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Another new low for Q+A, as Seven wins quiet Thursday.

With AFL & NRL in play, it was a quiet night on Thursday. Gogglebox topped entertainment shows.

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Q+A has hit another new low of just 168,000 metro viewers, slipping behind its low of 175,000 last week.

Put some of that down to the addition of sport in the mix with AFL and NRL both in play as well as the top entertainment show, Gogglebox at 483,000 -all of which ABC programming knew it would be up against when it settled on the new slot last year.

Sport meant there were low numbers elsewhere across the board, with 7:30 leading its slot at 431,000 then First Dates (375,000), Foreign Correspondent (264,000) and RBT (147,000 in 3 cities).

In competing sports were AFL on Seven at 473,000 then NRL on Nine at 340,000.

Seven network won Thursday with 32.4% then Nine 25.6%, 10 18.5%, ABC 15.0% and SBS 8.5%.

Seven News was #1 at 855,000 / 811,000 for Seven. The Chase was 447,000 / 274,000. Home & Away was 361,000. A Harry Potter movie was 160,000 across the network.

Nine News (773,000 / 704,000) was best for Nine. A Current Affair was 433,000 in 4 cities then Hot Seat (335,000 / 233,000). In select cities Australia Behind Bars and A+E After Dark were 110,000 / 58,000 respectively.

The Project drew 282,000 /  204,000 for 10. 10 News First was 276,000 / 188,000 then a replay of Would I Lie to You? (162,000).

ABC News pulled 581,000. Sammy J (245,000), The Drum (113,000) and One Plus One (96,000) followed.

On SBS it was SBS World News 163,000 / 133,000 then The Royals: Keeping the Crown (147,000), Then & Now: The River Thames: 142,000, Mastermind (85,000) and Britain’s Most Expensive Houses (67,000).

Bluey led multichannels at 120,000.

The Morning Show: 141,000 / 93,000
Today Extra: 101,000 / 61,000
Studio 10: 34,000 / 32,000

In Total TV numbers last Thursday were:

Showtrial: 315,000
Home & Away: 949,000
Gogglebox: 981,000
Q+A: 296,000

OzTAM Overnights: Thursday 17 March 2022

12 Responses

  1. Ok so I’m living in the past but remember when top rating shows were at 2 million like MC s1? Packed to the Rafters. And in the 80s under 900k was a flop. I can’t believe how low the numbers are for overnight.
    I wonder how long this can go on?

  2. Do they have plans to choose a permanent host? I’m not sure who would be most popular with the public but my votes on Virginia. Maybe the uncertainty is contributing to low ratings but more likely the time slot, do we know why they changed it?

      1. It’s my understanding that they changed it because the ABC Program Manager (or whatever position is called) made a edict about 2 years or so ago that there would be no “ABC” made programs after 9:30pm due to the budget cuts.

        An exception is the “ABC Late News” but I’m fairly sure that is probably pre-recorded earlier in the evening. Other exceptions have been, co-productions, eg: “The Poles Revealed” this coming Tuesday night at 9:30pm which is a co-production with the BBC.

        If the ABC stand by that edict then it makes it hard to put Q+A back where it belongs (IMHO). It must also be remembered that when Q+A 1st went to air back in 2008, it was on a Thursday night at 8pm. This was changed shortly after to 8:30pm on Thursday night … and the 1st few seasons didn’t rate well then before it was moved to Monday nights where it did much, much better.

  4. I tried to watch this show when it first started years ago and tuned out after 15 minutes. I occasional see a few minutes here and there, when ads are on the show I am actually watching and it still hasn’t improved. To many talking heads saying a lot without saying anything (of consequence or insight) at all.

    1. Well that’s how it would seem to someone when you only watch a minute or two here and there when in fact it is brilliant and guests make amazingly, profound statements every week, especially including last night. I hate watching gogglebox for various reasons (I love celebrity versions though). I wish my SVU was back on. But at least when it’s not on and at 8.30 I don’t have to decide which one to watch live and which one to record and watch later. So in that respect I love gogglebox being on against QandA because I have nothing stoping me from watching it live. Which really is the best way to view it.

      1. Leilani, it only takes one or two minutes listening to realise that this show and the people involved are the same people who appear on many other similar shows, so I know what to expect.

        I don’t know if you saw it or not and I only caught the tail end of it but the National Press Club speech given by Dennis Richardson and Paul Dibb last week was a masterclass in what political discourse should be about. Granted they were got “out of government” and therefore could speak more freely. But these were subject experts who worked in these fields and knew all the ins and outs, including limitations of what can or can’t be done from an operational, as well as political perspective. I learnt more about the realities of the Ukraine War in that 10 minutes I saw, than any of the “thoughts and prayers” and misguided optimism that I would see on shows like Q&A.

        Q&A needs to re-invent itself. Panel discussions no longer cut it, it needs to move into the information age.

  5. If I remember correctly, I replied in another post earlier this year when the ABC announced that Q+A was staying on Thursday nights, that doing so would kill Q+A … my prediction appears to be coming true.

    I think the former & current presenters are also contributing to its death … none of them have the “statue” of Tony Jones.

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