Kyle Sandilands' new television show, Trial By Kyle, has suffered a dismal debut, drawing only 363,000 viewers across Australia's five major cities. The Judge Judy-style program aired on Thursday night on Channel Ten, but was beaten by a repeat episode of the ABC's British crime drama Vera.
The ratings were particularly disappointing given the extensive publicity blitz leading up to the premiere. An industry executive told The Daily Telegraph that 'given the publicity blitz, it is a very disappointing result'. The source added that Channel Ten will 'no doubt program encore screenings' in hopes of finding its 'video on demand' audience.
Trial By Kyle did manage to edge out Channel Nine's Love Island, which attracted 298,000 viewers in the same time slot. However, the executive noted that 'Thursday nights are a hard one to get', despite Gogglebox drawing 790,000 viewers for Ten in the same evening.
The show was also savaged by viewers on social media. One Twitter user wrote: 'What the f**k, is this an actual show?' Another said: 'Trial By Kyle would have to be the worst show I've ever seen on television.' A third asked: 'Is this a piss take or what?'
The show features Sandilands presiding over a courtroom, giving his verdict on topics ranging from money quarrels to botched Botox and larceny. His return to Ten comes after he was famously sacked from his judging role on Australian Idol in 2009.
