Are the Meilandjes really at a tipping point after four years? Their soap Chateau Meiland recorded rare low viewing figures yesterday. “It is therefore boring, long and monotonous.”
After the huge success of the first Chateau Meiland series, SBS 6 is doing everything it can to keep this title on the tube, even though the life of the Meilandjes has become a lot more boring. Long-running programs ultimately all have to deal with a tipping point, after which the viewing figures suddenly drop. Have the Meilandjes reached it now?
Boring, long and monotonous
The fact is that Chateau Meiland attracted unusually few viewers last night, namely 680 thousand, good for less than 14 percent market share on SBS 6. A ‘remarkably low score’, says Joost Maiburg, RTL Boulevard’s viewing figure expert. “A score below 700 thousand viewers is a rarity, apart from the Christmas specials.”
He writes on his channel Look at ratings: “The entire season has managed to fascinate less viewers than usual. Another record low of this season yesterday. Also including delayed viewing, it did not exceed one million last week. It is therefore a very boring, long and monotonous season. Time for a break to prevent Meiland fatigue?”
‘This is a free fall’
Tina Nijkamp, chief of the viewing figures experts, is also shocked. “Free fall for the Meilandjes in Chateau Meiland. A record low: only 680 thousand viewers. AU”, she exclaims. “And it didn’t go well: last week’s episode including delayed viewers did NOT reach the lower limit of 1 million.”
This is the lower limit set by Martien Meiland. “As long as we score well above a million, we will keep going,” he said at the end of last year.
Does Martin stop?
That lower limit is now far out of sight. “Is Martien going to want to stop now? Or is it time for a format change and has Code Rosé just been milked too much? This was episode fourteen. Fourteen yes. And all about the Bed & Breakfast Code Rosé.”
And four more episodes are coming in June. “All episodes are similar. The number three is also only in the commercial target group. So watch out for the Meilandjes. They will have to look for better storylines and shorter seasons.”
Viewing figures
The viewing figures of Monday, May 29, 2023 (SKO):
Top 15 | Market shares (18-24h, 6+) |
|---|---|
| 01. Journal 20:00 (NPO1) 1,757,000 | 01. NPO1 / 22.8% |
| 02. Dream House Wanted (NPO1) 1,154,000 | 02. RTL4 / 18.7% |
| 03. Bed and Breakfast (NPO1) 1,152,000 | 03. SBS6 / 13.8% |
| 04. Buy Without Watching (RTL4) 1,082,000 | 04. NPO2 / 8.5% |
| 05. Today Inside (SBS6) 942,000 | 05. RTL5 / 4.6% |
| 06. Half past seven news (RTL4) 863,000 | 06.NET5 / 3.8% |
| 07. Heart of the Netherlands (SBS6) 723,000 | 07. RTL7 / 3.4% |
| 08. Good Times Bad Times (RTL4) 696,000 | 08. Vero / 3.4% |
| 09. EenVandaag (NPO1) 688,000 | 09. NPO3 / 2.8% |
| 10. Journal 18:00 (NPO1) 684,000 | 10. RTL8 / 2.4% |
| 11.Chateau Meiland (SBS6) 680,000 | 11.BBC / 1.7% |
| 12. Op1 (NPO1) 655,000 | 12. SBS9 / 1.3% |
| 13. RTL Boulevard (RTL4) 604,000 | 13. Discov / 1.3% |
| 14. Jinek (RTL4) 596,000 | 14. Eurosp / 1.1% |
| 15. Inside Out (NPO2) 579,000 | 15.TLC / 1.1% |
Market shares per channel group (18-24h, 6+) | More viewing figures at: |
| 01. Public Broadcasting 34.1% |  |
| 02. RTL Netherlands 30.0% | |
| 03. Talpa TV 22.3% |
Programs that did not make the top 15 include Editie NL (480 thousand), Shownieuws (453 thousand), Nieuwsuur (399 thousand), Nadia (361 thousand) and 112 Today (356 thousand).