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Catalyst upstages Redfern Now

Ratings: A controversial Catalyst episode attracts a bumper audience, but Seven wins the night despite no shows over the magic million.

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8rdfwA controversial Catalyst episode attracted a bumper audience of 990,000 viewers last night -higher than everything on television last night aside from News.

The episode looking at tactics used by drug companies to distort cholesterol-lowering medication data had been criticised this week by key medical groups, including the AMA.

Having such a high viewing base should have been an ideal launching pad for the excellent and award-winning Redfern Now, but it pulled 604,000, down on the 721,000 of Season 1’s premiere with a much lower lead-in.

ABC1 still did well for the night, including an ABC News Update topping the night (is this a first?), but Seven won overall despite no shows over the magic million.

Seven won Thursday with 28.6% to Nine 27.9%, ABC 20.6%, TEN 16.8% and SBS 6.2%.

Seven News was 992,000 then Today Tonight (884,000), Beauty and the Geek Australia (834,000), Home and Away (821,000), How I Met Your Mother (629,000), How I Met Your Mother (629,000), Grey’s Anatomy (498,000) and  Million Dollar Minute (447,000). The Amazing Race was 194,000.

Nine News (1.03m) was best for Nine then A Current Affair (797,000), Big Brother (790,000), Hot Seat (533,000) and Top Gear (467,000 / 220,000 in 3 cities). Nine screened The Dark Knight (84,000) in Adelaide and Perth instead of Top Gear.

Following Catalyst for ABC1 were ABC News (849,000), 7:30 (833,000), Redfern Now (604,000), Fry’s Planet Word (334,000) and Auction Room (229,000).

Law and Order: SVU (693,000) led TEN then TEN Eyewitness News (559,000) and Jamie’s Food Fight Club (478,000). The Project was down to 404,000, The Simpsons was 256,000 and Revealed was 221,000.

The London Markets (281,000) was best for SBS ONE followed by Masters of Sex (230,000), Italian Food Safari (219,000), Destination Flavour: Japan (209,000) and World News Australia (152,000).

Big Bang was big on GO! at 350,000.

OzTAM Overnights: Thursday 31 October 2013

8 Responses

  2. Our Foxtel IQ started recording at 8.01pm and finished at 8.34pm.
    As a consequence of the ABC’s pathetic advertisements and the previous program running over, we missed the end of Catalyst.
    The ABC is the worst station now (of those we watch/record) for late starts and it’s usually because they are just running promos ad nauseum.
    They deserve a good kick!

  3. Redfern Now was great last night sad it didnt get better numbers!

    Loved how they intergrated Deb from season 1 but in a support role instead of taking center stage again

  4. It’s interesting that a program like Catalyst would do so well, when the general impression is that the great unwashed would never dream of watching anything on the ABC. Gratifying to see.

    And Redfern Now was fabulous, great acting and terrific photography and direction. Is there anyone better than Noni?

  7. From memory the Saturday night news update on ABC used to be the highest program of the night; when the Doc Martin’s et al would pull a million viewers. There was certainly lots to choose from last night. Won’t be for much longer. Alas….

  8. On last nights numbers, I would say Nine will be making the decision to reinstate thirty minutes of news in Sydney and ACA at 6.30. TT just beat it last night in viewers which is unheard of in Sydney where ACA ususally gets 30% more than TT.

    Disappointing numbers for Redfern Now – it deserved more. Noni Hazelhurst’s performance was brilliant and reminds me of how constrained her role is in A Place to Call Home.

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