Ten’s paid prison cell ‘interview’ with Renae Lawrence delivers ratings bump
Ten Network’s paid-for prison cell interview featuring convicted Australian drug smuggler Renae Lawrence on her time sharing a cell with Schapelle Corby delivered Ten Eyewitness News a ratings bump, while Charlie Pickering’s departure from The Project also saw the last half hour of that show soar, according to OzTam overnight ratings.
The interview, which has been slammed by the Corby family who described the allegations as “fantasy”, first aired in Ten’s news hour at 5pm, with continued coverage in the Project from 6.30pm which also farewelled long-time host Charlie Pickering.
Ten Eyewitness News saw 768,000 metro viewers tune in, compared to 661,000 last Monday, with the audience dropping away for the first half hour of The Project which only had 474,000 viewers but climbed to 774,000 in the last half hour. Last week’s episode climbed to 585,000 for the second half hour. Both shows helping Ten grab an improved 10 per cent audience share.
The final episode of the network’s whoddunit drama Secrets and Lies climbed to 409,000 people after it was scheduled to air at 8.30pm, however was delayed due to Pickering’s seven minute thank you. Last week it got 316,000 on Monday evening.
However, it was fourth in its timeslot as Seven’s My Kitchen Rules, which won the night with 1.603 million and The Block: Fans v Faves, the second most watched show with 1.485 million metro viewers, both between 7.30pm and 9pm. Nine’s final episode of Love Child had 1.227 million viewers from 9pm, while Seven’s US drama Revenge got 807,000 viewers.
The finale of Nine’s drama’s was only slightly below its debut which saw 1.354m metro viewers tune in forand the channel has confirmed the show will get a second series.
Both ABC1 shows in the timeslot, Four Corners (659,000) and Media Watch (638,000) also outrated Ten’s drama.
The Project was the fourth most watched show amongst people aged 16 – 39, but 11th in 25-54 with the new episode of Modern Family in 12th. The Block, My Kitchen Rules and Love Child were the top three across all demos.
The first half-hour of Seven News was the most watched news show with 1.296 million metro viewers tuning in at 6pm, ahead of Nine’s 1.203 million. However, Nine reversed the tide at 6.30pm getting 1.191m ahead of Seven’s news and Today Tonight offering which got 1.163m.
Nine won the night with an audience share of 25.7 per cent while Seven had an audience share of 24.7 per cent. Australian Story on ABC1 at 8pm which had a story on Kerry Packer had 863,000 viewers, with the channel having an audience share of 12.8 per cent, with ten fourth on 10 per cent.
Monday’s top 15:
- My Kitchen Rules Seven 1.603m
- The Block: Fans v Faves Nine 1.485m
- Seven News 1.296m
- Nine News 1.293m
- Love Child 1.227m
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 1.191m
- Seven News/Today Tonight Seven 1.163m
- A Current Affair Nine 1.046m
- Home and Away Seven 964,000
- ABC News ABC1 892,000
- Australian Story ABC1 863,000
- Revenge Seven 807,000
- The Project 7PM Ten 774,000
- Ten Eyewitness News Ten 768,000
- 7.30 ABC1 715,000
Monday’s share:
- Nine 25.7%
- Seven 24.7%
- ABC1 12.8%
- Ten 10.0%
- 7mate 3.7%
- GO! 3.7%
- 7TWO 3.6%
- SBS ONE 3.4%
- ELEVEN 2.5%
- ONE 2.4%
- ABC2 2.2%
- Gem 2.2%
- ABC News 24 1.2%
- ABC3 0.9%
- SBS 2 0.6%
- NITV 0.3%
Regardless of her blame, if Corby returns to jail because of this interview airing on Ch10, that’s going to be a hell of a weight for the EP to carry round.
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So she really said “in the body bag”. Spooky.
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@Another Agency ; oh good point, we can’t have news going to air which might have “consequences” can we? Or opinions either, in fact each channel should have an hours blank screen and silence each night.
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This is where it ends up when ratings from anywhere are more important than good content, good journalism, good television and programme excellence.
Once we used to talk about a few pulp magazines or T&A tabloids as the only papers that would print this or that kind of rubbish. Now it seems to be fair game, paid for in hard cash, just to boost ratings, albeit for one part of one evening only.
As for MC returning to jail on the strength of it, I think it would be unlikely since it is paid testimony in a commercial setting and hearsay into the bargain. I am no legal expert so I accept that I may be wrong.
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@Another Agency Why would Corby be sent back to jail for admitting to the crime for which she was convicted?
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