Chaser return rates 784,000 – but is it a Wednesday flop?
The Chaser’s media and news analysis show The Hamster Wheel returned last night, slightly down in the ratings on last year’s debut.
The team’s opening sketch, a mocking show tune, lampooned not only themselves but ABC1’s struggling Wednesday line-up including mentor Andrew Denton’s Randling, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell and QI as well as ratings winners such as The Voice and Howzat.
The ABC1 comedy, which aired at 9.10pm, averaged 784,000 viewers across the five city metro markets according to preliminary ratings from OzTam. It was 12th for the night.
Last year’s premiere, which aired at 9.30pm, rated 857,000 and placed 10th for the night. Both season debuts aired after Gruen Planet.
The Hamster Wheel was seventh in 16-39 and eighth in 18-49 and 25-54.
The team also used music and the subject of ratings to promote their season return, parodying Coles’ ‘Down Down’ ad with Status Quo.
In the 8.30pm time slot, Nine’s Farmer Wants A Wife rated 987,000 in eighth spot for total viewers, Criminal Minds rated 945,000 for Seven in ninth place. Gruen Planet rated 913,000 in 10th, while Ten’s Puberty Blues in 15th spot rated 653,000.
Elsewhere, The X Factor again won the night on 1.415m, the elimination show saw the departure teen favourites What About Tonight.
Nine’s 90 minute episode of Big Brother rate 1.013m in sixth spot.
In the battle for breakfast, Seven’s Sunrise beat Nine’s Today 351,000 to 282,000.
Wednesday’s top 15 shows:
1. The X Factor – Seven 1.415m
2. Seven News – Seven 1.209m
3. Today Tonight – Seven 1.112m
4. Nine News – Nine 1.083m
5. ABC News – ABC 1.049m
6. Big Brother – Nine 1.013m
7. Home and Away – Seven 0.992m
8. The Farmer Wants A Wife – Nine 0.987m
9. Criminal Minds – Seven 0.945m
10. Gruen Planet – ABC 0.913m
11. A Current Affair – Nine 0.892m
12. The Chaser: Hamster Wheel – ABC 0.784m
13. QI – ABC 0.746m
14. 7:30 – ABC 0.714m
15. Puberty Blues – Ten 0.653m
Wednesday’s channel share:
Seven: 24.4%
Nine: 21.5%
ABC1: 14.0%
Ten: 10.2%
7TWO: 4.9%
SBS1: 4.5%
7mate: 4.2%
One: 3.4%
Eleven: 3.2%
GO!: 3.0%
ABC2: 2.0%
Gem: 2.0%
SBS2: 1.0%
ABC3: 0.8%
ABC News 24: 0.9%
Good song, but it’s no ‘We’re still Number 4’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n42lNEoP5zE I’ll be wallowing in nostalgia over here…
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Maybe people knew that the abysmal “Randling” was approaching, so they got out as quickly as they could!
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Very disappointed to find out Would I Lie To You was not screening last night. Best and funniest show on ABC.
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Biggest loss for the Today show so far.
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Totally agree Daniel “Would I Lie to You” is the best show on TV.
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Agreed Gavin. ‘Still Number 4’ was great and catchier.
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