The 5pm gameshow slot has always been a heated contest be it Wheel of Fortune v The Price is Right back in the day to today’s current contest between Hot Seat with Eddie McGuire and The Chase Australia with Andrew O’Keeffe
At present, Hot Seat has been struggling in cities like Adelaide, where it airs at 4 pm compared to 5 pm because Nine opts to run its afternoon news before the main bulletin.
Last night’s episode of Hot Seat in Adelaide attracted 15,000 viewers but nationally the show managed 536,000 finishing 15th overall in the national metro markets.
Over on Channel Seven, The Chase has proven to be a hit and came out comfortably on top of Hot Seat with 626,000 viewers and the show airing at 5 pm in every metro market.
Both shows have their charm and both networks have plenty of episodes in the can to keep us all entertained as we spend more time at home.
For now, The Chase is comfortably winning the gameshow stakes and Andrew O’Keeffe and his band of Chasers should get the job done at the Winx-Like Odds.
As mentioned throughout this week as we’ve started to do TV ratings tips – it’s Seven’s audiences in Adelaide and Perth where they dominate that wins them the national 6 pm news ratings.
On the eastern seaboard, it’s far more competitive where Nine wins the 6 pm slot in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Seven News 6 pm had a big win last night with 1,245,000 viewers compared to Nine with 1,133,000
In the current climate, the top six programs are all news bulletins (noting that Nine and Seven split their bulletins at 6/6:30) from Seven, Nine and the ABC.
Seven go into tonight’s news the $1.12 favourite, however, there usually is the odd night of the week where Channel Nine gets home.
If Nine can gain a little more ground on the Eastern seaboard and attract just a smidge more viewers in Perth and Adelaide the dots may just come home with a win tonight so I’m happy to take the rank outsiders.
With no footy to broadcast tonight for both Seven and Nine it leaves them looking for other options.
In the traditional NRL states, Nine are airing “Escape to the Chateau” described as “Dick and Angel Strawbridge transform a chateau into a fairy tale castle, working on 20 rooms that still need fixing; Angel buys a van.” which sounds like enthralling viewing.
Seven has an ace up their sleeve with Better Homes and Gardens.
The show already airs in full on a Friday night in Sydney and Brisbane and, without footy in the AFL States, viewers who love BHG won’t need to flick over to 7TWO at the halfway point of the program.
Seven are also making sure there is still some action airing the 1995 Bruce Willis classic Die Hard with a vengeance which should see them please most tastes on offer.
I also wouldn’t rule out the ABC beating Ten or Nine overall tonight, but your best bet is Seven to win the Friday night prime time ratings
The battle for the green-thumb and DIY audience is on show tonight as the ABC’s Gardening Australia takes on Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens.
Last Friday night saw Costa and the crew from Gardening Australia come home with the win with 537,000 compared to Joh Griggs’ Better Homes with 496,000
If there’s one show that is peak ABC viewer – it’s Gardening Australia.
With more people stuck in the house and looking for things to do, lifestyle shows such as these two will be more relevant than ever.
On Better Homes and Gardens “Joh and Pete check out a V-shaped property with stunning views and Brazilian style. Adam shows you some DIY shortcuts. Fast Ed makes a polenta, tomato and cheese tray bake.”
Meanwhile, over on Gardening Australia “Jane Edmanson revives indoor orchids, Millie Ross visits a sky-high garden, Clarence Slockee meets volunteering native plant enthusiasts, and Sophie Thomson explores a horticulturalist’s home plant collection.”
While it’s obvious that Better Homes and Gardens offers more, the machine and institution that is Gardening Australia should triumph again as nanas and green thumbs all over Australia tune into Costa for some much needed time in the outdoors – even if it’s just in your backyard.
📣📣 Tropical Plant Lovers Alert 📣📣Plant lovers to be & in training check this out.I go deep inside a special collection of plants @RBGSydney that takes you on a tour to Asia,India,The America’s,Hawaii & Australia without leaving home.#gardeningaustralia @ABCTV #tropicalplants pic.twitter.com/5FNrjL4cA3
— Costa Georgiadis (@CostasGarden) March 26, 2020