Top-rating Australian documentaries

Top 10 documentaries on free-to-air television, 2008–2014

2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008

Next update February 2016

2014

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	The Real Mary Poppins	Short	ABC	1,023	6.4%	15.7%
2	The Embassy	Series	9	867	5.4%	16.5%
3	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	829	5.2%	14.8%
4	Countdown: Do Yourself a Favour	Series	ABC	827	5.1%	16.6%
5	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line	Series	7	818	5.1%	15.6%
6	Surveillance Oz	Series	7	735	4.6%	15.3%
7	Great Whites: Secrets Revealed	Short	9	718	4.4%	15.1%
8	Kings Cross ER	Series	9	714	4.4%	14.2%
9	Two Men In China	Series	ABC	694	4.3%	11.4%
10	Bali: The Dark Side of Paradise	Short	9	693	4.3%	26.3%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2014. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).

2013

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	1,154	7.3%	17.8%
2	Bali: The Dark Side of Paradise	Short	9	1,130	7.2%	17.1%
3	Whitlam: The Power and the Passion	Series	ABC1	1,044	6.6%	15.3%
4	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line	Series	7	966	6.1%	17.3%
5	Redesign My Brain with Todd Sampson	Series	ABC1	945	6.0%	17.5%
6	The Search for the Ocean’s Super Predator	Short	ABC1	935	5.9%	15.1%
7	Air Rescue	Series	7	877	5.6%	15.7%
8	Kakadu	Series	ABC1	799	5.1%	12.1%
9	Ten Bucks A Litre	Short	ABC1	740	4.7%	13.1%
10	Highway Patrol	Series	7	735	4.7%	15.0%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2013. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).

2012

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	Anh Does Vietnam	Series	7	1,578	10.1%	23.5%
2	Surveillance Oz	Series	7	1,112	7.1%	18.8%
3	The Great Barrier Reef	Series	9	1,098	7.0%	18.2%
4	Bikie Wars: Here and Now	Short	10	1,089	6.9%	16.1%
5	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	1,034	6.6%	15.9%
6	Air Ways	Series	7	1,029	6.6%	16.7%
7	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line	Series	7	976	6.2%	15.4%
8	Great Southern Land	Series	ABC1	863	5.5%	13.4%
9	Highway Patrol	Series	7	850	5.4%	15.6%
10	Australia: The Time Traveller’s Guide	Series	ABC1	803	5.1%	12.1%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2012. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).

2011

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	1,193	7.7%	18.4%
2	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line	Series	7	1,090	7.1%	16.8%
3	Highway Patrol	Series	7	933	6.1%	15.3%
4	Young Doctors	Series	9	882	5.7%	14.7%
5	Bondi Rescue	Series	10	865	5.6%	14.1%
6	Recipe for Murder	Short	ABC1	862	5.6%	14.4%
7	AFP – Australian Federal Police	Series	9	846	5.5%	12.9%
8	RBT	Series	9	803	5.2%	13.8%
9	Send in the Dogs Australia	Series	9	794	5.2%	13.7%
10	ICU	Series	7	791	5.1%	14.5%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2011. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).

2010

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	Such Is Life: The Troubled Times of Ben Cousins	Series	7	1,999	13.4%	32.0%
2	Miracle at the Zoo	Short	7	1,546	10.4%	24.2%
3	Air Ways	Series	7	1,400	9.4%	22.8%
4	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	1,261	8.5%	19.8%
5	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line^	Series	7	1,229	8.3%	19.6%
6	Trishna & Krishna: The Quest for Separate Lives	Short	7	1,210	8.1%	21.2%
7	RSPCA Animal Rescue	Series	7	1,147	7.7%	20.2%
8	Bondi Rescue	Series	10	1,106	7.4%	18.2%
9	RBT	Series	9	1,039	7.0%	18.6%
10	Crash Investigation Unit	Series	7	1,020	6.9%	18.0%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2010. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).
^ Series average includes Border Security: C Squadron – Front Line in Afghanistan special.

2009

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	Find My Family	Series	7	1,451	10.0%	24.6%
2	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line	Series	7	1,425	9.8%	24.8%
3	Surf Patrol	Series	7	1,415	9.7%	23.8%
4	RSPCA Animal Rescue	Series	7	1,409	9.7%	25.4%
5	Triple Zero Heroes	Series	7	1,380	9.5%	22.6%
6	Highway Patrol	Series	7	1,353	9.3%	23.5%
7	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	1,272	8.7%	21.4%
8	Air Ways	Series	7	1,271	8.7%	22.8%
9	Bondi Rescue	Series	10	1,267	8.7%	22.1%
10	Last Chance Surgery	Series	7	1,240	8.5%	24.2%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2009. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).

2008

Rank	Title	Format	Channel	Total people ('000s)	TARP %*	SHR %**
1	Find My Family^	Series	7	1,768	12.4%	30.9%
2	Border Security – Australia’s Front Line	Series	7	1,591	11.2%	26.0%
3	The Force – Behind the Line	Series	7	1,591	11.2%	25.6%
4	RSPCA Animal Rescue	Series	7	1,576	11.1%	27.8%
5	The Zoo	Series	7	1,449	10.2%	27.3%
6	Made in China	Short	7	1,399	9.8%	23.6%
7	Surf Patrol	Series	7	1,363	9.6%	21.6%
8	Crash Investigation Unit	Series	7	1,255	8.8%	23.0%
9	Bondi Rescue	Series	10	1,241	8.7%	22.0%
10	The Prime Minister is Missing	Short	ABC1	1,238	8.7%	24.0%

Source: OzTAM; compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
All people, consolidated, five-city metro average audience, 1 January to 31 December 2008. Includes first release and repeat screenings. Australian titles only.
Repeats may include episodes airing in one or more of the five-city metro regions.
Ranked by average audience. Programs with the same rating are ranked by unrounded total number of people viewing.
ABC’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. SBS’s main channel was renamed SBS ONE in June 2009.
* TARP (Target Audience Rating Point): the average viewing audience expressed as a percentage of the Universe Estimate (see About the data).
** SHR (Share): refers to the viewers of a particular program or time band as a percentage of total TV viewing for the same time period across all stations including Subscription, Spill-in and Community TV (see About the data).
^ Series average includes Find My Family – Reunions special.