the conclusion that the series had eventually lost the "edge" it once possessed and even began to resemble a "poor girl's Sex and the City". A fellow columnist from The Age had also drawn comparisons to the American drama. McManus continued by identifying the main problem as being that the "potentially interesting characters" not being used as much as the four female protagonists. She concluded that the quartet were tired stereotypes of "the virgin, the damned whore, God's policewoman and a clown." Writing for the Radio Times, Claire Webb commented that Winners & Losers was "hardly the most original plot", but added "Still, the sassy script rattles rib-ticklingly along, and it's easy to see why this Australian series proved so popular Down Under." Ratings The pilot episode of Winners & Losers averaged 1.7 million viewers. It was the number one show in the 16–39 and 25–54 demographics, helping to win the network the night with a 33.6 per cent share. Seven decided to air the second and third episodes back to back, securing the highest ratings for the night once again with averages of 1.7 and 1.5 million viewers. The series continued to fare well in the ratings over the following weeks, which prompted a reporter from The Advertiser to state "No doubt part of Winners & Losers' early success can be attributed to creative force Bevan Lee, also the drama whiz behind Rafters and one-time ratings hit Always Greener. However, the ratings for the seventh episode "Like a Virgin" revealed Winners & Losers had lost over four hundred thousand viewers since its debut. The episode averaged 1.2 million viewers. The commercial audience of the series also dropped from 37.6 to 33.5, but it remained one of the twelve most watched programs in Australia. Accolades During its first season, Winners & Losers and its cast were nominated for six awards. The series received a nomination for Best Television Program from the AACTA Television Awards, while Tom Wren earned a nomination for Best Male Performance. The actor was later nominated for Most Popular New Male Talent at the Logie Awards, while Winners & Losers gathered a nomination in the Most Popular Drama Series category. Actress Melissa Bergland won the Most Popular New Female Talent award, while also garnering a nomination for Most Outstanding New Talent. References External links 2011 Australian television seasons