Weekly repeats of new season hits becoming the norm?

It started with the Seven Network having special 'encore' screenings of Desperate Housewives & Lost in the first week (they showed Desperate Houswives twice more after the Monday night premiere, with Lost getting one more run).

I notice now that both series have been rescreened for the second week (showing the second episode of course) - this time both on a Saturday night. Looks like they might do this for a few more weeks, just to make sure they've roped in whoever they possily can to the intriguing storylines. All repeats have been in the evenings, roughly around the same time if night of the original episodes airing.

The habit is spreading though - with Seven also rescreening the first two episodes of My Restaurant Rules today - a Sunday afternoon.

It also appears its not just Seven - Network Ten last night (Saturday night) replayed the premiere episode of Medium

It will be interesting to see how a Sunday afternoon's repeats of My Restaurant Rules rate up against Ten's screening of Oliver...

I have often lamented that networks fill their weekends with such ordinary reruns - where are the reruns of Scrubs, or Homicide, or Parker Lewis Cant Lose? Quality shows that would actually have a decent audience with reruns.

Update:
- My Restaurant Rules on Thursday night rated 13s/14s, while on Sunday afternoon it rated a 3. At the same time on Sunday the cricket on Nine (ING Cup) rated 7s/8s, while Oliver rated a 5.

- Medium on its premiere night of Thursday rated 6.3, while the Saturday night repeat rated a 6.

(All data based on Brisbane market HUTs)