In 2007 it set the ratings, and talkback lines, on fire, but this year, the controversial sex-comedy Californication has come up short – pulling in an impotent level of national viewers.
The series, starring X-Files actor David Duchovny, was lambasted by conservative and religious groups for its lewd, aggressive and tumultuous sexual content when it premiered on Network Ten last year.
Some groups even took to Ten’s Pyrmont studios to hold a series of candlelit vigils in protest.
But the media tornado surrounding the show swept viewers onto their couches to tune into the naughty night-time slot of 9:30, making it a ratings winner.
Now, it looks like the wowsers will be having the last laugh, not the viewers, with only 364,000 national viewers tuning in to the program at 10:40 on Sunday night.
In comparison, Ten broke the million viewer mark on several occasions in its 9:30 Monday timeslot last year.
Network Ten's Janette McLoughlin said that the percieved slump in the ratings is due to its later time slot.
"The program is on half an hour later. We do have the program classification in mind with the show, and when you put the program back half an hour it is going to have a big impact." she said.
"We still have had a great market share over the past three weeks - we are happy with how the program is situated."
But despite Ten's happiness with their show, Australian Christian Lobby managing director Jim Wallace today welcomed the news that there has been a major drop in the audience for Californication.
“Network Ten’s quest for ratings by pushing the boundaries of community standards is clearly no longer working with this program and that’s a good thing for society,” Mr Wallace said.
“The second series of this program is again full of gratuitous sex and nudity and goes well beyond the bounds of normal viewing standards.
“We would seriously question whether it should be allowed to be screened on television, even late at night,” he said.
McLoughlin declined to comment on the Christian Lobby issue.
Jesse Perez's final thought: Maybe they just haven't gone far enough. Viewers are obviously desensitized by the gratuity and need a deeper level of shock value.
But, aside from launching grandmothers out of canons at short range into brick walls, and punching children in the face while ripping up their storybooks, there’s nowhere really to go.