The Winners Five programs with a million or more viewers. That tells us more than anything that we have entered the Vale of Despair, AKA The summer TV ratings season. Nine News was boosted by the test cricket from Adelaide and averaged 1.376 million on top of the most watched list. Seven News was second with 1.225 million; then the repeat of the BBC program first seen on the ABC called Seven Wonders of The Industrial World. It was the Hoover Dam. It averaged 1.128 million for Seven at 7.30 pm. The repeat of Two And A Half Men averaged 1.117 million for Nine at 7.30 pm. Big Bang Theory on Nine at 8 pm averaged 1.046 million. Seven’s Hot Property averaged 997,000 at 7 pm, the repeat of 20 to 1 at 6.30 pm on Nine averaged 951,000 and The Outdoor Room on Seven at 6.30 pm averaged 912,000. The Roman Empire on SBS at 7,30 pm, 427,000. 49 Up on SBS at 9.30 pm, 379,000. Judgment day at 8.30 pm on SBS, 347,000.

The Losers Losers? Californication, 364,000. I don’t why some people worry about programs like this and Gordon Ramsay. Yes they can be offensive, but because the smut and swearing becomes boring and one dimensional, and because there’s no story line and the acting/star turns are poor or a caricature, they die a slow death. Richard Gere and Californication are no different. Ramsay is dead in Australia, a function of his approach to the program and Nine’s flogging him to death. Thank God You’re Here, 743,000 for Ten at 6.30 pm. It’s still a good program, but Ten needs to fill the hole and is flogging it to death. Nine’s movie A Beautiful Mind 710,000. Yet another repeat.

News & CA Nine News won nationally and in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Seven won Brisbane and Perth. Ten News At Five averaged 733,000. The 7 pm ABC news averaged 901,000. World News Australia on SBS at 6.30 pm averaged 192,000. In the morning seven’s weekend Sunrise had 429,999 viewers from 8 am. the 7.30 am early edition averaged 254,000. Insiders on the ABC at 9 am averaged 201,000. Inside Business, 165,000 at 10 am; Offsiders at 10.30 am 141,000. Sunday Morning news on Nine at 8 am, 103,000. Meet The Press on ten at 8 am, 62,000.

The Stats Seven won 6 pm to midnight All People with 27.8% from Nine with 26.9%, ten with 21.4%, the ABC with 15.6% and SBS on 8.4%. Nine won Sydney and Melbourne easily, Seven won Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth more easily. In regional areas a win for WIN/NBN with 27.7%; Prime/7Qld with 24.6%; Southern Cross (Ten) with 22.1%, the ABC with 16.9% and SBS on 8.6%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments TV, last night. It is going to be a long boring summer. No wonder the cricket looks good. Holby Blue on Seven (899,000). Perhaps later on a Sunday night; say, after midnight over Christmas new Year. It’s The Bill with aggro. A Touch Of Frost (645,000) that followed might have been a repeat, but it was solid, well made and entertainment. Ten showed The School of Rock, again. It has been in shown at night, Sunday afternoons and at night again. Just because it stars Jack Black! Tonight. The Howard Years on the ABC at 8.30 pm and then Enough Rope at 9.35 pm. Top Gear on SBS at 7.30 pm. Temptation is back for its last run at 7 pm on Nine. There are reports that Nine has just killed it. It died earlier in the year. Nine and the producers, Fremantle, have been arguing about being paid for it. Screening it will enable Fremantle to be paid. Nine has a repeat of CSI and the silly Fringe appears at 9.30 pm after bombing during ratings. Seven has The Rich List and then two hours of Bones. The US version of Kath and Kim airs at 11 pm. Ten has How To Look Good Naked (which is OK), but it is followed by something called Army Wives and then the Ex List. Oh, dreary me.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports.