• Married At First Sight second ep holds 1m+, Nine holds #1
• My Kitchen no longer Rules for Seven as foodies depart
• All aboard: Big audiences for both Tuesday train travellers
The second episode of Married At First Sight has delivered Nine another big audience and a clear ratings victory. Weddings three and four went off with the requisite hitches and enough hooks to keep viewers glued to the series. The episode was again up year-on-year and MAFS has quickly taken top spot on the VPM rankings, pushing aside Love Island UK and Home and Away.
“We are delighted that audiences have embraced the new season of MAFS,” said Hamish Turner Nine’s program director after the launch episode ratings yesterday. “The numbers across both linear and digital have delivered above expectation particularly in the key demos we focus on 25-54s, 16-39s and GS+Child.”
Elsewhere on the channel A Current Affair had a second night above 700,000 with 732,000.
The much-hyped interview with Thomas Markle screened after MAFS with 611,000 watching.
Week One: Married At First Sight
Monday 1,154,000
Tuesday 1,067,000
Seven again started the night well with News and then Home and Away.
However things have taken a bad turn on My Kitchen Rules: The Rivals with a third night audience of 402,000 again ranking the episode #4 in the timeslot. Viewers aren’t buying what Seven is selling and the idea of Manu v Colin isn’t working and perhaps a little confusing. It is hard to see the series recovering much from here and it raises big questions about the future of one of Seven’s most successful formats in Australia and around the world.
A real viewing highlight though on the channel was the doco from Denham Hitchcock, Hellfire: The Battle for Cobargo. Hitchcock was reporter and producer of the special and had some horrifying vision and a series of insightful interviews including putting PM Scott Morrison on the spot. The special did 302,000 and was not helped by the lead-in.
My Kitchen Rules: The Rivals Week 1
Sunday 498,000
Monday: 517,000
Tuesday: 402,000
Episode two of Australian Survivor: All Stars backed off from its launch numbers too, but it is not losing viewers year-on-year. The numbers for 10 last night, 562,000, were up significantly on the night year-on-year. Twelve months ago 10 was still deep in the jungle with I’m A Celebrity. Last night another former winner was voted out at Tribal Council on Survivor All Stars.
The Project did 443,000 with Waleed back in the studio.
Later in the night 10 rolled out its traditional Tuesday US dramas – NCIS on 266,000 and then NCIS: Los Angeles on 172,000.
Australian Survivor: All Stars Week 1
Monday 624,000
Tuesday 562,000
For the ABC, Nigella At My Table was on 262,000 at 8pm.
The 8.30pm doco series from Essential Media – Griff’s Great Australian Rail Trip – went close to doubling that audience with 484,000.
Rick Stein’s Road to Mexico then launched with 263,000.
Michael Portillo in Australia was always going to do good things for SBS. He certainly delivered on that anticipation with 404,000 tuning in at 7.30pm for the launch of Great Australian Railway Journeys. It is a little strange perhaps to have two older British travellers delivering Australian viewers features on our rail systems (on the same night). However both Portillo and Griff Rhys Jones are so entertaining and passionate about our country it makes for wonderful TV. Particularly Portillo’s journey off rail last night to uncover wonderful stories about our past.
