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Back Roads scores for ABC, Nine wins Thursday.

Ratings: Poh's visit to Coober Pedy keeps viewers watching, until a Q+A debate lost ground.

ABC was strong with early evening viewers last night -until viewers drifted away from Q+A.

7:30 led its slot at 576,000 metro viewers then Back Roads (530,000), Ambulance Australia (303,000) and The World’s Greatest Palaces (144,000).

A soft lead-in saw Gogglebox return with 502,000 ahead of Wife Swap Australia (306,000) and Q+A (280,000).

The Australian Open averaged 562,000 / 391,000 viewers which was down on last Thursday.

Nine network won Thursday with 27.3% then Seven 26.6%, 10 19.3%, ABC 17.8% and SBS 9.0%.

Nine News (773,000 / 764,000) as best for Nine.

Seven News was #1 at 942,000 / 899,000 for Seven. An extended Home & Away averaged 459,000 and The Chase was 496,000 / 303,000. Busted in Bangkok was 151,000.

The Project drew 442,000 / 280,000 on 10. 10 News First was 358,000 / 211,000. A Hughesy replay drew 158,000.

ABC News won its slot with 698,000. Sammy J (286,000), The Drum (171,000) and The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty (146,000) followed.

On SBS it was SBS World News (180,000 / 142,000), Cornwall with Simon Reeve (125,000), The Truth about Cosmetic Treatments (123,000). Mastermind was 85,000.

Bluey again led multis at 206,000.

The Morning Show: 135,000 / 80,000
Studio 10: 53,000 / 47,000 / 32,000

OzTAM Overnights: Thursday 18 February 2021

18 Responses

  1. You know what, i think people are over shows like Q&A because we’re just all over the crap you know? Thats my thoughts. I mean it’s an important show don’t get me wrong and raises a lot of issues but yeah. I also think having it on Thursdays doesn’t help either. People are more switched on to topics on that show earlier in the week. Monday was perfect. It’s weird to say but by the end of the week you don’t want to sit through something like that. You want entertainment. Also i think the host needs to change as well. Hamish isn’t Tony and i think he’s the wrong person for the job. There are better people at ABC imo.

    1. With 24/7 news cycles and so many avenues on the net to discuss issues in 2021, I think the must-seeness of a once a week forum has gone the way of the Trading post and jousting sticks.

    2. I don’t know about the change of day, but I think you are right about news fatigue. While there is no urgent news about covid, there’s no real urgency to watch, and all the other “issues” (especially the ones the ABC promotes) are being endlessly flogged with no new angles.

      I would be interested to see if there is a measurable disinterest in news in the last month.

  2. “A Hughesy replay drew 158,000”. What a surprise. Not. Cupboard must really be bare if 10 need to repeat a program in primetime, in the same week. Gogglebox lead-in didn’t do anything. Where was L&O SVU? Even repeats?

    1. Even when the cupboards half full they do this. Graham Norton gets about 4 primetime repeats. Expect to see Hughsey again tonight and on 10 Shake Sunday with an Encore of TBA (sure to be Gogglebox)

  3. I don’t recall the ratings for Q+A last year on Monday nights but it would seem that the ABC’s hope of increased audience at a earlier timeslot has failed.

    Personally I have been watching Q+A since the beginning and yes, back then it was on a Thursday night as well, but I very, very much prefer it’s Monday timeslot and it would appear so do a lot of other (former) Q+A viewers.

    Should the ABC admit failure and move it back to Monday night? Perhaps too soon but they risk permanently loosing viewers no matter what the day/time is. I also have to admit that I much prefer Tony Jones as host rather than Hamish Macdonald.

  4. Why oh why was Q&A ever moved to Thursday nights? I can’t recall anything performing well at 8.30pm on a Thursday night (aside from the brilliant Fast Forward/Full Frontal and maybe The Footy Show in it’s halcyon days). But politics as a prelude to the weekend? Um, no.

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