★★★★★ 0/5

Weakest Link debut battles Love on the Spectrum

Ratings: Big Brother leads reality battle, Seven wins Tuesday.

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Quiz show The Weakest Link returned to screens on Nine last night nearly 20 years after it last appeared on Seven.

With new host Magda Szubanski it debuted at 423,000 in a 9pm slot and a prize of around $14,000, just eclipsed by ABC’s Love on the Spectrum at 447,000 but from 8:30pm.

Earlier 7:30 led the pack at 591,000 then Big Brother 575,000, Celebrity Apprentice 567,000 (rising to 646,000 for the Boardroom), Anh’s Brush with Fame (558,000) and MasterChef Australia (549,000).

Elsewhere The Good Doctor was 286,000 then How to Stay Married (219,000) and Insight (201,000).

While Nine led in primary channels, Seven network won Tuesday with 28.3% then Nine 27.3%, 10 18.4%, ABC 18.0% and SBS 8.0%.

Seven News was #1 at 1.06m / 1.02m for Seven. Home & Away drew 613,000 then The Chase (575,000 / 342,000). The Resident managed 153,000.

Nine News (974,000 / 920,000) was best for Nine. A Current Affair was 689,000 then Hot Seat 467,000 / 310,000. Kath & Kim replays were 180,000 / 128,000.

The Project was 489,000 / 309,000 for 10. 10 News First (382,000 / 272,000) and NCIS (192,000) followed.

ABC News won its slot at 706,000 for ABC. Louis Theroux drew 233,000 and The Drum managed 172,000.

On SBS it was  Who Do You Think You Are? (200,000), SBS World News (172,000 / 129,000), Dateline (171,000), Mastermind (92,000) and The Feed (65,000).

Bluey bounced to 175,000 on multichannels.

Sunrise: 253,000
Today: 206,000
News Breakfast: 100,000 / 70,000

OzTAM Overnights: Tuesday 25 May 2021

33 Responses

  1. Was the episode shown the first recorded or did they broadcast one later on hoping that the flow would be better ?
    Either way as much as I like Magda and the glimmer of promise it showed it wasn’t enough for me to watch it next week. Perhaps if it gets a second season and the format settled it would be better.

  2. TWL was a mixed bag. It started in a really stilted fashion, and then moved on to a mix of stilted and funny. Magda was at her best when she improvised, the lines written for her fell flat. Strange thing was, I liked the voiceover person the best.

    I was reminded why I like the format of the show, it can be quite engaging. However, as others have said, the name of the show is repeated endlessly (and unnecessarily) with silly sound effects.

    I look forward to watching more episodes with a much more relaxed feel, and contestants who can compete – there was only one-and-a-half in the first episode who should have been there.

  3. Although it’s nice to have a local quiz show like TWL back on TV, Nine’s latest effort needs a lot of work. Magda just doesn’t seem like the right fit – the banter between questions feels forced and all over the place… and the stupid echoing effect they apply every time she says “the weakest link” (which is way too often) – very irritating. Only watched it because I was channel surfing, but wouldn’t bother watching it again.

  4. Fragmentation means Packed To The Rafters was really the last time “”Australia” gathered around their TV sets by the 2 to 3 million.
    If you get a few hundred thousand be thankful even if 25 million didn’t watch.

  6. Nine would say anything right now to pump up their tyres but what will they say next week when the show sheds 100.000 viewers plus ?
    A lot of this audience is curiosity but I think that will be gone by week two.
    Another one series wonder here …

  7. “As promised, Magda embraced the role with her own unique comedic brilliance. We’re extremely happy with the launch of The Weakest Link which won its timeslot and lead in all the key demographics,” said Hamish Turner, Nine’s program director. “The show demonstrates our continued commitment to investing in Australian content in the primetime schedule and achieved everything we wanted.”

  9. Unfortunately those that approved the screen test for Magda as a serious character got it very wrong. The role just screams for Pamela rabe…

  10. Weakest Link was perfectly, just wasn’t fond of the way Madga kept saying “the Weakest Link”, way too over dramatic, and it’s said way too many times to warrant being that over dramatic.

  11. I didn’t watch TWL but from what I’ve seen and read, the contestants were chosen for their personalities rather than their smarts. This shouldn’t happen. Anybody who thinks Tiger Woods is an Australian golfer has no place on a quiz show.

  12. Oh dear, it looks like we’ll be saying ‘Goodbye!’ to The awoke at Link sooner rather then later…

    What did Nine expect continuing having Magda host the show after all her controversy? Serves em right!

  13. As if the choice of host wasn’t bad enough, the contestants were the insufferably vacuous sort you’d expect from certain reality shows. No wonder their winnings were pitiful. Beauty is fleeting, kids.

    I’ll just stick with Jeopardy and Letters and Numbers, thanks.

  15. Loved the ‘old’ Weakest Link, huge fan of Magda – but sorry, for me the two do not mix. It turned out to be too much of a comedy, not a quiz show. And after the 10th time hearing the reverberating ‘The Weakest Link’….. I had enough and switched off.

      1. David, I think the telling word in your response to Mike is “claiming”. The reality is that Nine will be devastated by the terrible figures for the re-launch on this show. The lead in program was the best non-news show on the night – so viewers either switched off or changed to the ABC. Weakest Link was essentially beaten in the ratings by Love on the Spectrum (despite Nine’s tricky-worded media release).

        2. Hi Roger “..rating poorly” is a bit of a stretch for a 9pm show. If we look to last week, the highest show that started at 9pm or later was Media Watch at 400k. I suspect it will drop in week 2.

  17. Didn’t mind Weakest Link – Pleasantly surprised at Magda in the host chair.

    Maybe the one thing is to get rid of the echo when she announces who is “The Weakist Link”

    (also get smarter contestants – According to Wikipedia (I know unreliable), the $14,300 prize from last nights WL is one of the lowest for an Australian episode of WL despite the higher potential prize on this version as opposed to 7’s version).

    1. Yeah saw the US version and Jane doesnt pause on the weakest link phrase and that adds to the pace and suspense. The echo got irritating real quick.

  18. Whilst doing spreadsheet on computer I had the chance to watch TWL on 9Now. Back in 2001, contestants wrote down who is the weakest link but on the nine version they use technology to reveal who is the weakest link. Didn’t mind the music being played.
    However having the show at 9pm is a thumbs down. Lucky for me to watch it on 9Now.

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