Music figures draw TV ratings
Last night’s episode of the SBS prime-time series Who Do You Think You Are? drew 406,000 of overnight metro viewers. It’s not surprising: it featured Peter Garrett’s search, especially for the women in the family tree.
Garrett traced his ancestors back to John Langdon, who arrived in Sydney in 1829 and built a butcher empire before he died six years later a wealthy man.
:: Watch the full episode here
His daughter Lucy – Garrett’s great-great grandmother – moving with the cream of Sydney society, played a prominent role in the city’s social justice system. Marrying a ship captain at 16 and bearing 14 children, she became one of the highest paid public servants of that time. She set up one of the city’s first women’s refuge centres and helped immigrant women find jobs.
She certainly created a path in social justice and prominence that he followed. Coincidentally, great-great grandfather Thomas, also served in the NSW Parliament.
On Monday night, ABC-TV’s Australian Story, featuring life partners country singer Beccy Cole and cabaret singer Libby O’Donovan’s campaign to make gay marriage legal, drew 701,000 metro viewers.
Also on that night, ABC-TV’s Spicks And Specks drew 202,000 while last night saw 188,000 tuning in.
The telecast of the 68th Emmy Awards, where Beyonce’s Lemonade was up for four awards, reached 47,000 for pay channel Fox8. However, it’s not known how many more Australians would have streamed it through various platforms.
In the US, the Emmys’ viewership dropped to an all-time low, to 11.3 million from last year’s 11.9 million, which itself was a drop from 15.6 million in 2014. It was dominated by Sunday Night Football and the JonBenét Ramsey documentary.