The Who We Are update: Hogwart's works its magic

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

To learn whether Australians are losing interest in television, go to The Tribal Mind.

The ratings race, updated 10 am Monday
You would be entitled to imagine that every Australian who might want to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone would already have seen it. HPPS is, after all, the eighth highest grossing movie in this nation's box office history (to learn about all the others, go to The films Australia loved). It is also the number 21 most purchased DVD in our history (to learn about the others, go to The DVDs Australia loved.)

In spite of all this, Channel Nine chose to program HPPS last Saturday night as a last ditch fightback against Ten's inexorable progress towards becoming Australia's number two most watched network. And it's been shown on TV several times before.

Clearly Nine has not entirely lost its sense of what Australians can be persuaded to watch. In the mainland capitals, it found 883,000 people who don't like AFL, who have been stirred by recent publicity about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince coming to cinemas on July 15, and who couldn't be bothered getting their old battered disc of HPPS out of the cupboard.

That clinched the week for Nine. Prime time audience shares: Seven 27.6 per cent, Nine 25.4, Ten 24.8, ABC 16.8, SBS 5.4. For next Saturday, Nine has programmed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- Australia's No 3 best selling DVD of all time and No 12 highest grossing movie.

This was Pay TV's account of itself for the week: "An all-time record 257,000 viewers watched the penultimate episode of Australia's Next Top Model, in which Clare was eliminated, leaving Cassi and Tahnee as the final two contestants. The winner will be determined in the live finale on FOX8 on Tuesday night. In other entertainment programming, NCIS on TV1 was seen by 109,000 viewers while SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon had a year-to-date high of 95,000 viewers. Law & Order on W was watched by 92,000 people this week, Coronation Street on UKTV was seen by 82,000 viewers and Hannah Montana on Disney Channel was seen by 78,000 people.

In sport programs, Live: NRL Rabbitohs v Wests Tigers on FOX Sports had 292,000 viewers and 195,000 people watched Live: AFL St Kilda v Richmond. Live: AFL: On the Couch was seen by 111,000 people, AFL Open Mike had its best result of the year to date with 90,000 viewers and the Australian cricket team's tour of England saw 84,000 people tune in to Live: Cricket: Tour Match on Thursday night (all on FOX Sports).

"Subscription TV was the number one source of television across all Australian homes in week 27. STV channels accounted for 22.2% of all metropolitan viewing between 6am and midnight, was 21.4% of all regional viewing and 56.9% of all viewing in subscription TV homes."

What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,561,000 415,000 433,000 366,000 136,000 211,000
2 NEW TRICKS ABC1 1,245,000 383,000 339,000 235,000 116,000 172,000
3 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,151,000 346,000 361,000 220,000 139,000 84,000
4 M-ICE AGE Seven 1,026,000 322,000 265,000 217,000 94,000 128,000
5 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS Nine 966,000 288,000 245,000 212,000 94,000 127,000
6 ABC NEWS UP-DATE ABC1 950,000 345,000 215,000 172,000 93,000 126,000
7 ABC NEWS-SAT ABC1 943,000 315,000 280,000 181,000 72,000 95,000
8 THE BILL ABC1 933,000 290,000 252,000 160,000 100,000 131,000
9 HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE -RPT Nine 883,000 261,000 240,000 194,000 77,000 112,000
11 SATURDAY NIGHT AFL Ten 683,000 22,000 361,000 42,000 173,000 85,000
Continued here

13 SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFL Ten 636,000 65,000 237,000 79,000 104,000 152,000
22 WIMBLEDON D12 Nine 364,000 111,000 124,000 54,000 38,000 37,000
24 MYTHBUSTERS SBS ONE 323,000 112,000 63,000 79,000 40,000 29,000
29 ROCKWIZ RPT SBS ONE 251,000 67,000 77,000 40,000 29,000 38,000
75 TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 STAGE 1 SBS ONE 98,000 30,000 39,000 8,000 11,000 11,000
163 NINE'S FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL LATE Nine 18,000 Not shown 11,000 Not shown 5,000 1,000

What Australia watched, week ending July 4
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - CHALLENGE Ten 1,896,000 543,000 585,000 306,000 214,000 247,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,780,000 481,000 425,000 397,000 178,000 299,000
3 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,660,000 465,000 541,000 336,000 205,000 112,000
4 FIND MY FAMILY Seven 1,655,000 432,000 505,000 311,000 203,000 204,000
5 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,647,000 429,000 456,000 338,000 178,000 246,000
6 TALKIN' 'BOUT YOUR GENERATION Ten 1,594,000 505,000 500,000 249,000 134,000 205,000
7 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,576,000 458,000 507,000 266,000 163,000 182,000
8 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,561,000 415,000 433,000 366,000 136,000 211,000
9 ROVE Ten 1,545,000 397,000 507,000 299,000 137,000 205,000
10 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Seven 1,520,000 651,000 413,000 216,000 240,000
11 THE ZOO Seven 1,519,000 412,000 463,000 302,000 159,000 182,000
12 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE Seven 1,494,000 449,000 457,000 286,000 134,000 168,000
13 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,493,000 393,000 404,000 311,000 158,000 227,000
14 60 MINUTES Nine 1,400,000 435,000 379,000 312,000 137,000 136,000
15 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC1 1,369,000 431,000 368,000 287,000 133,000 150,000
16 THE MICHAEL JACKSON STORY Seven 1,351,000 408,000 429,000 213,000 143,000 158,000
17 SEA PATROL Nine 1,333,000 409,000 350,000 259,000 144,000 170,000
18 MERLIN Ten 1,330,000 397,000 335,000 224,000 143,000 230,000
19 SUNDAY NIGHT Seven 1,293,000 375,000 344,000 272,000 126,000 176,000
20 NINE NEWS Nine 1,264,000 345,000 433,000 248,000 125,000 111,000
21 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,245,000 356,000 375,000 204,000 171,000 139,000
22 NEW TRICKS ABC1 1,245,000 383,000 339,000 235,000 116,000 172,000
23 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,239,000 422,000 396,000 154,000 133,000 134,000
24 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,234,000 352,000 335,000 224,000 139,000 183,000
25 NCIS RPT Ten 1,233,000 328,000 378,000 227,000 135,000 165,000
26 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Nine 1,220,000 333,000 396,000 257,000 129,000 105,000
27 THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC1 1,206,000 397,000 330,000 212,000 129,000 139,000
28 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,203,000 336,000 407,000 254,000 110,000 97,000
29 GETAWAY Nine 1,200,000 354,000 349,000 256,000 104,000 139,000
30 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,189,000 348,000 402,000 158,000 114,000 168,000
31 BONES Seven 1,183,000 385,000 291,000 208,000 141,000 158,000
32 GREY'S ANATOMY Seven 1,178,000 358,000 358,000 221,000 103,000 138,000
33 RPA Nine 1,162,000 374,000 306,000 229,000 124,000 128,000
34 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,151,000 346,000 361,000 220,000 139,000 84,000
35 NCIS EP 2 RPT Ten 1,145,000 290,000 355,000 213,000 140,000 147,000
36 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,143,000 316,000 326,000 227,000 133,000 141,000
37 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,135,000 328,000 319,000 204,000 135,000 150,000
38 TWO AND A HALF MEN -WED Nine 1,132,000 254,000 381,000 261,000 102,000 134,000
39 TWO AND A HALF MEN Nine 1,124,000 290,000 366,000 224,000 107,000 136,000
40 MICHAEL JACKSON: PICKING UP THE PIECES Ten 1,118,000 296,000 381,000 191,000 116,000 134,000
41 GOOD NEWS WEEK Ten 1,107,000 316,000 291,000 233,000 143,000 124,000
42 TROUBLE IN PARADISE Nine 1,103,000 308,000 350,000 207,000 111,000 128,000
43 WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU Nine 1,086,000 342,000 286,000 226,000 109,000 122,000
44 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,079,000 298,000 344,000 234,000 92,000 112,000
45 RECRUITS Ten 1,077,000 343,000 309,000 158,000 110,000 156,000
46 THE FORCE - BEHIND THE LINE Seven 1,070,000 299,000 277,000 245,000 81,000 169,000
47 MICHAEL JACKSON: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED Nine 1,057,000 318,000 355,000 171,000 108,000 104,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Saturday
If you'll pardon what may look like another attempt at Jacksploitation, the ratings race this week is a Thriller. With one night to go, the prime time audience shares stand thus: Seven 28.3 per cent, Nine 25.5, Ten 25.3, ABC 15.7, SBS 5.2. Ten will pick up a bit tonight with its AFL. Better watch this space Sunday morning.

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,565,000 410,000 422,000 334,000 162,000 237,000
2 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,434,000 448,000 445,000 216,000 146,000 179,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,413,000 375,000 379,000 313,000 141,000 205,000
4 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,245,000 356,000 375,000 204,000 171,000 139,000
5 NINE NEWS Nine 1,207,000 327,000 418,000 216,000 126,000 120,000
6 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,085,000 312,000 355,000 232,000 101,000 86,000
7 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,044,000 291,000 292,000 194,000 141,000 126,000
8 TEN NEWS AT FIVE Ten 978,000 247,000 287,000 198,000 106,000 140,000
9 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 902,000 253,000 286,000 189,000 77,000 97,000
10 ABC NEWS ABC1 892,000 243,000 261,000 185,000 99,000 103,000
11 TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION: CONVICTION ABC1 847,000 233,000 242,000 146,000 103,000 123,000
13 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 14: COLLINGWOOD VS ESSENDON Seven 804,000 15,000 531,000 13,000 128,000 117,000
14 DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven 794,000 231,000 234,000 150,000 96,000 82,000
16 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Ten 741,000 251,000 190,000 120,000 82,000 98,000
17 NINE'S LIVE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Nine 736,000 419,000 317,000
19 HOT SEAT Nine 711,000 197,000 219,000 151,000 78,000 65,000
27 SEVEN NEWS AT 4.30 Seven 448,000 149,000 114,000 83,000 56,000 45,000
28 NINE'S FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Nine 444,000 270,000 174,000
37 WIMBLEDON D11 Nine 330,000 112,000 95,000 63,000 37,000 22,000
40 THE HOLLOWMEN RPT ABC1 308,000 97,000 82,000 54,000 28,000 47,000
46 THIS AFTERNOON Nine 284,000 100,000 92,000 45,000 26,000 20,000
92 SPICKS AND SPECKS RPT ABC1 129,000 51,000 27,000 34,000 11,000 7,000
97 NEW IDEA TV Seven 119,000 56,000 18,000 31,000 7,000 8,000
141 POKER ONE 48,000 7,000 17,000 12,000 6,000 6,000

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,593,000 421,000 433,000 343,000 173,000 222,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,465,000 380,000 422,000 329,000 138,000 196,000
3 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,442,000 402,000 455,000 277,000 150,000 156,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,236,000 351,000 439,000 242,000 112,000 91,000
5 GETAWAY Nine 1,201,000 354,000 350,000 256,000 103,000 138,000
6 GREY'S ANATOMY Seven 1,178,000 358,000 358,000 221,000 103,000 138,000
7 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,148,000 341,000 374,000 245,000 98,000 89,000
8 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,143,000 316,000 326,000 227,000 133,000 141,000
9 TROUBLE IN PARADISE Nine 1,094,000 307,000 344,000 205,000 111,000 127,000
10 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,064,000 281,000 295,000 213,000 126,000 148,000
13 THE FOOTY SHOW Nine 998,000 207,000 397,000 159,000 120,000 116,000
14 LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT Ten 995,000 263,000 316,000 167,000 135,000 114,000
21 PRIVATE PRACTICE Seven 809,000 254,000 255,000 147,000 71,000 83,000
27 M*A*S*H Seven 536,000 161,000 150,000 114,000 65,000 45,000
58 MAD MEN SBS ONE 239,000 102,000 74,000 24,000 18,000 21,000
59 MAD MEN SEASON FINAL SBS ONE 230,000 101,000 77,000 14,000 16,000 21,000

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,718,000 496,000 548,000 296,000 191,000 187,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,646,000 434,000 451,000 342,000 173,000 247,000
3 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE Seven 1,492,000 449,000 455,000 285,000 134,000 168,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,380,000 367,000 367,000 283,000 146,000 217,000
5 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC1 1,378,000 434,000 370,000 290,000 134,000 151,000
6 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,239,000 338,000 445,000 268,000 103,000 85,000
7 NINE NEWS Nine 1,235,000 296,000 464,000 245,000 126,000 104,000
8 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,232,000 353,000 335,000 224,000 139,000 182,000
9 THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC1 1,202,000 396,000 329,000 211,000 128,000 138,000
10 RPA Nine 1,154,000 371,000 303,000 228,000 124,000 127,000
11 MICHAEL JACKSON: PICKING UP THE PIECES Ten 1,151,000 306,000 393,000 196,000 120,000 136,000
16 MICHAEL JACKSON: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED Nine 1,078,000 328,000 353,000 179,000 108,000 108,000
17 TEN NEWS AT FIVE Ten 954,000 215,000 291,000 197,000 124,000 127,000
20 DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven 923,000 259,000 302,000 184,000 88,000 91,000
26 HOT SEAT Nine 672,000 154,000 239,000 154,000 72,000 52,000
37 WIMBLEDON D9 Nine 410,000 133,000 121,000 62,000 52,000 42,000
56 THIS AFTERNOON Nine 238,000 48,000 98,000 50,000 24,000 18,000
70 PRISON BREAK Seven 182,000 63,000 52,000 12,000 32,000 22,000

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 FIND MY FAMILY Seven 1,655,000 432,000 505,000 311,000 203,000 204,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,645,000 415,000 489,000 306,000 175,000 259,000
3 TALKIN' 'BOUT YOUR GENERATION Ten 1,594,000 505,000 500,000 249,000 134,000 205,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,572,000 407,000 417,000 300,000 172,000 276,000
5 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Seven 1,520,000 651,000 Not shown (double ep in Melbourne next week) 413,000 216,000 240,000
6 THE ZOO Seven 1,517,000 412,000 463,000 302,000 159,000 181,000
7 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,465,000 461,000 464,000 238,000 143,000 159,000
8 NINE NEWS Nine 1,260,000 355,000 395,000 251,000 144,000 115,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,259,000 329,000 422,000 267,000 130,000 111,000
10 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,241,000 422,000 396,000 154,000 133,000 136,000
11 NCIS RPT Ten 1,233,000 329,000 378,000 227,000 135,000 165,000
15 TEN NEWS AT FIVE Ten 1,093,000 256,000 378,000 182,000 134,000 142,000
18 GRAND DESIGNS ABC1 949,000 320,000 278,000 163,000 91,000 97,000
19 DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven 905,000 248,000 292,000 179,000 94,000 93,000
23 HOT SEAT Nine 721,000 174,000 223,000 178,000 80,000 67,000
26 E.J. WHITTEN LEGENDS GAME Nine 577,000 Not shown 412,000 Not shown 92,000 73,000
33 SEVEN NEWS AT 4.30 Seven 427,000 124,000 116,000 73,000 60,000 54,000
43 THIS AFTERNOON Nine 314,000 68,000 125,000 54,000 39,000 28,000
47 ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE? SBS ONE 284,000 93,000 66,000 56,000 40,000 29,000
53 WIMBLEDON D8 Nine 253,000 75,000 86,000 46,000 28,000 18,000

What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SNEAK PEEK: WORLD'S STRICTEST PARENTS Seven 1,875,000 548,000 642,000 277,000 206,000 201,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,784,000 463,000 487,000 364,000 205,000 266,000
3 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,669,000 448,000 563,000 289,000 165,000 203,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,632,000 437,000 433,000 329,000 191,000 241,000
5 NINE NEWS Nine 1,358,000 398,000 440,000 283,000 114,000 124,000
6 SEA PATROL Nine 1,333,000 406,000 353,000 260,000 144,000 170,000
7 THE MICHAEL JACKSON STORY Seven 1,320,000 400,000 416,000 208,000 140,000 156,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,309,000 365,000 443,000 265,000 119,000 117,000
9 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,226,000 357,000 421,000 165,000 117,000 166,000
10 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,214,000 359,000 337,000 201,000 150,000 167,000
13 GOOD NEWS WEEK Ten 1,092,000 308,000 292,000 227,000 139,000 126,000
14 TEN NEWS AT FIVE Ten 1,083,000 244,000 373,000 186,000 120,000 160,000
19 DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven 930,000 271,000 290,000 175,000 103,000 91,000
28 HOT SEAT Nine 721,000 202,000 207,000 176,000 67,000 69,000
33 THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Ten 543,000 115,000 200,000 114,000 52,000 63,000
34 TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA SBS ONE 487,000 151,000 130,000 98,000 52,000 56,000
39 SEVEN NEWS AT 4.30 Seven 430,000 149,000 89,000 82,000 64,000 46,000
45 THIS AFTERNOON Nine 321,000 109,000 95,000 60,000 26,000 30,000
52 FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS SBS ONE 285,000 90,000 91,000 32,000 27,000 44,000
69 WALLACE AND GROMIT'S CRACKING CONTRAPTIONS-PM ABC1 216,000 89,000 38,000 16,000 31,000 42,000
75 30 ROCK Seven 194,000 51,000 64,000 24,000 29,000 26,000

The ratings race, updated 11 am Monday
Once again, Channel Ten started the week with the biggest share of the prime time audience: 29.7 per cent, compared with 25.5 per cent for Nine and 24.4 per cent for Seven. MasterChef did well as usual, but after it, Rove attracted an amazing 1.6 million viewers in the mainland capitals. Rove's guests were Kevin Rudd, an Australian prime minister, and Bruno (no known surname), an Austrian fashion writer. If you saw the show, tell us which of them held the audience.

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - CHALLENGE Ten 1,891,000 541,000 583,000 306,000 214,000 247,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,780,000 481,000 425,000 397,000 178,000 299,000
3 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,660,000 465,000 541,000 336,000 206,000 112,000
4 ROVE Ten 1,629,000 430,000 529,000 316,000 140,000 214,000
5 60 MINUTES Nine 1,401,000 435,000 379,000 312,000 138,000 136,000
6 MERLIN Ten 1,323,000 396,000 333,000 223,000 143,000 229,000
7 SUNDAY NIGHT Seven 1,296,000 375,000 344,000 273,000 127,000 178,000
8 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Nine 1,221,000 333,000 396,000 257,000 131,000 105,000
9 BONES Seven 1,190,000 382,000 292,000 215,000 140,000 162,000
10 SNEAK PEEK: SURF PATROL Seven 1,099,000 308,000 250,000 253,000 102,000 185,000
11 AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MISS MARPLE ABC1 1,054,000 380,000 267,000 145,000 120,000 140,000
15 CSI: EP1 Nine 913,000 261,000 258,000 179,000 112,000 104,000
16 CASTLE Seven 881,000 282,000 243,000 132,000 107,000 117,000
17 CSI -EP2 Nine 863,000 237,000 245,000 163,000 113,000 105,000
19 THE BIGGEST LOSER Ten 732,000 179,000 248,000 134,000 79,000 92,000
24 NINE'S SUNDAY FOOTBALL Nine 605,000 328,000 267,000 10,000
27 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 13: NORTH MELBOURNE VS WESTERN BULLDOGS Seven 510,000 58,000 219,000 42,000 116,000 76,000
59 AFL GAME DAY Seven 187,000 117,000 32,000 38,000
85 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 13: GEELONG VS PORT ADELAIDE Seven 105,000 105,000

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Wow! Rove rated so well, that has got to be his highest audience yet. I actually watched Rove for both Bruno and Kevin, but more so for Kevin. If Ten got pushed back to second last week due of Origin, can I predict that Ten will win this week?

by Clem on June 29, 2009 at 10:53 AM

I'd been curled in the corner in a fetal position clutching a 'Beat It' poster and crying "Michael, Michael oh why why Michael nooooo Michael" all weekend so it was refreshing to rejoin the real world and tune in to 'Rove'.
What I wanted to see was Bruno and KRudd. Together. At last.
Didn't happen.
Bruno was uberfunny.
KRudd was not. He's got to be the least charismatic person alive. Bring back Isabel Lucas! My God! Dull as a rusty ute! Like Cameron Williams on Valium. Geez.
Anyone know what Bruno said that they censored? As in "Sasha Baron Cohen's wife gets less sex than (somone someone)". I've been told it was "Katie Holmes".

Tribal Mind replies: The silenced bit certainly looked like that name to me. Interesting that Ten's lawyers let Bruno suggest that the Governor of California is gay, but would not let him imply anything about another Californian.

by darren on June 29, 2009 at 11:21 AM

I am pretty sure it was Katie Holmes that Bruno mentioned.
Don't forget that Tom and Katie will be living in Melbourne soon whilst filming a new movie. Maybe Rove didn't want to offend them so he can interview them.

by Irish on June 29, 2009 at 12:16 PM

I watched Masterchef last night and saw Chris present to the judges three brown beef mince rolls each on it's own cabbage leaf. It looked like someone had just done their business in a garden patch. The look on the judges' faces said it all. I guess it proves the old proverb true that you shouldn't sh*t and eat at the same table.
I then watched Rove because they promo'ed Bruno the gay Austrian fashionista and Kevin Rudd being on the same show. Here are some of my recaps and observations:
I don't need to say anything funny about Bruno - all I have to do is quote him: "I need to have my sphincter bleached twice a week otherwise I'll look like Louie Armstrong blowing a trumpet. And the last time I had it done they found the head of my Mad Max figurine up there".
Highlight was when Bruno got Rove to wear a skin-tight beige knitted bodysuit, complete with realistic knitted genitalia - ladies of oz, a new knitting project has arisen!
According to Kevin Rudd, the Labor staffer who booked him to appear on Rove the same night as Bruno is now in therapy.
The most interesting thing I learnt about K Rudd last night is that he is a Twitter man. Who knew that our PM likes a bit of Twitter? Incidentally, is the proper noun for a Twitter fan a Twit?
Carrie Bickmore was brilliant as usual reading the most outrageous news headlines with a straight face.
Pete Heliar gave knew meaning to the term toilet humour when he profiled a device known as The Comfort Wipe. You'll have to search the internet as to it's exact purpose but if you've bought one please do share your experiences.
Matt Preston's denial in French that wearing a cravat made him look pretentious was fantastique.
My own final observation: I'm no fashionista but I think that Matt Preston should avoid wearing snug fitting bright white pants unless he wants to resemble twin albino whales stranded on a beach in broad daylight.

by tide on June 29, 2009 at 02:48 PM

I call BS on our Prime Minister, who is totally hip and happening and with it, not knowing who the other guests were going to be last night on Rove. I imagine that it was the highest rating Rove ever, and who wouldn't want to get their face on that episode. I'm waiting for the Media Watch expose on that one.
I'm sure if Mr Rudd says enough times that he didn't know Bruno was on, it may come true. Like Dorothy clicking her red ruby heels together and saying "There's No Place Like Home".

Tribal Mind replies: But when did he not know?

by Bereft Skerrick on June 29, 2009 at 03:43 PM

Thanks tide for the hint re the Comfort Wipe - however, until it comes with set of six steak knives I think I'll just stick to a bit of rag on the end of a stick... sorry to be so crude.
Oh goody, the thought of Tom and Katie appearing on Rove inspires me to start doing some painting so I can watch it dry.

by Shoopie on June 29, 2009 at 05:12 PM

Krudd was trying so painfully to be hip and happening, whilst demonstrating that he wasn't about to be fooled by Bruno or Rove. Ended up making him look as dull as dishwater.
Looks like Merlin regained its numbers after Nein's Random Sack of Mindless scored well last week.
Nein's Michael Jackson "special" on Saturday night was so amazingly poor that Wacko should be glad he's dead to save himself the embarrassment of seeing such rubbish.

by cronker on June 30, 2009 at 01:26 AM

The good thing about having Bruno here is that it's caused the 'news' services to look up from gorging on the bloated corpse of MJ (plastic shreds and synthetic blood dripping from their jaws) and move on. A little at least. Momentarily.
But other than Angela Bishop, it's like everyone has forgotten he's NOT REAL!
Seven had a headline on their bloody annoying bottom-o-the-screen-ticker saying "Bruno says PM is cute!" like they'd just caugt them in a clandestine clinch. Then their reporter answered Bruno's question about whether there are any gay men in Sydney with a very straight-faced "Yes, there are. Quite a few actually"...?
Tracey Grimmers was much the same on ACA. Barely smiled. Is a Comedian without an audience funny? The thing is, they make a joke, and someone laughs. Try it Trace. Much better.
Then some reporter on Today Tonight went to the trouble of asking the head of Seven's wardrobe department if she felt slighted because Bruno appeared to be trivialising the fashion industry. She said it's about time someone did but the reporter was fishing for a serious response. To a Comedy Act.
He's NOT REAL!! No. NOT REAL! Laugh. Come on...Please laugh...

by darren on June 30, 2009 at 06:03 AM

Bereft Skerrick, the Prime Minister didn't say that he didn't know who the other guests were going to be last night on Rove. He said that he was worried when his assistant told him last week that Bruno had been booked for the same show. I wonder if there was some proviso with Krudd appearing, as long as Bruno didn't appear with him and disrespect the office of the prime minister or something along those lines. I thought he was trying too hard to be serious and talk politics, rather than have a bit of a laugh with Rove. If he thinks he can't do that in the office of prime minister then maybe he's done enough of these sorts of Rove appearances.

by J Bar on June 30, 2009 at 09:46 AM

J Bar: from what I was hearing down here on the radio our hip and happening Krudd has been telling everyone that will listen that one of his minions booked it etc etc didn't realise when it was booked they'd be appearing on the same show. He "didn't know" until it was too late. For someone who is so stage managed, from the beginnings of his weekly appearance on Sunrise with Kochy (the Kingmaker), to shaking the sauce bottle 3 times in one interview, I really find it difficult to believe that he didn't know.

by Bereft Skerrick on June 30, 2009 at 10:53 AM

Quoth Shoopie on June 29, 2009 at 05:12 PM: "Oh goody, the thought of Tom and Katie appearing on Rove inspires me to start doing some painting so I can watch it dry."

Not being a fan of the Scientologist dwarf myself, I am in hope that he might do something involving a couch and jumping, so I can laugh and point. I won't hold my breath, however.

Still enjoying Spooks, possibly because it's the only show on TV where I do believe that they will kill people off so I'm always a bundle of nerves by the climax. Er, maybe "enjoy" was a bad choice of word there.

And maybe I haven't watched it often enough to get inured to the "argh, they're going to die!!! oh, no, they survived" moment.

by tqd on June 30, 2009 at 11:17 AM

Quoth darren on June 30: "But other than Angela Bishop, it's like everyone has forgotten he's NOT REAL!"
Oh, I thought you were talking about Michael Jackson, and all I could think was "well, no, he's dead". Not that he'd been real for some time before that, either.

by tqd on June 30, 2009 at 11:19 AM

Sasha Baron Cohen's latest Australian trip to promote "Bruno" has had the unfortunate effect of highlighting just how thin his joke book is. Every interview he has given has contained the same 5 or 6 jokes, and all the interviews are clearly scripted.
Luckily for Ten, Rove got him first before we had all heard the schtick.

by cronker on June 30, 2009 at 11:27 AM

G'day chaps! Just to clear things up, er, did I know Bruno was going to be on 'Rove' on Sunday night? Yes, I did. Did I arrange things so that we didn't appear at the same time? Fraid so cobber. What's more, I can produce an email to prove it. Fair shake of the sauce bottle, as if I leave anything to chance! Strewth! I sit down every night and script everything I'm going to say for the next 24 hours.
I suppose you also believe that old guy that collapsed in Church a while back just collapsed of natural causes and that I didn't push over three old ladies and the vicar to get hold of one of his legs and exit as one of the compassionate attendees and that that boofy bloke down in Melbourne at the fires really wanted to rest his head on me shoulder and have a good ol' sob and that I didn't dislocate me elbow socket trying to push it down there. Stone the crows. Anyway, gotta zip. Where's my hardhat?
Love (in a thoroughly heterosexual blokey sense), Kevin.

by darren on June 30, 2009 at 11:28 AM

Thanks for the figures on 9's new "this Afternoon" show, could you also give us the figures for 10's the Bold and the Beautiful and 7's 7 Afternoon News which are on at the same time 430pm and hence up against "this afternoon".
thanks

Tribal Mind replies: In the chart now

by dave on June 30, 2009 at 12:08 PM

Oh My! I didn't know what a "Compfort Wipe" was, so took Tide's advice and googled it.
Noted over a million others had also done the same search!
Stone the crows! Did someone really demonstrate this on Rove? Don't watch the show myself, but it sounds like a real quality program. And it had Kevin too?
Mmmm.......

by Sal on June 30, 2009 at 01:13 PM

What was with the whole "Sneak Peak - World's strictest parents" stuff and why did it get number 1 last night??
Must have been asleep to miss that one. Oh, then again so were 1.8 million or so people that must have fallen asleep with 7 on to watch that twaddle. Figures like that encourage networks to think we like something. And it couldn't have been good, could it? I was busy watching Masterchef then GNW.
When GNW has some good guests it can really hit the funny bone. Last night's ep was really good, I thought.

by em on June 30, 2009 at 02:05 PM

"Thanks tide for the hint re the Comfort Wipe - however, until it comes with set of six steak knives I think I'll just stick to a bit of rag on the end of a stick... sorry to be so crude." by Shoopie
Not a problem. Happy to help those with special lavatory needs.
But I do want to know - how do you keep the rag falling off the stick and what do you do with it afterwards? After all, arse-rags went out of fashion in the 1880s when toilet paper was invented. Before then, ladies used to keep their arse-rags in their handbags and gentlemen in their back pockets. In fact, teachers at gentlemen etiquette courses used to caution their students with the following homily: "Put Your Handkerchief In Your Breast Pocket And Your Arse-Rag In Your Back Pocket And Never The Other Way Around!"

by tide on July 01, 2009 at 03:15 AM

Looks like Packed to the Rafters is a major drawcard and brings the viewers back to Seven. Looks like Nine are heading for another week in third spot. Not even yet another Michael Jackson special can save them?

by J Bar on July 01, 2009 at 09:49 AM

Must say, I really like PTTR. Just a lovely drama, well acted, it's a bit kooky and out there. It's so nice to have an Australian drama that doesn't need to flash women's chests every 2nd shot.

Masterchef will be very interesting viewing tonight - bringing back eliminated contestants. Always good to see the tantrums that will inevitably occur. I hope it shocks the arrogance right off Chris's face. I know many people like him, but I was instantly turned off by his tough face in the opening (as previously discussed) and the stupid hats he insists on wearing. It just shows how he is trying to get noticed - I'm the guy that always wears the hats, so people will remember me as the guy with the hat. Same way Guy Sebastian did with his stupid hair on Australian Idol. Or Corey Worthington did with his stupid sunglasses.

The Comfort Wipe - be very afraid! I can't believe that they charge $30US for it. Just as I can't believe that the cost of getting one of those ridiculous Snuggies is $100! (That's in Australia). It's funny the ridiculous things you start looking up when work is too stressful so you need to look at mindless crap for a while so you don't throw something at the computer! Counting down the hours until my holidays...Thank you to all of you TMers for keeping me sane and entertained in my hour of need!! This is my stress relief!

by Beckala on July 01, 2009 at 12:16 PM

I doubt that it was Packed to the rafters alone that saw rating rise for 7. Everyone was just waiting for the lotto draw. Which in the western states was draw during Find my Family and eastern states 10mins into rafters

by Mckellan on July 01, 2009 at 01:49 PM

Viewing figures last evening would have also been affected by the number of people who were stocktaking because of End of Financial Year. Like me. Despite the fact I live in the sticks and don't have a ratings meter.

Tribal Mind asks: Pardon me if I seem intrusive, but why would most households need to be stocktaking on June 30? What stock? I know Napoleon described England as "a nation of shopkeepers" in 1809, but somehow this does not seem to describe Australia in 2009.

by Bereft Skerrick on July 01, 2009 at 04:43 PM

Tide - safety pin, staple, thumbtack, paperclip, whatever comes to hand.
Have just watched the new Scrapheap Challenge without Kryton - pathetic.

by Shoopie on July 01, 2009 at 07:14 PM

TM: stocktaking at work, silly! Where I have no TV! Although being at home tonight I am tempted to go count the chocolate in my fridge!
Anyhow, anyone else see the Colbert Report skit with Jeff Goldblum? Pure gold. International taking the piss out of Dickie Wilkins. Classic!

by Bereft Skerrick on July 01, 2009 at 07:24 PM

Omigosh, omigosh - must watch Br�no on Rove, sounds delish! And that '�' pops up on this keyboard seeing it's German. Been in Europe for past fornight and completely in the wilderness, have so much to catch up on TV. And what's this I hear about contestants returning to Masterchef?
Going to tune out of TV world again. Missing Br�no antics down under, but loving the wurst here.

by Kym on July 02, 2009 at 12:20 AM

Sheep, TM. Sheep. Hamsters, Rabbits.
Beckala, I know what you mean about Chris. However, re his hat, last night I realised why his hat when his pulled his hair back and put on a chef's hat...thing. He has MASSIVE ears. Huge. Really needed a slow-mo and a rendition of Carmina Burana when he unveiled those babies.
I wonder was the return of three eliminated contestants always planned or an attempt to keep the 'MasterChef' gravy-train rollin just a little bit longer?
TM, how is 'This Afternoon' (which I think should be renamed 'Sarvo') going up against 'X Men' cartoonies on ABC1? Or the static on unoccupied channels (although static ratings may be hard to judge)? It's certainly orange.

by darren on July 02, 2009 at 05:58 AM

Masterchef was good last night. Was really glad to see Justine back. She has been my favorite contestant and I thought it was a shame to see her go. Great that she won the challenge, too! Chris didn't look very happy, not that he ever does. I really don't like him and his stupid hats either. Hope he doesn't win but I keep thinking that he will. The judges seem to like his cooking. But I am going for the girls, Justine or Julie to win!

Also watched the first ep of season 3 of The Tudors last night on Showtime. Henry is slowing losing the plot, methinks. Such a beautifully filmed show, great costumes and sets. But I am sure Henry VIII was never that good looking! A damn shame The Tudors never made it to Freeview. The ABC would have been it's natural home and would have rated well for them, I'm sure.

by em on July 02, 2009 at 08:45 AM

Chris didn't look very happy, not that he ever does. I really don't like him and his stupid hats either
by em on July 02, 2009 at 08:45 AM
I don't think anyone likes Chris. My partner thinks by now his hat would be so dirty it's a health hazard in the kitchen. I'm just sick of hearing every one of his comments being either "I'm so fantastic" or "someone else isn't".

by Sahara on July 02, 2009 at 12:59 PM

IN DEFENCE OF CHRIS fm Masterchef. He is alright and seems a strong cook and should have success in his beer themed restaurant. The way he leads is stronger than anyone else and he saved the wedding challenge by calming the wobbly Poh down. If it is time to start bagging, then Andre gets my vote.
Judge: What is your passion
Andre: I am just so passionate about Italian cooking. It is my passion and I am so passionate about it. I want to travel to Italy and I want to be a chef because I have so much passion.
Recap Andre: When they asked me about passion I knew I was ok because I could talk forever about my passion.

Andre, saying nothing but thinking you are smart and hilarious, qualifies you to be a Prime Minister, but shouldn't get you further on MasterChef.

Sadly (for Chris) he is not good looking and does not have an appealing / exuberant personality. In my opinion the same could be said for Tom, Julie and Andre. Leaving the best looking Justine to win? No, I'll think there will be a producer / judge compromise and Julia (the one who has been at Hugos for all these months) will win.

by Tim on July 02, 2009 at 04:26 PM

em, I enjoy The Tudors too. Only have the Showtime channels added to the foxtel package when this show is running. When will they ever give us an OzTV or Aussie channel, so we can enjoy all the classic Aussie TV series and movies from the past? There's a selection of them on certain channels but it's not enough.

by J Bar on July 02, 2009 at 10:15 PM

Tim, I hate Andre too! I have no idea how he has lasted this long... He just does nothing. I'm not a fan of Poh either. No real reason, it's an irrational hatred - I guess the way she always blames everybody else. The wedding challenge definitely made me hate her even more - so I agree with you about Chris there. But 99% of the reason most people watch reality tv is to be able to bag out the contestants around the water cooler the next day! I wouldn't want Chris to leave, because I get so much value out of hating him! I LOVE to hate him! And I think you are on to something there - Julia will probably win. I'm hoping for Justine or Julie, but I think Julia will be too hard to beat!

Your Andre "passion" scenario made me think of some of my favourite Biggest Loser recaps -
AJ: Hello all
Contestants: Hello AJ
Recap: AJ said hello and we all said hello back. I was wondering what we were in for.
AJ: You are now in for a real challenge.
Contestants: Oooh.
Recap: AJ told us we were in for a real challenge. I didn't know what to expect. I could feel my heart pumping in my chest.

(Why do they always say that? Do they think that one day they are going to feel their heart pumping in their head?)

Good Greys Anatomy last night - Katherine Heigl, as much as I know many people love to hate her (I don't have too much of a problem with her - I admire a girl who will stand up for her gay best friend - I have had to do the same thing from time to time), is doing an amazing job with the cancer storyline.

by Beckala on July 03, 2009 at 06:50 AM

Much as I find Chris (from 'MasterChef') a prickly character, I do admire his 'whole animal' philosophy. Pig's Arse Tortellini, anyone? Little pasta rings....
Don't go much on Andre either but I think it's because I hate Project Managers.
Po's whiney bitch comment about Chris after the Wedding episode was what turned me against her also.
Anyone left? Oh yeah, Julie. Don't think she'll win but she's a peach.
I think Justine will win.
By the way, did anyone see a preview during TGYH the other night for something called 'TV Retch'....no wait, 'TV Barf'.....no wait, 'TV Burp'? Starring Ed Cavalee and appearing to be a series of anti-Channel Ten skits. Any excuse.
Will be interesting to see what transpires after Dancing WTS on Sunday re the blind guy and outrage and offense and all that. Or maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree.

by darren on July 03, 2009 at 08:41 AM

So Sam made it through again! That guy really has 9 lives as he somehow always manages to get through these challenges and surrvives. I really wanted Tom to stay, too! He always seemed to put everything he has into his cooking. I certainly liked him better than Sam. My son calls Sam "the bubble headed guy", cause he reckons he has a big head, like a bubble. Now I can't look at him without agreeing, Sam does have a big head!
And yes, that is the main reason to watch reality TV. To pay out the contestants. It's almost a sport these days. But then again, Masterchef is the only reality show I watch.
And did anyone else here that Nine are going to try and cash in on Masterchef's success and are going to put on some sort of family challenge cooking show? Sounds stupid and sounds like desperation from Nine. Can't think of an original idea to save themselves. Probably get Karl Krapanovic to host as he's eveywhere else these days.

by em on July 03, 2009 at 09:39 AM

Bit of a shock to read that Mark Ferguson is leaving Nine and has signed up with Seven. Maybe not such a shock considering how he's been mistreated by Nine and his talents wasted there. Maybe it's just shocking that this happened this week, after Nine makes him one of the three faces leading their new 'This Afternoon' show.

by J Bar on July 03, 2009 at 11:02 AM

Have tried to convince Mr Skerrick to get Austar ASAP for UKTV. To no avail. Torchwood Series 3 is showing 5 nights next week, Tue to Sunday. http://www.uktv.com.au/programmes/show.asp?id=414 Oh well at least I can d/l.

by Bereft Skerrick on July 03, 2009 at 12:20 PM

How many more Jacko specials are in the TV archives - watching my recording of SVU lasat night and had 40 mins of Jacko special - and of course then missed the ending. I was not a fan and am now over all coevrage of his tragic demise... please return to what is alleged to be normal programming.
By the way for Amazing Race fans - apparently 7 is to show the most recent season around mid July - no dates yet.
Beckala agree with you re Grey's and Izzie - she is depicting a cancer victim quite well.
cannot comment on Masterchef as I still have pretty well managed to avoid it - prefer Maggie & Simon

by Cathy on July 03, 2009 at 12:30 PM

Does it make sense that 9,000 fewer people watched the final episode of Mad Men last night on SBS than watched the second last episode, shown immediately before it?
Does it show that the ratings are really flawed, or that the viewers either nodded off or hit the "record" button & toddled off to bed?
NB I couldn't get into Mad Men. Tried a couple of times but was put off by the horrible clothes and hair dos. They were as portrayed I admit, after all I was there. Don't want to go back. Yuk. I like natural hair, and comfortable (though stylish) clothing.

by Sal on July 03, 2009 at 12:51 PM

I'm surprised "This Afternoon" has made it to this afternoon...

by David @ Green Point on July 03, 2009 at 01:26 PM

TM, do you have any ratings for Friday night NRL Late, broadcast in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth from midnight on Channel 9? Cheers.

Tribal Mind replies: At this point I can't find it in the Friday chart. I suspect those figures may have been combined with some other football listing. Did the showing finish after 2am? If so, it might appear in Saturday's chart. I'm still looking.

by Dave on July 05, 2009 at 09:56 AM

Maybe Hairy Pottarse won out over the Kindie level fare on offer on 7... It's not so easy for a parent who wants to watch Wimbledon to say no to a whining post Kindie age kid who thinks Ice Age is "beneath them" or that Eddie Murphy is an over-rated has been hack (like all their friends in school do...)
The Hairy One hasn't fallen from grace yet, despite the various attempts to smear J.K. Rowling or the actors or whoever seems like a worthy enough target for smear, with the sort of dirt that'll bring the Wizardy empire crashing on down.
Even when the local cinema plex runs a Hairy Pottarse "festival", the turnout makes me wonder whether the attraction is the movies themselves or the "being seen to be such a Pottarse fan by all the other Pottarse fans".
Maybe what Nine has tapped into is the juvenile mind's incapacity to recognise when it's being manipulated - even by something as seemingly harmless as a bunch of J.K. Rowling's novels turned into flicks.
I'm gathering from the conversations at work, that Masterchef on Ten is tapping into that same communal mindest that underpins the Harry Potter phenomenon in building up it's own following and audience. Kids talk about it at school, so parents find themselves drawn into watching - because let's face it, the recipes might be something the kids can make... "family participation"! Whether Ten knowingly or accidentally hit upon the formula that's almost guaranteed to deliver success, is another matter altogether. Of course, the likelihood they have the nouse to not overdo the formula to the point of staleness is something history bodes ill for.

by Steve C on July 05, 2009 at 12:03 PM

TM, do you have any ratings for Friday night NRL Late, broadcast in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth from midnight on Channel 9? Cheers.
Tribal Mind replies: At this point I can't find it in the Friday chart. I suspect those figures may have been combined with some other football listing. Did the showing finish after 2am? If so, it might appear in Saturday's chart. I'm still looking.

Yeah in the past TM you have included them in the Saturday charts as the telecasts would finish after 2am Saturday mornings in each of those markets.

Tribal Mind replies: I've put something that may be what you want in the Saturday chart. Can you tell us what you are hoping to learn from these figures? Were you anticipating a sudden surge of support for rugby league by southern and western insomniacs?

by Dave on July 06, 2009 at 08:55 AM

Tribal Mind replies: I've put something that may be what you want in the Saturday chart. Can you tell us what you are hoping to learn from these figures? Were you anticipating a sudden surge of support for rugby league by southern and western insomniacs?

Thanks TM, just interested to compare the AFL vs the NRL tv ratings for Friday night football in the non heartland areas of the respective codes. Thanks again for the figures. Cheers.

by Dave on July 06, 2009 at 09:55 AM

Argh, Mr Dale, please remove that entirely unneccessary apostrophe from "Hogwart's".
I dipped into Harry Potter a bit, because I don't own the DVDs (the first two movies are really rather painful), and it was the best offering on for us non-sports viewers (which doesn't say much for everything non-sport that was on offer). Mostly I just caught up on recorded shows.

Tribal MInd replies: So you're telling me that the school's name refers to more than one Hogwart, rather than belonging to someone called Hogwart?

by tqd on July 06, 2009 at 01:57 PM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

The Who We Are update: Hogwart's works its magic

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