TV3 viewers can look forward to a second season of South Pacific Pictures’ hit drama series The Almighty Johnsons.  Funding for a series two has received the green light from NZ On Air…

It’s Episode 2 of this American Pie meets Xena Warrior Princess meets Jackass concoction and Axl still hasn’t figured out that the goddess he needs to hump is living in his flat and making big, wistful eyes at him. You’d think her name, Gaia, would give it away, but while Axl’s a student he doesn’t give the impression he’s well read.

Last night’s premiere of Outrageous Fortune successor The Almighty Johnsons was big on ratings “Norse-power”.

The South Pacific Pictures comedy/drama about four brothers who are the living incarnations of Norse Gods easily won its 9.30pm time slot opposite TV One’s Castle and TV2’s Brothers and Sisters.

Axl Johnson (Emmett Skilton) gets more than he bargained for on his 21st birthday as he survives: a pre-party murder attempt by a tattooed chick with muscles, a fast car and a big sword; an earthquake; and the news, delivered by his three older brothers in a forest (Muriwai?), that he is the Norse god Odin, in charge of such important things as souls, wisdom, victory and magic, and has a serious job ahead of him.

Last night’s series finale of Outrageous Fortune hammered the competition, with its highest viewership of 18-49 year-olds in six seasons.
Meanwhile, key critics were in a congratulatory mood, with one peering into the future and declaring it “most successful locally made television series of all time”.

Everyone at TV3’s launch of its new season to media and ad agencies in Wellington took the opportunity to plug the importance of NZ content, from co-host Ben Hurley citing 7 Days’ phenomenal success, to news and current affairs chief Mark Jennings promising there would no ‘isms’ in his network’s coverage next year (“no sexism, no racism, no sarcasm”) to programming chief Kelly Martin pointing out: “Six years ago, no one would have believed a New Zealand drama would be the highest-rating drama on NZ TV in 2010.”

MediaWorks surprised media and ad agencies in Wellington this morning when it revealed TV3 and C4 would be targeting older demographics next year.
TV3 will seek to seize the 25-54 year-olds mantle from a struggling TV One while C4, which will be rebranded FOUR, is to become a big-gun entertainment channel with its sights fixed on 18-49 year-olds.

Last night’s highly trumpeted return of Outrageous Fortune for its final season earned the award-winner its biggest audience since going to air five years ago. The premiere drew a whopping 24.8 percent of 25-54 year-olds (45.5 share), 24.5% of 18-39 (48.2), 27.8% of household shoppers with kids (51.9), and 23.7 percent (45.9) of TV3’s target audience, 18-49.