The Winners: Seven News was on top with 1.491 million people, with Nine’s Getaway having another solid winter night with 1.372 million. 20 to 1 at 8.30pm averaged 1.336 million, and between those two, the night was Nine’s, easily. Today Tonight was 4th with 1.272 million; Ten’s Rush was 5th with 1.206 million at 8.30pm and Nine’s repeat of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.176 million at 7pm. A Current Affair was 8th with 1.171 million viewers, ahead of Nine News on 1.127 million, and the 7pm ABC News in 10th spot with 1.012 million. Seven’s The Amazing Race at 7.30pm with 949,000, The Footy Shows, 913,000 (390,000 for the Melbourne AFL one); Law And Order CI on Ten at 8.30pm, 884,000. Inspector Rex, 379,000 at 7.30pm for SBS.

The Losers: TV Burp, 751,000 at 8.30pm; Double Take, 724,000 at 9pm.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne and Today Tonight had the same sort of win. In Sydney, the 7pm ABC News with 320,000 viewers finished above Nine News (291,000) and ACA with 308,000. Seven News won easily with 450,000. And yet Nine was far more competitive in Melbourne, winning the 6pm to 7pm hour fairly comfortably. The 7.30 Report averaged 777,000. Q&A, 457,000. Lateline, 279,000, Lateline Business, 161,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 206,000, 157,000 for the 9.30pm edition. Ten News, 831,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 350,000. 7am Sunrise, 392,000, 7am Today, 327,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a 6pm to Midnight All People share of 31.0% (29% a week ago) from Seven with 25.1% (25.6%). Ten was third on 23.4% (22.9%), the ABC was on 14.7% (16.5%) and SBS finished with 5.9% (unchanged). Nine won everywhere bar Adelaide which Seven won. Seven leads the week 27.9% to 26.1%. Ten is on 22.9%. In regional areas a win to WIN/NBN with 29.3% from Prime/7Qld with 24.8%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 24.7%), the ABC on 14.4% and SBS with 6.8%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: It’s now clear once again, that the Seven network struggles with comedy and satire. The days of Fast Forward are well behind the network. Now they give us TV Burp and Double Take. They won’t last after plunging to loser class last night. Seven swapped them around, with TV Burp at 8.30pm and Double Take at 9pm. Seven need not have bothered. It was a poor return. Not all that funny. The 7pm Project should be template for Seven: keep working at it and refining the offer. TV Burp and Double Take labour the point. There’s funnier ways to make that point. It’s a pity Shaun Micallef is taken by Ten.

Overall, clearly Nine’s night.

And, speaking of laboured. Q&A last night — talk about generating too much hot air and not enough ratings: 457,000. Last night’s effort did have the overwhelming virtue of at least beating that other hot air balloon, the NRL Footy Show, in Sydney, 178,000 to 165,000. But it bored Melbourne and Brisbane.

TONIGHT: AFL and NRL, plus movies. So wherever you are, check your guides. The ABC starts a cop show called George Gently starring Martin Shaw. Worth a first look. Better Homes and Gardens for those weekend tasks now that spring has spring on us (it’s supposed to be 29 degrees in Sydney on Sunday). The 7pm Project on Ten.

SATURDAY: AFL on Ten, NRL on Foxtel, nothing much else on. A night out, or read a book, or DVD, and drink red wine and eat chocolate. Both will be better for you than the collection of movies on Seven and Nine. Seven returns The Great Outdoors to the wilds of Saturday evening at 6.30pm. So it’s glam travel versus cheap home videos. Sydney plays Geelong on Ten from the SCG. Sydney’s season will finally be decided.

SUNDAY: NRL and AFL on Seven, Nine and Foxtel. Dancing With The Stars on Seven at 6.30pm, Rescue Special Ops on Nine at 8.30pm. Ten: Rove is back at 8.40pm. Idol at 6.30pm. Stephen Fry in America on the ABC at 7.30pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports