that when the ABC launched radio 2BL in the 1930s, less than ten per cent of Sydney people had suitable wireless receivers, and when ABC television started in 1956, less than five per cent had TV sets. The principle is: "If you build it, they will come". In its first 24 hours, abc.net.au/iview was visited by 58,000 people.

I must say my experience of it has been disappointing: I couldn't find Spicks and Specks on its menu*, and when I clicked on the Pompeii episode of Doctor Who I'd missed two weeks ago, I found the image out of focus and the voices out of sync with the lips. But there were doubtless worse glitches in the early days of radio and television.

The key question is: will the commercial networks react to this by starting their own iViews, or will they keep their heads in the sand and go quietly into that dark night that is less than a decade away?

Go to Comments to tell us what you think they will do.

* Footnote, 11am Monday: The ABC has been in touch to explain that Spicks and Specks is not yet available on iView because they are still negotiating copyright on the music played there. The good news is that they are "working on it". The bad news is that programs will only be available on iView for a limited time, as a condition of agreements between the ABC and the creators. Thus the Pompeii episode of Doctor Who has now been removed.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in The Tribal Mind, in whoweare-index at 02:08 PM
• Comments (17)

WHO WE ARE: Hey big suspender, what's with the hosiery?

To discuss the next generation of Australian television, go to The Tribal Mind.
For regular updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 27/7/2008
Let's assume for a moment that you are an average Australian, or close to it. You will have noticed that you've become a lot richer over the past ten years -- the Bureau of Statistics tells us your household income is more than 20 per cent higher than in the mid 90s. The question we want to answer today is: How have you been spending all that wealth?

Apparently you've been gambling, eating out more, lavishly furnishing and equipping your house, and buying all sorts of gadgets for communication and entertainment -- computers, big screen televisions, DVD players, iPods and mobile phones for every member of the family except the new baby (being average, you had one of those in your mid 30s).

You now spend $1679 a year on meals in restaurants, cafes, hotels or clubs (up from $1297 in the mid 80s). As the bureau's report, Social Trends 2008, puts it: "The comparatively large increase is consistent with some people electing to 'contract out' meal preparation activity in response to their reduced availability of time from increased employment combined with their expanded spending capacity from higher real income."

You've recently bought an airconditioner, a microwave and a dishwasher (for the rare occasions when you eat at home). The bureau claims that 60 per cent of Australian homes now have some form of air conditioning (up from 30 per cent in the mid 90s), while 42 per cent have a dishwasher (up from 25 per cent) and 90 per cent have a microwave (up from 80).

The research organisation ACNielsen has just added to our understanding of how Australians are spending their new wealth with a chart of the grocery items that have been growing fastest in sales since 2006.

I must admit I'm puzzled by these booms: 1 Chilled baby foods (sales up 790 per cent between 2006 and 2007); 2 Fresh soups (up 43 per cent); 3 Drinks - sports/ energy (up 32); 4 Olive oil (28); 5 Foot care (24); 6 Instant coffee (18); 7 Dairy dips (17); 8 Ice cream (16); 9 Hosiery (16); 10 Canned fruit (16); 11 Bottled water (15); 12 Mouthwash (14); 13 Frozen meals (14); 14 Fresh milk - flavoured (14); 15 Fresh pasta and sauce (13).

Nielsen's Managing Director, Glen Murphy, says the biggest growth areas of the late Noughties are "fresh and natural products -- In recent years, trends in supermarket sales have demonstrated that consumers are increasingly looking for products which support a healthy lifestyle as well as providing convenience."

But that doesn't really explain the increased spending on "hosiery" (because you no longer have to get around in thongs?) or "foot care" (you have blisters from the elegant shoes you can now afford?) or mouthwash (you're worried about the garlic in the pasta sauce?) or flavoured milk (you can now indulge your nostalgia for school days?)

If you can offer a theory that explains all 15 product explosions, please tell us at Comments. I haven't decided yet on a prize for the most interesting explanation. What does one give to the reader who can already afford everything?

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in whoweare-index at 09:17 AM
• Comments (5)

The Who We Are update: Week 31

This week of the blog is now a heritage item -worthy studying but no longer current. For the latest discussion, go here.
To learn how Australians spend their new wealth, go to Who We Are.
To discuss the next generation of Australian television, go to The Tribal Mind.

The ratings race, updated 10 am Sunday
Nine won Thursday, Seven won Friday and at this point in the ratings week, the prime time audience shares stand at: Seven 29.4 per cent, Nine 27.0, Ten 20.0, ABC 18.1, SBS 5.5, so Seven will go into the Olympics marginally ahead for the year.

What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Network 9 1,360,000 376,000 377,000 372,000 141,000 94,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Network 7 1,200,000 322,000 313,000 231,000 110,000 224,000
3 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Network 9 1,169,000 268,000 361,000 282,000 92,000 166,000
4 ABC NEWS-SAT Network ABC1 959,000 213,000 361,000 164,000 105,000 115,000
5 THE BILL Network ABC1 838,000 263,000 266,000 108,000 105,000 96,000
6 BIG DADDY Network 9 821,000 243,000 204,000 189,000 82,000 103,000
7 WILD AT HEART Network ABC1 791,000 229,000 242,000 140,000 98,000 81,000
8 GARDENING AUSTRALIA Network ABC1 732,000 149,000 288,000 123,000 96,000 77,000
10 SEVEN'S R.U: BLEDISLOE CUP: N Z V AUS Network 7 691,000 342,000 40,000 221,000 19,000 68,000
11 SATURDAY NIGHT AFL Network TEN 644,000 365,000 92,000 97,000 91,000
14 SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFL Network TEN 584,000 50,000 262,000 54,000 127,000 91,000
20 THE VICAR OF DIBLEY Network 7 449,000 249,000 201,000
39 BOWLS: QUEENSLAND OPEN 2008-PM Network ABC1 210,000 53,000 63,000 53,000 27,000 14,000
48 ROCKWIZ RPT Network SBS 164,000 56,000 49,000 22,000 17,000 19,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Network 7 1,544,000 464,000 446,000 263,000 156,000 215,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Network 7 1,446,000 407,000 373,000 291,000 153,000 221,000
3 NINE NEWS Network 9 1,245,000 298,000 432,000 242,000 130,000 144,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Network 7 1,231,000 371,000 298,000 220,000 144,000 198,000
5 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Network 9 1,198,000 338,000 363,000 251,000 108,000 138,000
6 A CURRENT AFFAIR Network 9 1,178,000 311,000 387,000 231,000 122,000 127,000
7 HOME AND AWAY Network 7 1,135,000 358,000 255,000 203,000 126,000 194,000
8 ABC NEWS Network ABC1 1,081,000 339,000 347,000 190,000 101,000 105,000
9 THE COMMANDER Network ABC1 944,000 319,000 246,000 170,000 102,000 106,000
10 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE FRI Network TEN 918,000 313,000 230,000 172,000 84,000 119,000
15 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 18: COLLINGWOOD VS HAWTHORN Network 7 770,000 7,000 493,000 8,000 136,000 125,000
17 BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON RPT Network TEN 709,000 256,000 178,000 135,000 71,000 70,000
21 NINE'S LIVE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Network 9 548,000 315,000 Not shown 233,000 Not shown Not shown
24 THE VICAR OF DIBLEY Network 7 501,000 301,000 Not shown 201,000 Not shown Not shown

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,522,000 413,000 378,000 338,000 156,000 237,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,488,000 438,000 336,000 318,000 171,000 226,000
3 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,337,000 438,000 305,000 247,000 141,000 207,000
4 GETAWAY Nine 1,300,000 405,000 369,000 244,000 123,000 159,000
5 THE CELEBRITY SINGING BEE Nine 1,276,000 417,000 389,000 190,000 122,000 158,000
6 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,257,000 340,000 382,000 257,000 135,000 143,000
7 NINE NEWS Nine 1,206,000 342,000 409,000 239,000 119,000 97,000
8 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,204,000 381,000 291,000 242,000 142,000 149,000
9 BONES Seven 1,167,000 318,000 341,000 225,000 143,000 139,000
10 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,124,000 307,000 384,000 220,000 104,000 109,000
12 LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT Ten 1,006,000 301,000 321,000 173,000 105,000 107,000
14 THE FOOTY SHOW Nine 967,000 287,000 331,000 161,000 102,000 86,000
15 THE AMAZING RACE Seven 918,000 271,000 319,000 102,000 109,000 117,000
18 THE GIL MAYO MYSTERIES ABC1 842,000 285,000 218,000 131,000 91,000 117,000
21 BACK TO YOU THURS Ten 817,000 236,000 197,000 163,000 96,000 124,000
29 MYTHBUSTERS: MEGA MOVIE SPECIAL Seven 497,000 183,000 120,000 84,000 56,000 55,000
34 INSPECTOR REX RPT SBS 379,000 103,000 111,000 73,000 44,000 48,000
35 SUNRISE Seven 346,000 119,000 73,000 88,000 25,000 42,000
45 TODAY Nine 310,000 114,000 95,000 62,000 16,000 24,000

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,617,000 480,000 381,000 336,000 191,000 229,000
2 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,569,000 449,000 378,000 333,000 184,000 226,000
3 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Seven 1,523,000 439,000 363,000 309,000 183,000 230,000
4 THE GRUEN TRANSFER ABC1 1,456,000 472,000 473,000 240,000 134,000 138,000
5 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,427,000 394,000 436,000 250,000 163,000 183,000
6 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC1 1,373,000 399,000 457,000 259,000 132,000 125,000
7 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,364,000 407,000 340,000 260,000 160,000 197,000
8 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,304,000 336,000 461,000 272,000 130,000 105,000
9 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,293,000 425,000 293,000 244,000 143,000 187,000
10 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,253,000 350,000 404,000 242,000 112,000 146,000
11 CRIMINAL MINDS (R) Seven 1,243,000 312,000 416,000 219,000 134,000 162,000
12 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,211,000 292,000 444,000 251,000 116,000 109,000
13 NINE NEWS Nine 1,204,000 316,000 413,000 251,000 118,000 104,000
14 ABC NEWS UP-DATE ABC1 1,165,000 397,000 377,000 156,000 114,000 121,000
15 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Ten 1,026,000 314,000 317,000 177,000 81,000 137,000
16 THIS IS YOUR LIFE Nine 1,012,000 256,000 338,000 184,000 123,000 112,000
17 THE HOLLOWMEN ABC1 996,000 336,000 357,000 116,000 80,000 106,000
21 MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS Nine 880,000 242,000 266,000 154,000 118,000 101,000
35 PRISON BREAK Seven 444,000 149,000 124,000 72,000 41,000 57,000
37 FOOD SAFARI RPT SBS 392,000 114,000 117,000 89,000 40,000 32,000
57 JUST SHOOT ME Nine 260,000 79,000 80,000 46,000 20,000 35,000
62 SCRUBS (R) Seven 229,000 65,000 51,000 46,000 26,000 41,000

The ratings race, updated 11 am Tuesday
A smashing performance by Channel Nine on Sunday was counterbalanced by a smashing performance by Seven on Monday. They were equal on Tuesday, so at this point it's anybody's race, with Seven averaging 28.6 per cent of the prime time audience and Nine averaging 28.5 per cent.

Before next week, Seven wants to be ahead for the year, so nobody can say it was only the Olympics that saved Seven's bacon. But not even Seven's psychics can foresee how it will go.

Seven announced this morning who will be on Dancing With The Stars after the Olympics. Although it has still not decided who will be lucky enough to co-host with the sainted Sonia, Seven can reveal the dancers will be James Tobin (Sunrise), Charli Delaney (Choirs), Cal Wilson (Thank God You're Here), Toni Pearen (Aus Videos), Paul Licuria (AFL), Danny Green (boxing), Brooke Hanson (swimming), Red Symons (Australia's Got Talent), Luke Jacobz and Jodi Gordon (Home and Away).

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,580,000 426,000 414,000 317,000 193,000 229,000
2 WIPEOUT Nine 1,480,000 426,000 467,000 237,000 191,000 158,000
3 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,453,000 398,000 421,000 314,000 172,000 148,000
4 THE ONE - AUSTRALIA'S MOST GIFTED PSYCHIC Seven 1,451,000 412,000 391,000 304,000 131,000 212,000
5 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,443,000 407,000 380,000 246,000 182,000 229,000
6 TWO AND A HALF MEN Nine 1,385,000 400,000 426,000 249,000 164,000 145,000
7 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,313,000 410,000 408,000 205,000 136,000 154,000
8 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,267,000 395,000 310,000 252,000 136,000 173,000
9 NINE NEWS Nine 1,241,000 364,000 356,000 265,000 135,000 120,000
10 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,218,000 346,000 371,000 260,000 116,000 126,000
11 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,163,000 314,000 349,000 218,000 118,000 164,000
12 NCIS EP 2 RPT Ten 1,162,000 323,000 345,000 186,000 167,000 141,000
13 NCIS EP 1 RPT Ten 1,162,000 315,000 339,000 214,000 144,000 149,000
25 THE CARS THAT ATE CHINA ABC1 638,000 172,000 182,000 111,000 57,000 116,000
30 RAMSAY'S BOILING POINT Seven 547,000 164,000 156,000 83,000 73,000 71,000
42 JENNIFER BYRNE PRESENTS ABC1 348,000 97,000 136,000 45,000 36,000 34,000
59 SCRUBS (R) Seven 215,000 82,000 63,000 21,000 18,000 31,000
78 JUST SHOOT ME Nine 176,000 85,000 52,000 24,000 16,000

What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 THE FORCE Seven 1,662,000 437,000 442,000 368,000 160,000 255,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,627,000 465,000 409,000 352,000 171,000 229,000
3 BORDER SECURITY (R) Seven 1,616,000 482,000 404,000 362,000 131,000 236,000
4 CITY HOMICIDE Seven 1,533,000 438,000 445,000 278,000 153,000 219,000
5 THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE Nine 1,492,000 442,000 464,000 296,000 148,000 143,000
6 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,413,000 392,000 375,000 271,000 174,000 202,000
7 CRIMINAL MINDS - MON Seven 1,387,000 362,000 444,000 249,000 149,000 182,000
8 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,349,000 376,000 385,000 297,000 154,000 137,000
9 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,329,000 406,000 297,000 293,000 127,000 205,000
10 NINE NEWS Nine 1,283,000 325,000 387,000 308,000 143,000 120,000
11 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,272,000 370,000 389,000 281,000 115,000 116,000
12 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S LIFE OF MAMMALS Nine 1,258,000 387,000 363,000 228,000 135,000 145,000
13 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,175,000 339,000 372,000 182,000 108,000 174,000
14 ENOUGH ROPE WITH ANDREW DENTON ABC1 1,096,000 356,000 370,000 134,000 107,000 129,000
15 NEIGHBOURS Ten 954,000 266,000 258,000 228,000 84,000 118,000
17 TOP GEAR SBS 938,000 275,000 285,000 154,000 120,000 103,000
23 FRIENDS - DAILY Ten 776,000 192,000 266,000 156,000 77,000 85,000
24 AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL MON Ten 756,000 238,000 225,000 130,000 87,000 77,000
26 FOUR CORNERS ABC1 707,000 182,000 220,000 123,000 69,000 114,000
29 BURN NOTICE MON Ten 641,000 184,000 180,000 133,000 77,000 67,000
37 SUNRISE Seven 374,000 130,000 76,000 98,000 29,000 40,000
41 30 ROCK Seven 356,000 114,000 118,000 51,000 41,000 32,000
52 MARK LOVES SHARON Ten 292,000 77,000 89,000 51,000 50,000 25,000
53 TODAY Nine 286,000 101,000 85,000 59,000 18,000 24,000

The ratings race, updated 10am Monday
It was back to domesticity and reassuring predictability in Australia's entertainment choices last week. According to OzTAM, Channel Seven averaged 28.6 per cent of the prime time audience, scoring with its Sunday news, Better Homes and Gardens, City Homicide and RSPCA Animal Rescue.

Channel Nine got 25.9 per cent, thanks to 60 Minutes and Domestic Blitz. Only Wipeout suggested some viewers prefer a little edginess. Over the ratings year so far, Seven and Nine are neck and neck, each with 27.7 per cent of the audience

Channel Ten (21.1 per cent last week) finally found an audience for Big Brother, which drew 1.4m for the announcement of its winner, but otherwise Ten could not get a program into the top 30 (see below). On the ABC (17 per cent), The Hollowmen have lost their sheen, dropping 200,000 to 907,000 (are viewers finding the show too cynical for these idealistic times?). But The Gruen Transfer and Spicks and Specks continue to soar, and Peter Cundall's final appearance on Gardening Australia drew 932,000 on Saturday.

For its healthy 7.4 per cent, SBS can thank Top Gear (902,000) and the Tour de France, which drew 587,000 late on Saturday night.

On Pay TV, Saturday's Bledisloe Cup drew 348,000 to Fox Sports 3, and the other most watched programs included NRL Storm v Dragons (Fox Sports 2) 270,000; NRL Raiders v Titans 268,000; Family Guy (Fox 8) 210,000; Futurama (Fox 8) 198,000 and Miley Cyrus's concert tour (Disney Channel) 159,000.

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 60 MINUTES Nine 1,673,000 517,000 443,000 323,000 178,000 212,000
2 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,626,000 539,000 464,000 303,000 203,000 118,000
3 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,551,000 418,000 366,000 373,000 167,000 227,000
4 DOMESTIC BLITZ Nine 1,547,000 523,000 411,000 294,000 175,000 145,000
5 MADE IN CHINA Seven 1,399,000 382,000 355,000 324,000 131,000 205,000
6 BATTLE OF THE CHOIRS Seven 1,322,000 390,000 429,000 242,000 118,000 143,000
7 CSI: MIAMI Nine 1,318,000 354,000 404,000 256,000 158,000 146,000
8 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE RPT Ten 1,191,000 368,000 360,000 189,000 138,000 136,000
9 FOYLE'S WAR ABC1 1,188,000 378,000 354,000 177,000 119,000 161,000
10 ABC NEWS-SUN ABC1 1,081,000 342,000 301,000 172,000 114,000 152,000
11 DOCTOR WHO ABC1 1,039,000 380,000 224,000 215,000 94,000 128,000
12 CSI: NY Nine 997,000 273,000 306,000 169,000 137,000 112,000
13 ROVE Ten 983,000 288,000 311,000 168,000 115,000 101,000
15 PRIVATE PRACTICE Seven 937,000 362,000 261,000 154,000 80,000 80,000
16 DOCTOR WHO: CONFIDENTIAL CUTDOWN-EV ABC1 934,000 341,000 235,000 149,000 85,000 124,000
19 DEXTER Ten 721,000 205,000 272,000 73,000 73,000 97,000
20 AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL Ten 710,000 216,000 191,000 121,000 87,000 95,000
23 LIPSTICK JUNGLE Seven 579,000 238,000 166,000 85,000 46,000 44,000
24 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 17: MELBOURNE VS KANGAROOS Seven 503,000 78,000 219,000 42,000 82,000 82,000
26 NINE'S SUNDAY FOOTBALL Nine 461,000 287,000 174,000
32 FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS Ten 384,000 125,000 125,000 37,000 42,000 56,000
33 THE FORBIDDEN CITY SBS 341,000 91,000 109,000 80,000 33,000 28,000
34 MOST OF OUR UNIVERSE IS MISSING RPT SBS 317,000 98,000 120,000 64,000 35,000
38 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 17: PORT ADELAIDE VS FREMANTLE Seven 289,000 146,000 143,000
49 TOUR DE FRANCE 2008 FINAL STAGE SBS 207,000 52,000 73,000 19,000 19,000 44,000
(OzTAM's preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

What Australia watched, week ending July 25
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Network 7 1,604,000 451,000 398,000 356,000 196,000 204,000
2 60 MINUTES Network 9 1,564,000 469,000 430,000 296,000 161,000 207,000
3 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Network 7 1,528,000 467,000 469,000 248,000 160,000 184,000
4 CITY HOMICIDE Network 7 1,511,000 419,000 477,000 278,000 133,000 204,000
5 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Network 7 1,509,000 423,000 418,000 302,000 150,000 216,000
6 SEVEN NEWS Network 7 1,509,000 438,000 357,000 323,000 171,000 221,000
7 WIPEOUT Network 9 1,499,000 502,000 469,000 223,000 158,000 147,000
8 BORDER SECURITY (R) Network 7 1,469,000 442,000 395,000 265,000 154,000 213,000
9 THE FORCE Network 7 1,464,000 405,000 405,000 253,000 157,000 244,000
10 BIG BROTHER - WINNER ANNOUNCED Network TEN 1,453,000 453,000 428,000 259,000 160,000 153,000
11 DOMESTIC BLITZ Network 9 1,439,000 448,000 399,000 290,000 135,000 166,000
12 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Network 9 1,427,000 411,000 448,000 271,000 167,000 130,000
13 THE GRUEN TRANSFER Network ABC1 1,396,000 412,000 440,000 249,000 126,000 169,000
14 ALL SAINTS Network 7 1,393,000 411,000 426,000 238,000 148,000 170,000
15 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Network 7 1,393,000 348,000 434,000 266,000 150,000 195,000
16 CRIMINAL MINDS Network 7 1,390,000 400,000 431,000 245,000 142,000 172,000
17 TODAY TONIGHT Network 7 1,385,000 418,000 343,000 270,000 154,000 201,000
18 THIS IS YOUR LIFE Network 9 1,376,000 424,000 398,000 251,000 159,000 145,000
19 CSI: MIAMI Network 9 1,375,000 370,000 423,000 258,000 150,000 174,000
20 THE ONE - AUSTRALIA'S MOST GIFTED PSYCHIC Network 7 1,356,000 380,000 348,000 303,000 136,000 190,000
21 TWO AND A HALF MEN Network 9 1,353,000 425,000 424,000 217,000 133,000 153,000
22 BATTLE OF THE CHOIRS Network 7 1,351,000 399,000 406,000 235,000 139,000 171,000
23 CRIMINAL MINDS - MON Network 7 1,331,000 384,000 419,000 237,000 138,000 153,000
24 SPICKS AND SPECKS Network ABC1 1,315,000 399,000 405,000 248,000 130,000 132,000
25 BIG BROTHER - FINALE NIGHT Network TEN 1,286,000 377,000 389,000 237,000 145,000 137,000
26 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Network 9 1,280,000 379,000 355,000 277,000 141,000 129,000
27 GETAWAY Network 9 1,272,000 380,000 407,000 230,000 130,000 125,000
28 ABBA: THE MAMMA MIA! STORY Network 7 1,269,000 373,000 342,000 256,000 143,000 155,000
29 HOME AND AWAY Network 7 1,265,000 399,000 301,000 250,000 136,000 178,000
30 BONES Network 7 1,263,000 371,000 367,000 253,000 119,000 154,000
31 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Network 7 1,219,000 364,000 303,000 271,000 119,000 161,000
32 NCIS EP 2 RPT Network TEN 1,209,000 306,000 412,000 181,000 172,000 139,000
33 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S LIFE OF MAMMALS Network 9 1,201,000 343,000 348,000 249,000 137,000 124,000
34 NINE NEWS Network 9 1,194,000 329,000 363,000 258,000 129,000 114,000
35 THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE Network 9 1,185,000 392,000 339,000 203,000 124,000 127,000
36 A CURRENT AFFAIR Network 9 1,169,000 321,000 349,000 260,000 130,000 109,000
37 ABC NEWS Network ABC1 1,164,000 323,000 360,000 214,000 117,000 150,000
38 FOYLE'S WAR Network ABC1 1,146,000 324,000 327,000 190,000 146,000 160,000
39 CRIMINAL MINDS (R) Network 7 1,137,000 350,000 348,000 198,000 117,000 124,000
40 NCIS EP 1 RPT Network TEN 1,133,000 264,000 358,000 196,000 150,000 165,000
41 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Network 9 1,126,000 315,000 317,000 257,000 150,000 88,000
42 THE CELEBRITY SINGING BEE Network 9 1,118,000 338,000 402,000 143,000 129,000 107,000
43 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Network 9 1,107,000 309,000 301,000 259,000 107,000 131,000
44 ABC NEWS-SUN Network ABC1 1,093,000 315,000 372,000 185,000 106,000 115,000
45 DOCTOR WHO Network ABC1 1,092,000 347,000 290,000 215,000 108,000 132,000
(OzTAM mainland capitals)

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in whoweare-index at 04:00 AM
• Comments (99)

The Tribal Mind: We've found the hero we need

To learn how Big Brother made Australia smarter, go to Who We Are

by David Dale
The revelation that The Dark Knight sold $2.3 million worth of tickets on its first day in Australian cinemas (more than most movies sell in a week) reminds me of this column's promise to do a reality check on a foolish prediction made here last month. When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull earned $12.3 million in its first week, I said it would end up selling far fewer tickets than its predecessor, Raiders of the Lost Ark, despite the conventional wisdom that blockbusters always total about three times their first week's takings.

My reasoning: IJ4 does not satisfy the requirements of the archetypal Hero's Journey (explained here); has a dud McGuffin (the alien football is no match for the Ark of the Covenant or The Holy Grail -- explained here); has a cliche climax (UFOs again!); and fails to give its villain a satisfying sendoff (Our Cate's demise is a pale imitation of the Nazi head melt in IJ1, despite leaps in special effects since 1981).

To be as successful as the original, IJ4 needed to earn $33 million. In fact, it will leave Australian cinemas with $29.5 million. That suggests that it did not generate enthusiastic word-of-mouth. If it had the emotional resonance of IJ1 and IJ3, it would have picked up repeat business during the school holidays, but its core audience (teenage boys of all ages) were easily distracted by such other heroes as John Hancock, Maxwell Smart, Prince Caspian, Zohan Dvir, Po Panda and, most recently, Bruce Wayne.

Here's the box office chart for the year up to last Thursday: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull $29m; Sex and The City $26m; I Am Legend $23m; Kung Fu Panda $23m (in three weeks); Iron Man $20m; Alvin and the Chipmunks $18m; 27 Dresses $16m; Hancock $16m (in two weeks); Narnia: Prince Caspian $14m; Get Smart $14m (in three weeks); Dr Suess Horton Hears a Who $12m; American Gangster $12m; Juno $12m; You Don't Mess With The Zohan $11m; Mamma Mia $8m (in one week).

The Dark Knight has all the qualities IJ4 lacked: depth, complexity, imagination, characterisation, and a literate script. The special effects will draw the teens, and grownups will be curious about Heath Ledger's performance and intrigued by the examination of moral responsibility in civilised societies.

TDK will certainly gross more than the $16 million made by its predecessor, Batman Begins, in 2005. But will it sell more tickets than Batman, the 1989 movie in which Michael Keaton was the dark knight and Jack Nicholson was The Joker? That made $13.8m, which would be $23m at today's ticket prices.

Having had a rare success with the prediction about IJ4, this column should quit while its ahead, but I'm going to go again: TDK won't be the biggest moneymaker of this year (that will be Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) or even the second biggest (IJ4) or the third biggest (Sex and the city or Kung Fu Panda).

It deserves to beat those blockbusters, but it won't, because it's too thoughtful. I'd like to be proved wrong, because that will mean moviegoers prefer a movie that respects their intelligence. Lets revisit this topic in eight weeks, and meantime, you can offer your predictions by going to Comments

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in The Tribal Mind at 05:39 AM
• Comments (6)

WHO WE ARE: How Big made Us Better

To discuss whether Batman could beat Indiana Jones, go to The Tribal Mind.
For regular updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

A weekly column about Australia by David Dale, published 20/7/2008
The media pundits reacted with unseemly glee to Channel Ten's decision to axe Big Brother. In emphasising its turkey-slapping, penis-exposing and dwarf-bouncing moments, they failed to credit its greatest contribution to Australian culture: Big Brother, more than any other entertainment of the early Noughties, changed us from passive consumers to active players.

It transformed television from sit-back-and-veg-out technology (like the movies) to sit-forward-and-engage technology (like the computer). And that simple notion -- that individuals can and should make a difference -- expanded into a mindset that made John Howard's 2007 message "Trust me, I know what's best for you" not just useless but actually counterproductive.

Back when the catchcry "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more" was popularised by Peter Finch, who played the mad newsreader in the 1970s movie Network, the only way viewers could participate in the process was by switching off the box. The networks could spoonfeed us any old junk because we'd grown up with the assumption that television was a passive medium. Your only role as a couch potato was to let it all wash over you. The comedies even came with cues on when to laugh.

And Channel Nine's attitude to viewers was echoed by the Government's attitude to voters. As the signs in Sydney buses used to say: "Do not speak to the driver whilst vehicle is in motion". Big Brother arrived in 2001 and said "You don't have to take it any more. You can get on your mobile and manipulate this show to evict the characters who annoy you". Viewers responded so eagerly that soon every new program was demanding audience involvement.

These were Australia's most watched series in 2000, the year before BB arrived: Friends, E.R, Better Homes and Gardens, RPA, Renovation Rescue, Blue Heelers, Seachange, Burke's Backyard, 60 Minutes, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. These were Australia's most watched series in 2007: Kath and Kim, Thank God You're Here, Border Security, Dancing With The Stars, RSPCA Animal Rescue, It Takes Two, City Homicide, Australia's Got Talent, The Biggest Loser, Big Brother.

Half the hits of the late Noughties are predicated on audience involvement - that's the legacy of Gretel Killeen and her gang.

Of course, BB created the seeds of its own destruction. Younger viewers became addicted to participation, and mainstream television was unable to satisfy the addiction. The under 40s moved on to DVDs, video games and the internet, creating their own forms of infotainment which they and their friends can manipulate every hour. These days they rarely give a second glance to the three commercial networks, who now resemble a brontosaurus, a T. Rex and a velociraptor battling for the honour of reaching extinction first.

So thankyou Big Brother. You may have been crude and silly and exploitative, but you were a force for liberation. You may actually have helped to make Australia a smarter place.

To discuss this proposition, go to Comments

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in whoweare-index at 09:39 AM
• Comments (55)

The Who We Are Update: Week 30

This week of the blog is now a heritage item -- worth studying but no longer current. For the latest media discussion, go here
To learn how Australians spend their new wealth, go to Who We Are
To discuss whether Batman could beat Indiana Jones, go to The Tribal Mind

What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Network 7 1,219,000 364,000 303,000 271,000 119,000 161,000
2 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Network 9 1,126,000 315,000 317,000 257,000 150,000 88,000
3 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Network 9 1,107,000 309,000 301,000 259,000 107,000 131,000
4 ABC NEWS-SAT Network ABC1 989,000 295,000 324,000 169,000 98,000 104,000
5 SHE'S THE MAN Network 9 971,000 321,000 221,000 214,000 98,000 117,000
6 GARDENING AUSTRALIA Network ABC1 932,000 263,000 265,000 210,000 103,000 92,000
7 SATURDAY NIGHT AFL Network TEN 822,000 99,000 375,000 76,000 166,000 105,000
8 The BILL Network ABC1 791,000 227,000 279,000 112,000 65,000 108,000
9 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Network 7 788,000 278,000 178,000 170,000 64,000 97,000
10 SEVEN'S R.U: BLEDISLOE CUP: AUS V N Z Network 7 727,000 426,000 34,000 216,000 20,000 31,000
11 SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFL Network TEN 688,000 85,000 372,000 54,000 101,000 76,000
15 TOUR DE FRANCE 2008 STAGE 20 Network SBS 587,000 183,000 199,000 61,000 56,000 88,000
28 SHAUN OF THE DEAD RPT Network TEN 305,000 117,000 105,000 21,000 32,000 30,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

The ratings race, updated 10 am Saturday
Channel Seven has another week under control, just as Nine has been boasting of its win in the first half. Seven is averaging 29.0 per cent of the prime time audience, while Nine has 26.1, Ten 21.1, ABC 16.8, and SBS 7.0.

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Network 7 1,528,000 467,000 469,000 248,000 160,000 184,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Network 7 1,431,000 463,000 300,000 277,000 172,000 219,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Network 7 1,341,000 407,000 328,000 250,000 156,000 202,000
4 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Network 9 1,256,000 379,000 349,000 287,000 125,000 116,000
5 HOME AND AWAY Network 7 1,231,000 402,000 300,000 238,000 138,000 154,000
6 NINE NEWS Network 9 1,196,000 305,000 381,000 271,000 107,000 131,000
7 ABC NEWS Network ABC1 1,092,000 303,000 321,000 217,000 101,000 150,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Network 9 1,086,000 300,000 352,000 237,000 93,000 105,000
9 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 17: HAWTHORN VS GEELONG Network 7 971,000 19,000 646,000 15,000 150,000 141,000
10 THE COMMANDER Network ABC1 943,000 317,000 258,000 169,000 94,000 105,000
11 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE FRI Network TEN 876,000 268,000 257,000 149,000 96,000 106,000
18 NINE'S LIVE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Network 9 699,000 375,000 324,000
20 LOVE ACTUALLY RPT Network TEN 659,000 201,000 185,000 121,000 79,000 72,000
21 BONDI RESCUE - DAILY RPT Network TEN 612,000 156,000 188,000 104,000 77,000 86,000
33 WE CAN BE HEROES: FINDING THE AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR RPT Network ABC1 372,000 122,000 102,000 68,000 42,000 39,000
35 NINE'S FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Network 9 370,000 255,000 115,000
43 TOUR DE FRANCE 2008 STAGE 19 Network SBS 318,000 89,000 109,000 34,000 36,000 50,000

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,505,000 431,000 355,000 343,000 164,000 213,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,420,000 448,000 339,000 273,000 152,000 209,000
3 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,313,000 432,000 296,000 272,000 129,000 184,000
4 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,280,000 381,000 391,000 263,000 132,000 113,000
5 GETAWAY Nine 1,273,000 380,000 407,000 230,000 131,000 125,000
6 BONES Seven 1,263,000 371,000 367,000 253,000 119,000 154,000
7 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,186,000 322,000 377,000 281,000 125,000 81,000
8 NINE NEWS Nine 1,153,000 330,000 372,000 253,000 110,000 88,000
9 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,137,000 323,000 342,000 210,000 120,000 142,000
10 THE CELEBRITY SINGING BEE Nine 1,118,000 338,000 401,000 144,000 129,000 107,000
11 LAW AND ORDER: SVU RPT Ten 1,092,000 332,000 295,000 199,000 133,000 133,000
12 LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT Ten 1,086,000 332,000 342,000 193,000 111,000 107,000
13 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,019,000 381,000 281,000 239,000 117,000
17 THE FOOTY SHOW Nine 861,000 186,000 383,000 100,000 95,000 98,000
20 THE AMAZING RACE Seven 783,000 250,000 279,000 98,000 88,000 69,000
24 BONDI RESCUE - DAILY RPT Ten 637,000 180,000 159,000 133,000 94,000 71,000
40 SUNRISE Seven 323,000 90,000 72,000 102,000 27,000 33,000
45 TOUR DE FRANCE 2008 STAGE 18 SBS 286,000 83,000 89,000 26,000 29,000 58,000
50 TODAY Nine 267,000 83,000 81,000 60,000 18,000 25,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Wednesday
Nine will be disappointed but not particularly suprised that McLeod's Daughters did mediocre business. The ABC will be worried that viewers may be finding The Hollowmen a bit repetitious.

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,534,000 448,000 378,000 330,000 150,000 228,000
2 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,510,000 423,000 418,000 302,000 150,000 216,000
3 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Seven 1,394,000 348,000 434,000 266,000 150,000 196,000
4 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,390,000 400,000 431,000 245,000 142,000 172,000
5 THE GRUEN TRANSFER ABC1 1,386,000 409,000 437,000 249,000 125,000 166,000
6 THIS IS YOUR LIFE Nine 1,334,000 411,000 385,000 243,000 154,000 142,000
7 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,321,000 411,000 326,000 254,000 133,000 197,000
8 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC1 1,289,000 393,000 395,000 243,000 128,000 130,000
9 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,276,000 409,000 310,000 248,000 127,000 184,000
10 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,229,000 346,000 317,000 288,000 140,000 138,000
11 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,180,000 319,000 367,000 209,000 117,000 168,000
12 NINE NEWS Nine 1,139,000 329,000 314,000 245,000 125,000 127,000
13 CRIMINAL MINDS (R) Seven 1,137,000 350,000 348,000 198,000 117,000 124,000
14 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,113,000 318,000 300,000 260,000 114,000 121,000
15 MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS Nine 1,089,000 357,000 267,000 202,000 139,000 124,000
16 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Ten 1,000,000 302,000 247,000 188,000 117,000 146,000
17 JAMIE'S FOWL DINNERS Ten 967,000 302,000 266,000 128,000 150,000 121,000
18 THE HOLLOWMEN ABC1 950,000 275,000 314,000 173,000 90,000 98,000
34 PRISON BREAK Seven 428,000 139,000 118,000 74,000 52,000 44,000
35 TOUR DE FRANCE 2008 STAGE 17 SBS 427,000 127,000 139,000 39,000 43,000 78,000

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 WIPEOUT Nine 1,499,000 502,000 469,000 224,000 158,000 147,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,473,000 405,000 343,000 328,000 182,000 215,000
3 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,407,000 414,000 424,000 246,000 148,000 175,000
4 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,362,000 418,000 368,000 274,000 159,000 144,000
5 TWO AND A HALF MEN Nine 1,354,000 425,000 424,000 216,000 135,000 153,000
6 THE ONE - AUSTRALIA'S MOST GIFTED PSYCHIC Seven 1,334,000 372,000 341,000 299,000 136,000 187,000
7 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,291,000 371,000 320,000 254,000 154,000 192,000
8 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,287,000 383,000 317,000 265,000 136,000 186,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,244,000 330,000 348,000 288,000 159,000 120,000
10 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,234,000 319,000 392,000 238,000 131,000 154,000
11 NCIS EP 2 RPT Ten 1,193,000 302,000 406,000 178,000 169,000 137,000
12 NINE NEWS Nine 1,173,000 330,000 346,000 254,000 143,000 100,000
13 NCIS EP 1 RPT Ten 1,140,000 266,000 361,000 196,000 151,000 166,000
15 FAMILY FORTUNES ABC1 971,000 268,000 293,000 194,000 104,000 112,000
36 TOUR DE FRANCE 2008 STAGE 16 SBS 381,000 96,000 137,000 31,000 41,000 77,000
42 SUNRISE Seven 318,000 118,000 56,000 89,000 24,000 30,000
54 TODAY Nine 248,000 70,000 82,000 50,000 21,000 25,000
80 SUNRISE-EARLY Seven 174,000 59,000 21,000 66,000 12,000 16,000
83 NINE MORNING NEWS Nine 159,000 44,000 62,000 24,000 15,000 14,000
86 SEVEN MORNING NEWS Seven 156,000 52,000 33,000 29,000 17,000 24,000
96 TODAY-EARLY Nine 121,000 26,000 37,000 32,000 10,000 17,000

What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,603,000 444,000 408,000 334,000 187,000 229,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,547,000 452,000 399,000 316,000 174,000 205,000
3 CITY HOMICIDE Seven 1,511,000 419,000 477,000 278,000 133,000 204,000
4 BORDER SECURITY (R) Seven 1,469,000 442,000 395,000 265,000 154,000 213,000
5 THE FORCE Seven 1,464,000 405,000 405,000 253,000 157,000 244,000
6 BIG BROTHER - WINNER ANNOUNCED Ten 1,427,000 436,000 424,000 258,000 158,000 150,000
7 CRIMINAL MINDS - MON Seven 1,331,000 384,000 419,000 237,000 138,000 153,000
8 NINE NEWS Nine 1,297,000 352,000 404,000 264,000 152,000 124,000
9 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,270,000 365,000 349,000 277,000 147,000 133,000
10 BIG BROTHER - FINALE NIGHT Ten 1,254,000 366,000 380,000 232,000 142,000 134,000
11 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,216,000 373,000 284,000 228,000 149,000 182,000
12 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,206,000 330,000 371,000 231,000 155,000 119,000
13 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S LIFE OF MAMMALS Nine 1,202,000 343,000 348,000 249,000 138,000 124,000
14 THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE Nine 1,184,000 392,000 339,000 204,000 123,000 126,000
17 TOP GEAR SBS 902,000 285,000 253,000 151,000 111,000 103,000
23 BURN NOTICE MON Ten 794,000 244,000 227,000 138,000 98,000 87,000
29 BOSTON LEGAL Seven 575,000 171,000 217,000 85,000 61,000 40,000
35 MARK LOVES SHARON Ten 438,000 128,000 127,000 65,000 64,000 54,000
42 BINDI: THE JUNGLE GIRL-PM ABC1 341,000 88,000 97,000 92,000 30,000 34,000
54 30 ROCK Seven 293,000 99,000 95,000 43,000 26,000 30,000

The ratings race, updated 10am Monday
Just as Mussolini made the trains run on time in Italy by redefining the concept of lateness, Channel Seven is able to announce it won the first half of the year by redefining the concept of prime time. By looking at viewing habits between 6pm and 10.30 pm, Seven can claim a slightly higher audience share than Nine for the first half. It's only the pesky industry standard of 6pm to midnight that makes Nine look good and Seven look bad.

In fact, Seven didn't need any redefinition to win last week. Between 6pm and midnight it averaged 27.3 per cent of the audience (thanks to City Homicide, RSPCA Animal Rescue and Seven News Sunday), while Nine got 26.3 per cent (thanks to 60 Minutes , Domestic Blitz and Nine news Sunday).

Ten got 21.5 (thanks to NCIS and Jamie Oliver's Eat To Save Your Life, but no thanks to Big Brother, which was unable even to attract viewers curious to see its death throes); ABC got 17.6 (thanks to Spicks and Specks, The Gruen Transfer, the news, Silent Witness and Doctor Who) and SBS got 7.2 (thanks to Top Gear on 922,000 and Inspector Rex on 411,000). Nine, not above its own bit of redefining, announced yesterday that it had won the week with viewers aged 25-54.

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,603,000 451,000 398,000 356,000 196,000 203,000
2 60 MINUTES Nine 1,569,000 470,000 432,000 298,000 161,000 207,000
3 DOMESTIC BLITZ Nine 1,432,000 447,000 396,000 289,000 135,000 166,000
4 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,427,000 411,000 450,000 271,000 166,000 130,000
5 CSI: MIAMI Nine 1,378,000 372,000 423,000 258,000 150,000 175,000
6 BATTLE OF THE CHOIRS Seven 1,352,000 399,000 406,000 235,000 139,000 172,000
7 ABBA: THE MAMMA MIA! STORY Seven 1,270,000 373,000 342,000 256,000 143,000 155,000
8 FOYLE'S WAR ABC1 1,146,000 324,000 327,000 190,000 146,000 160,000
9 ABC NEWS-SUN ABC1 1,093,000 315,000 372,000 185,000 106,000 115,000
10 DOCTOR WHO ABC1 1,092,000 347,000 290,000 215,000 108,000 132,000
11 BIG BROTHER LIVE EVICTION Ten 1,081,000 319,000 312,000 194,000 137,000 119,000
14 DOCTOR WHO: CONFIDENTIAL CUTDOWN ABC1 936,000 300,000 245,000 150,000 106,000 135,000
15 CSI: NY Nine 936,000 279,000 317,000 215,000 125,000
16 PRIVATE PRACTICE Seven 917,000 302,000 255,000 160,000 102,000 99,000
17 BIG BROTHER SUN Ten 875,000 272,000 222,000 164,000 109,000 108,000
19 DEXTER Ten 783,000 186,000 290,000 81,000 100,000 126,000
23 LIPSTICK JUNGLE Seven 628,000 223,000 170,000 93,000 66,000 75,000
25 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 16: PORT ADELAIDE VS ADELAIDE Seven 505,000 7,000 247,000 4,000 239,000 9,000
26 NINE'S SUNDAY FOOTBALL Nine 489,000 313,000 176,000
32 FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS Ten 338,000 94,000 119,000 26,000 41,000 57,000
69 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 16: CARLTON VS SYDNEY Seven 152,000 99,000 Not shown 54,000 Not shown Not shown
86 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 16: FREMANTLE VS MELBOURNE Seven 107,000 Not shown Not shown Not shown Not shown 107,000

Pay TV's most watched shows included a rugby league match between Wests Tigers and Storm (Fox Sports 2) with 302,000 viewers nationally; Rugby Union TriNations (Fox Sports 3) 273,000; NRL Titans v Panthers (FS2) 267,000; AFL Hawthorn v Sydney (FS1) 222,000; Family Guy (Fox 8) 222,000; The Simpsons (Fox 8) 218,000; Futurama (Fox8) 190,000 and Project Runway Australia (Arena) 154,000. Football Superstar on Fox 8 attracted 117,000.

What Australia watched, week ending July 19
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 60 MINUTES Network 9 1,822,000 508,000 568,000 360,000 171,000 216,000
2 DOMESTIC BLITZ Network 9 1,683,000 529,000 469,000 352,000 180,000 153,000
3 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Network 9 1,644,000 530,000 457,000 354,000 195,000 108,000
4 CITY HOMICIDE Network 7 1,605,000 445,000 524,000 289,000 142,000 205,000
5 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Network 7 1,603,000 423,000 466,000 334,000 151,000 228,000
6 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Network 7 1,576,000 438,000 454,000 313,000 148,000 223,000
7 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Network 7 1,492,000 393,000 413,000 306,000 149,000 232,000
8 SEVEN NEWS Network 7 1,483,000 401,000 385,000 302,000 160,000 236,000
9 BORDER SECURITY - AUSTRALIA'S FRONT LINE (R) Network 7 1,472,000 381,000 458,000 288,000 137,000 206,000
10 CSI: MIAMI Network 9 1,458,000 390,000 447,000 304,000 158,000 159,000
11 CRIMINAL MINDS - MON Network 7 1,436,000 392,000 486,000 234,000 141,000 182,000
12 THE ONE - AUSTRALIA'S MOST GIFTED PSYCHIC Network 7 1,425,000 391,000 409,000 284,000 145,000 197,000
13 CRIMINAL MINDS Network 7 1,406,000 414,000 398,000 284,000 126,000 184,000
14 WIPEOUT Network 9 1,403,000 396,000 445,000 253,000 173,000 136,000
15 THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE Network 9 1,375,000 369,000 480,000 237,000 141,000 148,000
16 ALL SAINTS Network 7 1,356,000 408,000 446,000 211,000 146,000 145,000
17 GETAWAY Network 9 1,345,000 431,000 417,000 238,000 120,000 139,000
18 SPICKS AND SPECKS Network ABC1 1,332,000 356,000 446,000 231,000 155,000 144,000
19 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Network 7 1,317,000 390,000 381,000 214,000 147,000 184,000
20 THE GRUEN TRANSFER Network ABC1 1,314,000 371,000 463,000 211,000 113,000 156,000
21 TWO AND A HALF MEN Network 9 1,307,000 413,000 352,000 233,000 154,000 155,000
22 TODAY TONIGHT Network 7 1,299,000 354,000 352,000 244,000 139,000 211,000
23 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Network 7 1,295,000 364,000 353,000 270,000 145,000 163,000
24 NCIS EP 2 RPT Network TEN 1,283,000 351,000 377,000 233,000 165,000 156,000
25 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Network 9 1,263,000 349,000 390,000 266,000 134,000 125,000
26 SURF PATROL Network 7 1,244,000 330,000 415,000 220,000 115,000 165,000
27 BATTLE OF THE CHOIRS Network 7 1,241,000 377,000 367,000 222,000 121,000 155,000
28 BONES Network 7 1,208,000 302,000 392,000 245,000 124,000 146,000
29 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S LIFE OF MAMMALS Network 9 1,208,000 330,000 372,000 231,000 125,000 149,000
30 THE CELEBRITY SINGING BEE Network 9 1,194,000 322,000 449,000 162,000 129,000 133,000
31 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Network 7 1,194,000 310,000 362,000 253,000 112,000 158,000
32 MY NAME IS EARL - THU Network 7 1,191,000 330,000 372,000 243,000 108,000 138,000
33 NINE NEWS Network 9 1,189,000 334,000 371,000 253,000 129,000 102,000
34 ABC NEWS Network ABC1 1,176,000 326,000 385,000 208,000 104,000 152,000
35 JAMIE OLIVER'S EAT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE Network TEN 1,175,000 362,000 387,000 143,000 157,000 126,000
36 A CURRENT AFFAIR Network 9 1,175,000 335,000 375,000 249,000 120,000 95,000
37 HOME AND AWAY Network 7 1,172,000 351,000 317,000 212,000 121,000 171,000
38 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Network 9 1,168,000 337,000 320,000 218,000 137,000 156,000
39 SILENT WITNESS Network ABC1 1,168,000 385,000 298,000 204,000 127,000 155,000
40 ABC NEWS-SUN Network ABC1 1,142,000 277,000 397,000 211,000 110,000 147,000
41 WITHOUT A TRACE Network 9 1,118,000 296,000 394,000 194,000 124,000 109,000
42 NCIS EP 1 RPT Network TEN 1,101,000 248,000 368,000 231,000 113,000 140,000
43 DOCTOR WHO Network ABC1 1,101,000 339,000 311,000 230,000 95,000 126,000
44 FAMILY FORTUNES Network ABC1 1,084,000 301,000 321,000 228,000 110,000 124,000
(OzTAM mainland capitals)

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in whoweare-index at 10:11 AM
• Comments (61)

The Tribal Mind: Evolving discs

To discuss what the world would be like without Australia, go to Who We Are

by David Dale
Australians are changing the way they enjoy their DVDs. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the arrival in this country of the first flick on disc (Evita), there's much to learn from comparing what we bought in the past ten years with what we bought in the past six months.

You'll get an inkling of the transformation from the tops of the charts kindly supplied by the research organisation GfK Australia ...
The best selling DVDs of all time: 1. Finding Nemo; 2. Shrek 2; 3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; 4. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; 5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (complete list here).
The best selling DVDs this year: 1. Underbelly; 2. Ratatouille; 3. Hairspray; 4. Family Guy: Blue Harvest; 5. The Bourne Ultimatum; 6. 27 Dresses; 7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; 8. Transformers; 9. Bee Movie; 10. Shrek The Third.

This year's top 50 includes eight TV shows, such as The Sopranos, Summer Heights High, Gilmore Girls and Stargate. The all-time top 50 includes no TV shows. This year's Top 50 includes two music discs (by the violinist Andre Rieu). The all-time top 50 contains no music (although if we were examining the top 100, we'd find The Eagles: Hell Freezes Over at 72, with sales of 300,000).

In the 2008 chart, one movie appears in three packages - The Bourne Ultimatum single disc, The Bourne Ultimatum two disc set (packed with bonus features), and as part of a triple pack with The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy (which also appears as a single disc at No 50). This makes Matt Damon The Biggest Star of 2008, followed by Katherine Heigl (in 27 Dresses and Knocked Up), Leonardo DiCaprio (in Blood Diamond and The Departed), and the cast of High School Musical (in the movie and its sequel).

The Biggest Stars of all time would be Daniel Radcliffe (five Harry Potter flicks), Orlando Bloom (three Lord of the Rings and three Pirates of the Caribbean), Hugo Weaving (three Rings and three Matrices), Mike Myers (three Shreks), and Johnny Depp (three Pirates).

But here's the biggest difference: the vast majority of the all-time top 50 is kidstuff, with animation the most represented category (the likes of Monsters Inc, The Incredibles, Madagascar, Ice Age, Cars, The Lion King and Happy Feet). Only nine of the 50 seem to have been designed for people over 18: Dirty Dancing, Gladiator, The Notebook, Troy, Dances With Wolves, Casino Royale, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and The Devil Wears Prada.

The situation is reversed in this year's top 50, where 26 films or TV series are adult or almost-adult fare (the likes of Underbelly, 27 Dresses, Death At A Funeral, I Am Legend, Die Hard 4, The Departed, The Sopranos and the four Bournes). Are we growing up? Or has this just been a dud year for kiddy flicks?

To discuss these questions, go to Comments, and to read the full charts, go to The DVDs Australia loved

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in The Tribal Mind at 08:49 AM
• Comments (17)

WHO WE ARE: Miserable without us

To discuss the DVDs Australians love most, go to The Tribal Mind

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 13/7/2008
If Australia didn't exist, what would the British have to look up to? With no daily doses of Neighbours and Home and Away, there'd be no role models of prosperous middle class life in sunny houses inhabited by glowing young people with straight white teeth. The British would have to import Canadian soaps, which would fail utterly to lift them out of their damp squalid lives.

That was how several readers responded to this column's invitation last week to speculate on what the world would be like if there had never been a country called Australia. Other readers condemned it as an exercise in vanity. As Michael McGrath observed: "What unbelievable arrogance to think that Australia counts for much of anything. Once again we have a much higher vision of our own self importance. With only 20 million people we think we can push the major economies around. Lets get real."

Peter B countered with praise for "Australia's attachment to the 'Fair go'. This has had a dramatic effect on politics around the world. The secret ballot developed in South Australia and Victoria is still called the "Australian ballot" in the USA. We also, along with NZ, were the first to emancipate women and give them the vote. Compulsory, preferential voting, the Electoral Commission, the Hare-Clarke multi-seat voting system are all major factors in keeping our democracy strong and responsible."

Alex agreed that "Yes, the world may not miss us, but what they will miss is a good 50 year (if not greater) time lag in technology that we would have invented. Think about it, if we didn't exist, there'd be no fridge to bung our food in, no esky to replace the non-existent fridge, no penicillin to cure our ailments, no lifesavers to pull us out of the water and most importantly no cold beer/Sunday BBQ. All this won't evolve until some smart pup from New Zealand decides that there is more to life than sitting watching the sheep! And that may take some time ..."

Other readers took the game less seriously. Spike pointed out that "the map of Tassie would have to be described by other more vulgar names". Robert suggested: "London's pubs would be shut for want of staff. Chinese and Japanese industry would shut for want of iron and coal. Cricket would be a game known for its civility and good sportsmanship. The US would set off alone on its next pointless military campaign."

Colin (living in the US) said: "The World would be a much sadder place without Australia. No visiting the best harbour in the world. No more cracking road trips with a hire car cutting across the deserted red desert. No more of the best pies in the world. No more stunning desert night skies. No bushtucker man. No more of some of the best rock music in the World."

A reader who wished to be known as "Marakesh" said "Most countries in the world would have to find another tree to plant in their millions; the worlds landscape would be vastly different without Australia's greatest export, the GUM TREE. There is hardly a country in the world which hasn't taken to the eucalypt. In fact in some countries, it is now the dominant species. Brazil, China, Madagascar, South Africa all produce more eucalypt timber than Australia!!"

Ross added "A Prime Minister who held the world beer sculling record for many years. That's something to be proud of." Bigbill speculated that "Pavlova would still exist, but it would be known as 'thut dusurt wuth thuh cream in thuh muddle, 'ay'."

And the alarming notion "No Rolf Harris! The entire UK would go barmy for lack of entertainment!" came from "Timey Kangaroo-Downsport", while Penny Auburn reminded us that "An Aussie invented the ring pull can ... it doesn't get much more important than that. Just think of all the time we don't have to waste on can openers."

Perhaps, but there must be more. If you can think of them, join the discussion at Comments

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in whoweare-index at 03:20 PM
• Comments (40)

The tribal mind: The mystery of the media

To learn what the world would be like if there were no Australia, go to Who We Are.

by David Dale
This column always wants to know about records being broken, so we leapt to attention last week when we received a press release headed "Australia's Next Top Model most-watched program ever on subscription TV".
The release went on to announce that the two hour finale of a show in which a girl accused of bullying was rewarded by her accusers, a host vanished due to stage fright, and fill-in host Charlotte Dawson showed she was Pay TV's answer to Sonia Kruger (ie. sexy, smart and funny) had averaged 309,000 viewers across the country.

That figure didn't look like much to get excited about, given all the publicity Top Model had attracted, but the Pay TV people live in a world of their own. Apparently, when a prime time show attracts 309,000 viewers, the Pay programmers open champagne. If it happened on free to air TV, the programmers would open a vein.

The smallness of the audience kept nagging at me. The record breakers on FTA television have included the 2004 final of Australian Idol, which drew 3.3 million in the mainland capitals, the 2003 final of The Block, with 3.1 million, and the 2004 final of Big Brother, with 2.9 million. If 27 per cent of Australian homes subscribe to Foxtel or Austar, you'd expect Pay's top shows to attract 27 per cent of the audience of FTA's top shows.

As it turned out, the headline was wrong. When I searched through the chaos that is my filing system. I found that last year, a soccer match between Japan and Australia drew 419,000 viewers to Fox Sports 2. So the headline on the press release must have meant Top Model was the most watched program that was not a sporting event. No, that can't be right either. Last year an episode of Parkinson in which he interviewed Shane Warne drew 415,000 to UKTV and a showing of the movie High School Musical 2 drew 314,000 to the Disney channel.

What the headline should have said was that this year's season of Top Model was the most watched series ever shown on Fox 8, which is the most popular Pay station. An over-enthusiastic publicist has done the Pay industry a disservice by drawing attention to the fundamental mystery of Australian media: if 2.2 million households, containing more than 6 million people, are paying at least $60 a month to receive at least 60 extra channels by cable or satellite, why do Pay's regular shows attract such tiny audiences?

Pay has, after all, been the only true success story in television this decade. Between the first half of 2003 and the first half of 2008, the total prime time audience of Nine, Seven and Ten has dropped from 3.35 million to 3.08 million (down 7 per cent), while the pay audience has risen from 514,000 to 772,000 (up 50 per cent).

So why has no Pay series ever been able to attract more than 309,000 viewers, a figure that wouldn't even satisfy SBS? Why, when Pay offers such a dazzling diversity of content, do most subscribers use it most of the time for rugby league, soccer, and The Simpsons? Are Pay viewers the most boring people on the continent?

If you can answer these questions, go to Comments.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in The Tribal Mind at 02:56 PM
• Comments (35)

WHO WE ARE: But what if we weren't here?

To discuss why Pay TV programs have so few viewers, go to The Tribal Mind

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 6/7/2008
In the movie It's a Wonderful Life, an angel shows a depressed Jimmy Stewart what the world would be like if he had never been born. It's a much grimmer place.

Australians are feeling a bit down at the moment, according to the latest Morgan poll, with a big drop in consumer confidence and only 48 per cent saying the country is "heading in the right direction". So I'm going to emulate the angel and update a list I started making at the turn of this century aimed at describing what the world would be like if Australia had never been born -- if there had been no large land mass for the Portuguese, Dutch, French and English to bump into when they sailed southwards ...

There would be no cure for 80 per cent of the world's stomach ulcers (WA's Barry Marshall and Robin Warren discovered that antibiotics kill a stomach bug called helicobacter).

Gwyneth Paltrow would have won the Oscar for playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours. She would have married Tom Cruise but then he'd have divorced her and married Katie Holmes.

The term "fatal shore" would refer to the east coast of Canada, where the British would have dumped surplus convicts.

The world's strangest animal would be the giraffe.

The Japanese would be free to hunt whales all over the Pacific (but there'd be a lot more ocean in which the whales could hide).

The most beautiful coral reef in the world would be in the Red Sea, off Egypt.

Olympic swimming events would include breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and dog paddle, but no freestyle (originally called the Australian Crawl, in this universe).

Tina Arena, Natalie Imbruglia and Vanessa Amorosi would be big names on the Italian music charts.

There would be no rugby league and the world's best rugby team would be England.

Peach Melba would be known as peaches with strawberry sauce.

At least 60,000 more people would be deaf (Victoria's Graeme Clark developed the cochlear implant).

Liza Minelli would have married a different homosexual.

The Bee Gees would have recorded Stayin Alive, but not Spicks and Specks (which would not be the name of a TV show).

Morningtown Ride and The Carnival Is Over would have been early hits for Abba.

There would be no Fox network and hence no Simpsons.

AC/DC would refer only to electricity.

Timor and New Guinea would be part of Indonesia.

Californians would always win the World Surfing Championships.

There would be nobody in the world called Kylie, let alone Dannii.

The animal liberation movement would have no bible (Victorian bio-ethicist Peter Singer wrote Animal Rights and Human Obligations).

The only thing called a thong would be a form of underwear.

The British would have to carry their wine to parties in glass flagons, because there would be no cardboard casks.

The world's melanoma rate would be much lower.

Mt. Kosciuszko would be in Nepal.

Russell Crowe would have won an oscar for Gladiator, but never would have made The Sum of Us or Romper Stomper. Mel Gibson would have trained at the Julliard School, New York. He'd have made Lethal Weapon and Braveheart, but not Mad Max.

Pavlova would be indisputably a New Zealand creation.

The kiwi kiddy band The Wuggles would be a huge hit in America, as would a US sitcom based on the classic Auckland comedy Keth end Kum.

OK, now it's just getting silly, and we've barely begun. If you can think of any other ways the world would be different without Australia, go to Comments

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in whoweare-index at 03:33 PM
• Comments (71)