Despite weeks of acrimony and finger-pointing it would appear the bosses at SBS have been vindicated with its Struggle Street documentary After last night’s finale scored 828,000 metro viewers according to the Oztam figures.
The much publicised documentary was the eighth most watched program last night, however was beaten by Ten’s MasterChef which scored 1,037,000 metro viewers according to the Oztam figures and placed it fifth as the most-watched program for the evening.
Although initially a three-part documentary, last night SBS aired the final two parts of Struggle Street back-to-back. Its debut last week attracted 935,000 metro viewers according to Oztam.
Struggle Street, a confronting look at life in a western Sydney housing commission, has come under fire for stereotyping people on welfare and ignoring the burgeoning middle-class in the area it was filmed, the suburb of Mount Druitt.
Last week, SBS management was crowing with its 935,000 viewers, reported to be the network’s highest rating program outside a football World Cup match. There’ll be no doubt clinking of champagne flutes in the Artarmon offices this morning as the decision to air the program appears to have been vindicated.
Twitter has reported #struggle street was ranked as number on the Nielsen Twitter TV ratings last night receiving a unique audience of 59,700 with an impression reach of 979,800.
Last night’s episodes continued along a similar vein to the first, covering domestic violence, underage sex, drug abuse and homelessness. Last night’s episode certain to be condemned after it showed one of the program’s protagonists smoking and using drugs while pregnant.
Over the past seven days there has also been claims that people who had agreed to appear in the program had been misled and misrepresented and planned to sue for defamation. The show’s producers subsequently debunked any notion they’d embellished scenes and threatened to counter-sue.
It’s unclear if any actual legal proceedings have commenced.
