The major television networks had their work cut out for them in 2010. I attribute this to two things. First, my eyes roamed elsewhere with the advent of four enticingly shiny and syndication-heavy Freeview channels – GEM, 7TWO, 7mate and Go! – the latter’s programming coupled with my irregular viewing patterns created, for one week only, the illusion that Seinfeld was on all day every day. I didn’t hate that. Secondly, my propensity (and by “my” I mean “our”) to download/stream content is skyrocketing daily because hell, live each internet day as if it’s your last my friends plus you know there’s an 80% chance that Megaupload link to the latest 30 Rock episode will expire within the next week and who can wait six months til it finally screens in Australian? A more patient man perhaps but not I.
Still, despite the fragmented audiences and wealth of on-demand media options, there were a handful of programs which captured the nation’s imagination in that big, zeitgeisty way that seems, for reasons currently unknown, culturally relevant or in some way significant to Australia’s view of itself. We suffered through a lot of terrible television too I might add, but now that the 2010 ratings season is officially over, the results are in and we can all reminisce about the shows we loved, hated, loved-to-hate, hated-to-love, avoided, have never heard of, and chose not to watch because we could stream Mad Men or Jersey Shore instead.
The second season of MasterChef Australia was the unrivaled hit of 2010 following a dream first season that spawned a celebrity incarnation as well as a kids version in it’s mega-ratings wake. This year it topped the ratings heap again with the season finale ranking among the top ten most watched Australian broadcasts of the last ten years at close to 4 million viewers. We learned words like “snow egg” and “croquembouche”.
I can’t really fathom how Packed To The Rafters became Australia’s drama series du jour, but with an average viewership of over two million Aussies throughout its 22 episode season, it ranks as the top regular program of 2010. Clearly I’m missing out on something. Aside from winning a handful of one horse race Logies and cementing its place as Australia’s favourite local drama, the program’s highpoint came in episode 20’s tirelessly spruiked “death of a Rafter” plotline which seemed to like a cataclysmic piece of drama for those who watched the series religiously. Testament to the show’s grip on the Australian public’s heartstrings I guess, because fictional TV characters die all the time but this was somehow front page news?
While Seven and Ten’s ratings hits were obvious, Channel Nine’s most fruitful local drama was Underbelly: The Golden Mile which averaged 1.73 million viewers across its third, 13 episode series. Reprising the same gritty gangland drama of its predecessors, Golden Mile followed the rags-to-riches story of Sydney nightlife figure John Ibrahim. It was OK but not essential viewing. Apparently there are talks to make an American version which makes absolutely no sense at all.
For those who prefer intellectual stimulation with a side of satire, the ABC’s Wednesday night comedy line-up also rated well with The Gruen Transfer averaging 1.62 million viewers, Yes We Canberra! 1.38million and Spicks and Specks 1.2million. Gruen resonated with audiences due to its irreverent, insider take on the world of advertising and was the fifth most watch regular program of 2010.
Via Media Spy
