Networks lower their ratings sights

As the local audience is broken up across 15 free-to-air channels and Foxtel's vast pay-for-view programming, the magic ratings target for TV networks has dropped to under the million mark.

Media analyst Steve Allen argues the benchmark for TV shows to claim the hit tag a decade ago was a healthy 1.5 million people, but now settles between 900,000 and one million viewers.

New digital channels including ONE, 7Two and Go! can attract up to 20 percent of total audiences each week, with video games and the internet grabbing their share of available eyeballs, too.

Channel 9 programmer Len Downs said that "competition has grown in all forms of media, so the figure (for a hit) has suddenly dropped".

That drop has seen many quality programs dismissed or overlooked by audiences who look to the ratings for guidance, or buried by programmers in late-night timeslots after they fail to meet million-plus expectations.

Late-night "treasure" includes Channel 7's US legal drama, Suits, ABC1 comedy Lowdown and Ten's worthy docu-drama, Class Of.

Acclaimed BBC period drama Call The Midwife, which eclipsed Downton Abbey in its first season's ratings on UK television, drew around the million-viewer mark during its ABC1 run, which ends tomorrow night.

Channel 10's Puberty Blues saw its ratings flag to 653,000 viewers for the season finale on Wednesday, a disappointing fall after launching to 925,000 people (peaking at 1.03 million viewers on debut).

Mr Allen said the series was "very strong with younger viewers, so it makes the grade"

"Any program that has at least 600,000 viewers aged 16 to 54 qualifies as a hit."

Foxtel's subscriber reach means its slate may not pull the million-plus numbers of free-TV, but it proves its worth in quality holdings such as Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom, Damages, Boss (all on SoHo) and Veep (Showcase).

New "hits" to highlight include US politico drama Scandal (Seven), Underground: The Julian Assange Story (Ten) and Aussie crime series Jack Irish (ABC1).

 

HITS YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

 UNDERGROUND (new), 8.30pm, tomorrow Channel 10

The back story to the controversial life of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Compelling performances from the young cast, especially newcomer Alex Williams as Assange.

 CALL THE MIDWIFE (series final), 8.30pm tomorrow, ABC1

Loved Downton Abbey? Bet you'd like this too, worth playing catch up for this upstairs-downstairs style series set in a nursing convent as they tend to poor of East London.

 SCANDAL (coming soon), 9.15pm, Monday October 15, Channel 7

From the makers of Grey's Anatomy set in Washington, where crisis PR Olivia Pope and her crack team try to solve problems from a Presidential affair to murder and kidnapping.

 SUITS (up late), 11.45pm, Mondays, Channel 7

Make that `Sorts in Suits.' The visual appeal of this series is obvious, the rapid-fire legal drama makes this more than just an ogle-fest. Aussie Jacinda Barrett guests soon opposite real hubby, Gabriel Macht.

 VEEP (catch up), 7.30pm, Sundays, Showcase

Seinfeld's Elaine voted in as the US Vice President and the laughs follow. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is all the reason you need to watch this brilliant comedy series you should not miss.

 JACK IRISH (coming soon), 8.30pm, next Sunday, ABC1

Adapted from the best-selling books by Peter Temple, starring Guy Pearce and the hugely underrated Marta Dusseldorp. Pearce plays a former criminal lawyer turned detective.

 THE NEWSROOM (catch up), 9pm, Mondays, SoHo

The water-cooler show of the year, from the pen of Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing. Has overcome early Mills & Boon moments to emerge a provocative series on modern TV newsmaking.

 CLASS OF (series final), 9.30pm Wednesday, Channel 10

This is one risk which should have paid off better for Ten, turning the cameras on this redemption story about misfit high school students trying to turn their lives around. Narrated by Rake's Richard Roxburgh.

 LOWDOWN (up late), 9.30pm Thursday, ABC1

A local favourite, starring Wilfred and Agont Aunts co-creator Adam Zwar, who uses his previous career as a gossip columnist to inform this razor-sharp look at celebrity journalism.

 LOUIE (catch up), 9pm Tuesdays, Comedy Channel

Ricky Gervais came close to crowning Emmy-winning Louis C.K the funniest man on the planet and in this you'll see why. Season 3 has just started screening here so join in the laughs.