Top-rating first-release Australian ADULT TV DRAMA

Since the start of the 2010 ratings year, OzTAM and RegionalTAM ratings have included both ‘Live’ viewing and viewing of broadcast television content that is played back through the television set within seven days of the original broadcast time. In 2016 OzTAM's Time Shift Viewing service was expanded to include 8-28 Day viewing as well. The tables below reflect the changing nature of ratings since 2008.

The top-rating Australian television drama on free-to-air television in 2018 was the mini-series Underbelly File: Chopper with a combined metro and regional series average of 1.5 million viewers. Despite the introduction of 28 day consolidated viewing figures in 2016, the downward trend in the overall viewing averages across first release drama titles continued in 2018.

Since 2008, the mini-series, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War remains the top rating Australia television drama with a combined average of almost 3.3 million viewers in 2012.