The top TV hits of 2012
In this roundup from the Encore and Mumbrella Annual, we revisit the year’s biggest TV hits.
1. The Voice
With at least three singing shows having come before it on Aussie TV, The Voice was going to have to do something spectacular to deliver a ratings hit. The show debuted with 2.177m viewers with the finale attracting an average metro audience of 3.098m according to OzTam. No other show on the box this year came close to matching the overall performance across the series with most episodes hovering around the 2m viewer mark.
2. Puberty Blues
Ten may have had a year to forget but one shining light in the network’s line-up was Southern Star-produced drama Puberty Blues. Whether it was the story, based on the 1970s novel of the same name, the performance of the cast or attention to detail that made this show a hit, it consistently delivered around one million views.
3. The Olympics
Issues with Eddie McGuire and Nine’s obsession with swimming aside, the two weeks of wall-to-wall sport were a ratings boon for Nine with evening sessions of the games attracting around 2m viewers each night.
4. HOWZAT! Kerry Packer’s War
Who knew a combination of cricket and Kerry Packer would result in top-quality drama? Clearly Nine and Southern Star did as the two-part series dominated its Sunday night timeslot.
5. Go Back To Where You Came From: Series 2
The first series picked up an award at the Rose d’Or Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, and the second series turned up the heat with a cast of prominent Australians including ex-radio shock jock Michael Smith and musician Angry Anderson. Still gripping viewing.
6. The Block
The reality renovation show The Block, in it’s fifth season, continued to deliver for Nine. The winning duo of miner Brad and his girlfriend Lara took home a cash prize of more than $600,000 and a whopping ratings victory of 2.7m.
7. Gruen
Gruen continues to do well on the ABC and collected the Encore TV series of the year award based on a public vote in September.
- This list first appeared in the Encore and Mumbrella Annual available in the App store and on Google Play.
