The Winners: Today Tonight was tops in a surprise with 1.462 million, just in front of Seven News with 1.447 million. Nine News was third with 1.187 million and Ten’s Law and Order SVU was next with 1.171 million. Home and Away had another good night; winning the 7pm slot with 1.171 million (MasterChef isn’t worrying it). Bondi Vet had its best figures so far at 8pm for Ten with 1.140 million and 6th spot nationally. Nine’s 20 to 1 repeat at 8.30pm averaged 1.130 million people and Nine’s repeat of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.126 million at 7pm. Getaway was 9th for Nine at 7.30pm with 1.120 million and the 7pm ABC News was next with 1.085 million. MasterChef was 11th for Ten at 7pm to 8pm with 1.068 million people. Grey’s Anatomy at 8.30pm for Seven had 993,000 viewers and Ghost Whisperer at 7.30pm for Seven had 978,000 viewers. The Footy Shows averaged 881,000 nationally at 9.30pm. The AFL program averaged 380,000 in Melbourne.

The Losers: The NRL Footy Show in Sydney and Brisbane, but especially Sydney. Tragic. Private Practice on Seven at 9.30pm, 737,000, but at least it rated better in Sydney than the NRL Footy Show. ACA nationally, under a million again for another Thursday night. After three solid nights, a big drop.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne and so did Today Tonight. The contrast between ACA in Sydney and Melbourne as odd: it lost Sydney by 190,000 viewers and won in Melbourne by 8000. Nine News had another night over 300,000 viewers in Sydney, which is better, but the 7pm ABC News was stronger with 352,000 to Nine’s 338,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 929,000 nationally and its 350,000 in Sydney topped Nine News and ACA. Q&A averaged a solid 546,000. Lateline, 320,000 and Lateline Business, 172,000. Ten News averaged 916,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 382,000. SBS news at 6.30pm, 180,000, 163,000 for the late at 9.30pm. 7am Sunrise over 400,000 for the first time in weeks at 403,000; 7am Today, 325,000 (it’s starting to sit comfortably above 300,000 most mornings).

The Stats: Nine won with a 6pm to midnight All People share of 27.4% (26.8%) from Ten on 25.2% (24.2%) and Seven on 25.2% (25.2%). The ABC was next with 17.2% (18.2%) and SBS was on 5.0% (5.7%). Seven won Sydney and Nine won Melbourne thanks to the AFL Footy Show. In Brisbane Seven won, Ten won Adelaide and Perth. Ten won 16 to 39s. Ten leads the week 26.8% to Seven with 26.4% and Nine third with 25.8%. In regional areas a clear win to WIN/NBN with 29.1% from Prime/7Qld with 24.7%, Southern Cross (ten) with 24.1% and the ABC on 16.3%. SBS finished with 5.8%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: TV last night was interesting for various reasons. The NRL Footy Show averaged just 157,000 viewers.

Ten leads All People narrowly. Ten has had a solid week with its MasterChef Australia. Seven had Thank God You’re Here, and some very strong news performances, and by Today Tonight, which was bagged by the High Court this week. Nine had a couple of failures, but Underbelly was strong and will be strong again next Monday night as it approaches the end.

Mad Men on SBS is fading, and I can understand why. It averaged 311,000 last night. The repeat of Inspector Rex at 7.30pm as a lead-in for Mad Men averaged 303,000. That says it all.

TONIGHT: AFL in some states, NRL in a couple. Better Homes and Gardens of course on Seven besides the AFL, plus Mr Bean’s Holiday in northern states. It’s new. The ABC has Midsomer Murders, Ten has Medium, Law and Order and if you are a fan of Life On Mars, it’s buried tonight on Ten at 10.30pm. But not for long as it ends soon. SBS has a doco on Brigitte Bardot at 7.30pm that might be worth a look.

TOMORROW NIGHT: AFL on Ten early and late, X-Men: The Last Stand in repeat in some states. Football on Foxtel. Movies on Nine from 7.30pm to 3.40am. On Seven, Kath and Kim repeats, and a repeat of The Vicar of Dibley and then two movies. The ABC has a repeat of New Tricks, which will be the night’s highlight. SBS has Mythbusters and Iron Chef.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Sunday Night on Seven, Border Security USA, The Force and Bones. The ABC’s highlight is Dirt Game, SBS is Dateline at 8.3 pm, Ten has Guerrilla Gardeners, MasterChef Australia. Ten starts Merlin at 6.30pm which is a hyped program. And Nine has 60 Minutes at 6.30pm (up against Sunday Night, a test for that program). Then its frocks etc on the Red Carpet at Crown, then the Logies from 8pm. Can we all wait for that low light of the year? Underbelly will win big.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports