Glee’s awful ratings hurt Mr and Mrs Murder debut for Ten
Ten’s suffered one of the worst rating prime time network shows of all time last night when Glee averaged just 269,000 metro viewers according to preliminary overnight ratings from OzTAM.
The poor lead-in from Glee meant that the premiere of Ten’s new Australian drama Mr and Mrs Murder did well to recover to an average audience of 782,000. The drama featuring Shaun Micallef and Kat Stewart peaked at 936,000 viewers.
However, Mr & Mrs Murder ran third in its timeslot both in all people and Ten’s key advertising demographics of 16-39 and 18-49. It was beaten by Nine’s Sandra Bullock movie The Blind Side and American military drama Last Resort on Seven.
However, the performance Mr and Mrs Murder could not be considered a disaster. It ran fifth for the night in 18-49-year-olds and sixth in 16-39s, it was 11th in total people .
A spokesman for Ten declined to comment on the future of Glee in the 7.30pm timeslot. Media analyst Steve Allen told Mumbrella he could not think of a prime time show that had rated worse than Glee, and he was confident it was in the top five worst weeknight performers since ratings began.
Seven’s My Kitchen Rules dominated the night with 1.755m viewers. Nine’s The Block: All Stars rated 1.041m
Nine’s A Current Affair narrowly beat Seven’s Today Tonight nationally and in Melbourne and Sydney where new TT host Helen Kapalos fronts the program.
Ten ran fourth for the night with an overall audience share of 10.5 per cent per cent. Seven won with 26 per cent , Nine had 24.2 per cent, ABC1 12.3 per cent and SBS One 3.3 per cent.
Wednesday’s Top 15 shows
1. My Kitchen Rules – Seven – 1.755m
2. Nine News – Nine – 1.151m
3. Last Resort – Seven – 1.131m
4. Seven News – Seven – 1.101m
5. The Block – Nine – 1.041m
6. A Current Affair – Nine – 0.962m
7. Today Tonight – Seven – 0.951m
8. ABC News – ABC – 0.938m
9. Home and Away – Seven – 0.919m
10. The Blind Side – Nine – 0.841m
11. Mr and Mrs Murder – Ten – 0.782m
12. 7:30 – ABC – 0.720m
13. Ten News – Ten – 0.661m
14. QI – ABC – 0.643m
15. Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell – ABC – 0.625m
Wednesday’s channel share:
Seven: 26.0%
Nine: 24.2%
ABC1: 12.3%
Ten: 10.6%
7TWO: 3.9%
7mate: 3.4%
Eleven: 3.4%
SBS1: 3.3%
GO!: 3.2%
Gem: 3.2%
ABC2: 2.6%
One: 1.6%
ABC3: 0.9%
ABC News 24: 0.9%
SBS2: 0.5%
NITV: 0.1%
Surely the clock must already be ticking for Beverley McGarvey and James Warburton. TEN has continued its poor form already into the ratings year. Why put a program like Glee – which appeals to 15 year old girls as a lead-in to a program that is clearly going to appeal to people 35+. A dud programming decision and a dud line-up. TEN must be thrilled no one has yet taken a serious look at their Monday line up which is crap. Masterchef Professionals has failed because Marco Pierre White is not an arsehole, which many viewers were hoping to see.
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Glee’s ratings could be the result of a natural decline in quality, but it could also be a protest no-watch by viewers aware of how the show ripped off an arrangement by indie artist Jonathan Coulton:
http://www.jonathancoulton.com.....-and-glee/
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Watched Mr & Mrs Murder last night. It is pretty much a sympton of Ten that this show was successfully pitched to them. The whole premise is so unlikely and so poorly executed. Where do you go from here with such a flimsy premise? But the fact it got to 936,000 viewers is evidence that there are many people still curious enough to shift to Ten for the right shows. The problem isn’t that Ten doesn’t have a place within the free to air TV world but that its management doesn’t have the ability to commission shows which can work. And certainly the lesson to be learnt is that as unpalateable as it may be for Ten to spend the money, that good Australian drama is a good way to go to bed audiences. Perhaps it is about time that influential advertisers brought some real analysis to this. Ten can be turned around but neither the Board nor its management really has a clue.
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I think viewers are over Glee. It has lost its novelty value when it goes from innocent teenagers wanting to sing and perform to storylines involving romance and nothing else plust a few songs thrown in that have no relevance. That is what I thought and i have not watched Glee for the past few seasons. I think people tuned in to Mr and Mrs Murder to see what it was about. The promos certainly seemed like it was a comedy so I did not watch it.
Isnt it strange that all the knockers of Channel 10s programs(Big Brother,Oz Idol, Masterchef) have copied Ten and have now left Ten in the doldrums. Ten started reality shows but now see where they are!
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Well said Harry @ 11.09am. You were a tad too kind though as the whole box & dice i.e. acting, script, directing, staging & camera work were all simply appalling. The Ten management really do not have a clue and keep commissioning shows only attractive to bogans & the intellectally challenged which all fail in a short time. Australia does have a real problem with poor, poor acting “talent”. All over paid and under performers.
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I know how to solve Ten’s problems.
Hand it over to those that comment on Mumbrella as they clearly are very experienced in running a TV network and seem to know everything.
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It’s because Channel 10 is the worst Channel on television! Whoever organises the episodes of Glee should be fired! Taking a break for three weeks here, four weeks there in between episodes is making everyone who watches the programme to go online and stream the episodes for free so when it finally comes time to watch the episode on Australian TV everyone is already five weeks ahead. Get your act together Channel 10, because seriously, I love Glee, but your ridiculous scheduling has caused me to never watch Glee on TV… because I’m already so far ahead.
YOU AIRED A CHRISTMAS EPISODE IN FEBRUARY FOR GODS SAKE!!
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What about some decent sketch comedy? Fast Forward was great.
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269,000 what a kick in the guts. That is less than a 9% share across 7,9 and 10. Re runs of Micallefs Generation game must being dusted off for next week surely. Also Please don’t use the word disaster so inappropriately. The Titanic was a disaster. This was much worse than that.
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Wait a Minute!
Mr and Mrs Murder comes very very close to being excellent television. The characters and the style are right on the button. The execution of the style is, alas, clumsy and drawn out.
Again, good production skills, sharp directing, tighter scripts and a proper sense of ensemble, could cure the few ills and elevate Mr and Mrs Murder to the top of the ladder.
Ten must get the basic rules of drama and comedy under control, from there, they can begin the climb to the top.
Forget about the others, concentrate upon the real problems, which are all internal.
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I gave it a full 10 mins, and then had to turn back to Foxtel. I am all for giving local shows ago, but this one was a shocker.
Terrible script, acting – well basic, but with all those silly looks and expressions. And why do we always have to have the standard “dumb” detective character?
Trying to be witty, like NCIS etc, but fails badly.
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also, if people who make programming at TEN are chosen by people ho cannot come up with an idea to save their lives, they will never hire anyone as creative or more creative than themselves, because they will feel threatened. They hire people to make shows who are as talent-free and creatively-destitute as themselves, so they don’t have to “worry”. Like Bimbos on a cheerleading team only choose bimbos to join the cheerleading team, so they don’t feel bad or “threatened”.
Just like Philip Adams never advocates for anyone who can write a goddamn SALEABLE script, only wanktards who keep repeating “Don’s Party”.
People who respect talent come up with shows that win. People who only hire people that reflect themselves, to make shows, LOSE. TV audiences are now weaned on shows that BREAK molds, versus free-to-air-crap that is just a dumb-ass greenlighting a show that won’t make him realize he’s nothing more than a dumb-ass.
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Channel Ten has officially destroyed itself. Glee used to average over one and a half million viewers per episode and Channel Ten’s erratic programming choices killed it. And then to put it up against MKR, one of the highest rating shows on Aussie television? Crazy. Ten is getting exactly what they deserve. Glee could find a comfortable slot on Eleven but I don’t see Mr and Mrs Murder going anywhere, to be honest.
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I thought Mr and Mrs Murder was hilarious.. I’ll be watching it next week..
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Glee’s shocking rating barely managed a blip on the media radar, yet last year when much higher rating local shows were on (Lara Bingle a great example) out came the Tall Poppy cutters. It almost seems unfair.
Ten need to move Glee over to Eleven where the market is younger and find something quick to replace it.
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I loved me and mrs murder! Are you serious people! Would you prefer to watch reality tv. I loved the acting and particularly the script. We all talked about it at work today and agreed it will be on the weekly watch list. I think some of you people just like to have a winge and pretend you are some sort of industry professionals. Sad that others may read your “thoughts” and be put of watching this great new Aussie show.
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PT are you saying Mr and Mrs Mulder is a joke
?
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@ Tc
You say you give local shows “ago”, yet ten minutes away from Foxtel is hardly giving a new idea a fair go.
How do you dare to damn a script, the work of actors and to comment upon facial expression ( a thing which actually doesn’t exist) after a mere 10 min?
To find an answer to your question [quote] “why do we always have to have the standard “dumb” detective character?” [unquote] I suggest that you check out Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, just a couple of writers who made a great theatrical tradition from less than brilliant detectives.
Your question is rather like asking why do they have to stop the action and burst into song in musicals? Or, why do pantomimes have women playing boys and a man playing an old women?
Mr and Mrs Murder has the absolute formula for great success, it is very well thought out and nicely drawn. The great sadness for me, is that the execution of the style, by those responsible for production and direction, is so sadly lacking.
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Is Richard Moss on the Mumbrella payroll? He seems to be writing more than the Mumbrella journos.
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If channel 10 stopmucking around with airing glee from week to week with massive breaks they might have a more consistent viewing audience
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re Glee: I agree with Melissa..hello channel 10 stop friggin with airing Glee.. who knows when it is on from week to week.
re Mr and Mrs Murder: a suggested plot line..Kill off Mr Murder… it will improve the show
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@ Geoff
I have no comment to make regarding Glee, but your comment about a plot line that kills off Mr Murder is interesting.
The character of Mr Murder is essential to the entire premise of the story. I suspect you would kill the character off, not because you think he it not working well, but that you do not much like the character as presented. This is the essential work of the production and direction people or team.
There is a mismatch with the two characters, but it is not visual and it is not in the writing, there may well be a need for fine tuning of performance value, but definitely no call to cut the character.
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My daughter and I really enjoy Mr. and Mrs. Murder. We’ve watched a few episodes already and we look forward to it each and every week now. It’s not meant to be taken seriously and that is part of it’s charm. We love the acting and plots – and considering that it has no where near the budget of American shows (that are typical and boring) we think this is a superb effort. Who said that it poor poor acting and the scenarios are unbelievable? Well hello? American TV is believable? Not in the slightest. Mr. and Mrs Murder is simply great entertainment, keeps you guessing and a whole lot of fun !!!
Sean Micallef does a top acting job and ad libs his lines brilliantly. I admire the guy – he is really versatile, witty and keeps improving despite many career setbacks. Go Sean!
I have watched the acting and story lines closely and think they are great. Nicola Buchannan and most of the cast do a great job as well. Thanks to all concerned for producing this great program and for having the guts to give this a go – we love it! and need more of it and we need more faith in our home grown talent.
It sure beats watching people being humiliated to get TV ratings or the same old same old crime garbage that we are deluged with every single night of the week.
So “10 out of 10” for Ten putting this great and entertaining show on.
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This programme is a breath of fresh air. Aussie tv needed something different. Its a brave go at a cut throat market and i love seeing australians have the balls to take a risk. Main characters are entertaining and special guests each week adds flavour. Well done.
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