SOS needed for Seven’s poor old ‘reality’ show

Now that Seven has deployed SAS Australia into the TV prime-time ratings battle, has the network anything in its reserves that can help the veteran “reality” show out of its unfortunate pickle with viewers? They don’t want it. Two episodes in and its audience slumped again after Monday night’s very weak series opening of 643,000. About 543,000 watched nationally last night — that’s a drop of nearly 17%.

MAFS on Nine managed 1.131 million and Australian Survivor on Ten did better with 647,000. 7.30 on the ABC did well with 782,000 (and second behind MAFS for half an hour).

So it was Nine’s night from a distant Seven, with Ten third and the ABC fourth.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (31.6%)
2. Seven (25.2%)
3. Ten (19.1%)
4. ABC (15.3%)
5. SBS (8.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (24.5%)
2. Seven (17.0%)
3. Ten (12.6%)
4. ABC (10.0%)
5. SBS ONE (5.0%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (4.1%)
2. Gem, 10 Peach (2.7%)
3. 10 Bold (2.6%)
4. 7mate (2.5%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News 6.30 — 1.440 million
2. Seven News — 1.404 million
3. Married at First Sight (Nine) — 1.131 million
4. Nine News — 1.105 million
5. Nine News 6.30— 1.076 million
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.004 million
7. 7pm ABC News — 959,000
8. Home and Away (Seven) — 797,000
9. 7.30 (ABC) — 787,000
10. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 711,000 

Top metro programs: none with a million or more viewers. 

Regional Top 5: Seven News, 501,000; Seven News 6.30, 492,000; ACA, 304,000; 7pm ABC News, 300,000; Home and Away, 299,000.

Losers: SAS Australia, lost in the ratings wilderness.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 939,000
2. Seven News 6.30 — 912,000
3. Nine News  — 831,000
4. Nine News 6.30 — 797,000
5. ACA (Nine) — 700,000
6. 7pm ABC News — 659,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 526,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 377,000
9. 10 News First — 290,000
10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 230,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 410,000/240,000
2. Today (Nine) — 298,000/192,000
3. News Breakfast (ABC) — 275,000/182,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 206,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 159,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 33,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 58,000
2. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 46,000
3. Credlin (Sky News) — 44,000
4. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 40,000
5. The Repair Shop (LifeStyle) — 34,000