HDTV Ratings: April 11

Last night’s season finale of TV3’s The Almighty Johnsons didn’t rate as high as recent episodes but won its slot with 18-49 and 25-54 year-olds.

It drew 8.8% of 18-49, compared to Brothers & Sisters’ 8.5% and Castle’s 5.1%, and 8.5% of 25-54, compared to B&S’ 8.2% and Castle’s 6.5%.

B&S had more household shoppers with kids, however: 10.6% versus 8%.

Another HD season finale on TV3, Bigger Better Faster Stronger, posted its highest ratings yet, with 8.3% of 25-54, 9% of 18-49 and 9.1% of HHS/kids.

However, the upsurge is likely to have come too late to win the low-rating series a renewal.

The rest of the night saw B&S lead-in Desperate Housewives draw three times as many HHS/kids as CSI and nearly twice as many as Criminal Minds; it also was easily ahead of its rivals in the other key demos.

Meanwhile, in this morning’s NZ Herald, critic Jacqueline Smith described the Johnsons season finale “as left-of-field as its mythological concept” and said it “did everything it should have: thrashed audience’s emotions, quashed theories and left them teetering on the edge of the unknown.

“Ten episodes felt too short, and a year is going to be a mighty long wait to find out the answers.”