★★★★★ 0/5

Tuesdays not so funny for Please Like Me

Ratings: Did ABC2 pick the wrong timeslot for Josh Thomas? Nine takes its third night of the week.

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2014-09-10_1008It’s no laughing matter when a network picks the wrong timeslot for your show, and it’s a fate that appears to have befallen Please Like Me for Josh Thomas.

Last year it launched to 176,000 viewers on Thursday nights on ABC2 and was the channel’s highest-rating scripted show. This year on a Tuesday night it began with 103,000, but has now dropped to 57,000 in a timeslot not known for local comedy offerings. Despite positive reviews, viewers are either not warming to the material this season or are just forgetting it’s there.

Last night also saw the debut of Foxtel’s acclaimed Devil’s Playground which attracted 48,000 viewers. There’s much to factor in here. Screened on the Showcase channel, it isn’t available on the basic tier, and the number appears to be an average across its double episode premiere. The STV platform of course also works on multiple playouts, and heavy catch-up, so a final number is yet to be sorted.

Nine network easily won the night with a 34.3% share then Seven 26.4%, TEN 17.4%, ABC 16.1% and SBS 5.8%.

The Block is still tops at 1.43m for Nine then Nine News (1.13m / 1.06m), ACA (1.05m), Big Brother (924,000) and Hot Seat (657,000). Arrow was 254,000.

Seven News (1.08m / 1.05m) was best for Seven then Home and Away (822,000), Winners and Losers (730,000), Bringing Sexy Back (617,000), Million Dollar Minute (559,000) and Chicago Fire (365,000 / 251,000).

The Project was 643,000 / 492,000 on TEN then TEN Eyewitness News (622,000), NCIS (439,000) and Save with Jamie (421,000).

ABC News (826,000) topped ABC then 7:30 (766,000), Foreign Correspondent (664,000), The War that Changed Us (472,000), QI (453,000) and At the Movies (344,000).

On SBS ONE it was Who Do You Think You Are? (320,000), Insight (236,000), Dateline (216,000) and SBS World News (138,000).

Neighbours again led multichannels at 323,000.

The Morning Show: 146,000 / 98,000
Mornings: 129,000
Studio 10: 41,000 / 35,000

OzTAM Overnights: Tuesday 9 September 2014

46 Responses

  1. I agree with a lot of the other commenters, there is something creepy or passive/aggressive or something about Josh Thomas which gives me the irrits. And I will never buy an Optus product after those ads! That said, I have watched a couple of episodes and the scenes where Debra Lawrence and Denise Drysdale are together are terrific.

    As for Big Brother, it seems to be an afterthought for 9 being on so late in the year and with an 840 timeslot. How 10 must wish they still had the rights, they desperately needed something to put on straight after Masterchef to carry the momentum

  2. I don’t think it’s the timeslot’s fault re: PLM. I just don’t think Josh Thomas is as great as the critics make out. And given that 103,000 is now 57,000 it indicates a lot of the viewers are finding out the same. And if the iview numbers were impressive I’m sure ABC would be letting us know.

    And +1 re the Optus ads. Perhaps because I’m not a Gen Y but they don’t endear me to the Optus brand or to Josh Thomas at all.

  3. Normally I would enthusiastically jump into any debate about why ****** **** ** failed, but I’ve been given an Official Reprimand by David never to talk about ****** **** ** again!

  4. It is amazing how this little Aussie comedy on ABC2 generates so much comment! Never would have thought of Josh Thomas as someone who could polarise opinions so much.

  5. @Belinda.. I’m with you on this one wholeheartedly. I’ve watched every episode of PLM, but this season just isn’t doing it for me as much as the first one did for the same reasons you’ve mentioned. It just doesn’t feel as sweet this time around..

  6. There has been plenty of commentary online in both Fairfax and Guardian news sites. He’s not funny, and people won’t like him.

    “in a timeslot not known for local comedy offerings. … or are just forgetting it’s there.”

    David – I think my explanation has more legs. In the age of online and onscreen program guides, search functions, not-at-home recorder control, (and so on) people are not forgetting it’s there, and timeslots don’t matter (beyond sticking to one).

  7. The 9pm encore of the previous week’s ep of Please Like Me prior is probably not a good strategy as those watching Good Game are lost.

    As a comparison, what does Good Game & the 9pm encore rate?

  8. Agree with @Evan43 about The War That Changed Us.
    Not normally a fan of War docos/dramas but this series has been excellent.
    Deserved better numbers.

    Also agree with @strayamayte about Big Brother so far.
    Something’s definitely missing – will give it a few more days to hopefully improve.

  10. Personally I find Josh Thomas irritating, and his ads for Optus are terrible, so perhaps that is one reason why more people aren’t watching Please Like Me?
    It is a shame that “The War Which Changed Us” didn’t get better ratings for ABC1 – a quality documentary series.

  11. A real shame about the low numbers for PLM.
    Not everyone’s cup of tea but I really enjoy its gentle, irreverant humour.
    Denise Dysdale as Ginger and Deborah Lawrence as Rose are standouts – love these two characters.

    Don’t mind that time slot at all but the same time on a Wednesday night on the main ABC channel would be more successful I think..

  12. The number for PLM are puzzling. We IQ it every week as do most of my friends, so I am not sure if these numbers get taken into account. Its still my favourite show of the year, with VEEP coming a close second!

  13. Maybe my memory is faulty, but I am sure I enjoyed season one of Please Like Me more than this current season. It has just lost something (Aunty Peg?). Josh (character) has become more annoying, yet less funny. Debra Lawrance is still outstanding though.

    The HuffPo has another “the best show you’re not watching” article about the show today.

  14. I forgot it was on the first week, but thankfully they repeat the last weeks episodes. Have been really enjoying PLM, the most geniuely funny comedy I’ve seen here in years. The supporting cast is great, althogh I preferred Deborah Lawrence performance more last year. I think it’s her short bright red hair this season, very distracting. And Denise Drysdale in her first acting gig in years, love to see more of her on any show.

  15. I don’t watch PLM live as ABC2 would wish, I prefer to tape PLM and Backstreet Drivers and watch Winners and Losers more live (the cast usually tweet during the show). Its also interesting having the PLM encores on before new eps

  16. Big Brother is absolutely boring this year! The Mrs, I and me mates think if it doesn’t pick up tonight we are tuning out. There is not one person that has grabbed me this year, I’d prefer a bit of diversity in age and maybe where they’re from too (a majority from Sydney and Queensland). But do 9 even care about the daily show?! They show like 2 minutes of what happens in the day and have been doing so for the last few years. It’s just looking a bit bleak for the BB14, maybe they just couldn’t top Tim?

  17. I am one of the 21 million who have no interest in josh Thomas’s rubbish show.

    How could he fail someone asks? He is not funny yet thinks he is a comedian and his show is rubbish.

    And to suggest the disgraceful ratings could be due to the night of the week or channel is absurd. Everyone now has digital tv and whether it is abc 1 or 2 or 3 it wouldn’t make a difference. If it was on abc news, sure, not everyone has HD capabilities so there may be some who want to watch it but can’t. If this show was as good as some suggest it is then it would rate and people wouldn’t ‘forget’ it was on. Lots of people have pvrs and if they liked it would record it so they wouldn’t ‘forget’.

  18. I watch it but when you are recording big brother and winners and losers it doesn’t work since can’t record three at once.
    Also couldn’t record new girl for same reason.

  19. I would suspect it has an audience on Iview but when Lilley’s last three shows dropped huge numbers the ABC put out iview numbers to try and stem the criticism. They haven’t done that, so who knows? I would think the Optus Ads would not have helped.

  22. Please like me is a quality show. It’s on ABC two!!!! at 9.30pm. So not right. I reckon it will do very well overseas. Josh is a great talent. If Wilfred can do well overseas, how can Josh fail?

  23. How is the Devil’s Playground “acclaimed” when it hasn’t been aired yet? Methinks the country’s journalists are getting too big for their britches when they think they can declare something as being acclaimed. They have a habit of swooning over certain shows which then turn out to be not so swoon-worthy (not mentioning any names).

    Or maybe audiences don’t want to watch a show about child abuse? Stories based on current affairs tend to have a “meh” effect on audiences. Morose and earnest subject matter is the kiss of death for Oz movies. Maybe it’s the same for TV?

    1. Jimbo: Haven’t read a bad review of Devil’s Playground yet, so I’m very comfy with the wording.
      Mafyou: Don’t have PLM iview numbers, hope they are good. I like the show, just don’t think ABC has given it a timeslot that garners attention.

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