Last night's TV ratings

The Winners:

12 programs for the million viewer club last night. Seven had the top five slots. City Homicide was tops with 1.701 million, The Force at 8 pm on Seven was second with 1.681 million and Border Security at 7.30 pm for Seven was 3rd with 1.592 million. Seven News averaged 1.403 million and Home And Away was 5th with 1.313 million. Two And a Half Men at 7.30 pm averaged 1.301 million; and Today Tonight was 7th with 1.299 million. The repeat of Two And a Half Men at 7 pm on Nine averaged 1.213 million. Nine News was 9th with 1.194 million and the 7 pm ABC News averaged 1.153 million. A Current Affair averaged 1.132 million in 11th and 12th was Seven’s 9.30 pm program, Bones, with 1.016 million. Til Death on Nine at 8 pm averaged 957,000 and Australian Story averaged 916,000 at 8 pm.

The Losers:

Losers? Top Gear on SBS. Last night’s second ep of the local version was rough, unsettled and viewers felt it: Just 664,000 turned in. Around 270,000 down from the first ep, or roughly off a third. That’s a big negative from the viewing audience. The movie 16 Blocks on Nine from 8.30 pm: 866,000. Four Corners averaged 893,000 for the 45 minutes to 9.15 says a lot about the Bruce Willis movie on Nine, which was woeful from what I saw. Australian Idol failed to crack the million viewer mark on a Monday night for the second week: the 964,000 was barely OK, even for Ten. Two hours of Supernatural on Ten from 8.30 pm. Fresh off the US networks via satellite, 777,000.

News & CA:

Seven News again won nationally and in all markets except Sydney where Nine was the surprise winner, 326,000 viewers to 315,000. Today Tonight won everywhere bar Brisbane where ACA won. Ten News At Five averaged 807,000, the Late News/Sports Tonight, 356,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 811,000 (Better than on recent Mondays with Top Gear doing worse than in previous weeks). Lateline averaged 365,000, Lateline Business, 205,000. Four Corners averaged 893,000 and Media Watch, 750,000. 6.30 pm World News Australia 208,000, the Late News at 9.30 pm, 228,000. 7 am Sunrise, 313,000, 7 am Today on Nine, 247,000. Low because of a holiday in Sydney and daylight saving’s second day (and earlier as well).

The Stats:

Seven won easily with a 6 pm to midnight All People share of 32.4% (33.2%). Nine was second with 24.1% (25.0%), Ten was third with 18.1% (15.5%), the ABC was next with 17.7% (17.6%) and SBS was on 7.6% (8.7%). Seven won all five metro markets and is now level with Nine on 28.8%. In regional areas a win for Prime/7Qld with 34.5%, from WIN/NBN with 22.0%, Southern Cross with 18% (for Ten), the ABC on 16.9% and SBS on 8.6%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments:

The Seven network eliminated Nine’s NRL Grand Final lead from Sunday night and drew level. Tonight it moves in front and will win the week. For Nine the loss of 400,000 viewers nationally on Sunday night will probably mean the difference between an even week, finally won by Seven, and a win on Sunday and falling further behind from tonight onwards. Monday and Tuesday nights are ‘blocking’ or running dead nights for Nine against Seven. Last night was no different. Ten had a better night last night, finishing third instead of fourth behind the ABC. Top Gear‘s loss of 270,000 or so viewers seems to have helped Ten and the ABC in the early evening. Top Gear‘s second ep last night ran rough like an engine out of a tune. It’s too much like the BBC original. The test of the Ford super car was boys toys stuff at its worst. Why couldn’t they find a female celebrity for the second ep? Not to balance the gender thing, but simply to make it look different and a contrast from the first ep. Four Corners was very solid, but there was another big evasion case that the US has cracked with help and that involved UBS in Switzerland, which justified some mention, especially the way the US got UBS and the Swiss Government to co-operate. Now we look to tonight. Find My Family, Animal Rescue, Packed To The Rafters and All Saints on Seven will dominate. Nine has three eps of Two And a Half Men and Wipeout and 20 to 1. Ten has three eps of The Simpsons and a fresh NCIS and Rush at 9.30 pm. The ABC has Two In the Top End..