The Winners: Seven News was tops with 1.450 million, Today Tonight was second with 1.408 million. Getaway averaged 1.235 million for third for Nine at 7.30pm and Rush for Ten improved to average 1.218 million at 8.30pm (Its highest audience so far). Home and Away averaged 1.214 million at 7pm, Nine News was 6th with 1.111 million and the repeat of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.107 million people at 7pm for Nine. 20 to 1 averaged 1.091 million at 8.30pm for Nine and Seven’s The Amazing Race averaged 1.060 million at 7.30pm. A Current Affair was 10th and last on the list with 1.030 million people. Law and Order Criminal Intent on Ten averaged 882,000 at 9.30pm. The Footy Shows averaged 905,000 for Nine at 9.30pm, with the AFL show averaging a high 396,000 in Melbourne and again making sure Nine won the night. Inspector Rex, 371,000 at 7.30pm on SBS.

The Losers: TV Burp on Seven at 9pm, 774,000. Double Take, at 8.30pm, 832,000, heading there.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market as did Today Tonight. The 7pm ABC news averaged 978,000, The 7.30 Report averaged 809,000, Q&A averaged 551,000, Lateline, 343,000, Lateline Business, 232,000. The 7pm ABC News in Sydney averaged 308,000, the same as Nine’s 6pm News but more than ACA which averaged 297,000 in Sydney. Ten News averaged 889,000, the late News/Sports Tonight averaged 351,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 222,000. The 9.30pm edition, 144,000. 7am Sunrise, 376,000, 7am Today, 321,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a share of 29.0% (29.6% a week ago) for the 6pm to midnight All People battle. Seven was second with 25.6% (26.0%), Ten was third with 22.9% (21.8%), the ABC was on 16.5% (16.8%) and SBS on 5.9% (4.8%). Nine won Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Seven won Adelaide and Perth. Seven leads the week 29.6% to 24.0% for Nine and 22.9% for Ten. In regional areas, WIN/NBN won with 27.5%, from Southern Cross (Ten) with 25.0%, Prime/7Qld was third with 23.6%, then the ABC with 17.0% and SBS with 7.0%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Q&A ended up a bit better than I thought it would. Q&A did achieve a couple of notable milestones: it knocked off the NRL Footy Show in Sydney, 229,000 to 171,000 and had more viewers than Ten’s 5pm News did in Sydney with 211,000. It again emphasises that TV chat, live, can work, if focused, well produced and well marshalled by someone like Tony Jones. But what about a program or three with no pollies at all?

TONIGHT: AFL, NRL, movies and Test cricket on the networks and Pay TV tonight at varying times.

SATURDAY: More sport, NRL, AFL, cricket, Test Rugby on Free To Air and Pay TV. The ABC has another episode of East of Everything. Seven and Nine have movies and more movies. Ten has football and movies.

SUNDAY: More NRL, AFL and cricket during the day and evening. Dancing With The Stars on Seven from 6.30pm; Australian Idol on Ten from 6.30pm and the movie Little Miss Sunshine. on the ABC, Stephen Fry starts easing us through America at 7.30pm. Nine has Domestic Blitz returning to manipulate the heart strings and Rescue Special Ops at 8.30pm is worth a second chance. Compass on the ABC at 9.40pm will be a much better heart strings tugger than the stuff on Nine at 6.30pm. Worth a look.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports