The Winners: Seven News was on top with 1.556 million, Today Tonight was second with 1.392 million and the 7.30pm episode of Two and a Half Men was 3rd with 1.342 million. Seven’s 7.30pm to 8.30pm, World’s Strictest Parents UK, averaged 1.319 million. Nine News was 5th with 1.287 million and A Current Affair averaged 1.211 million. It went at 7pm in Sydney because Nine News ran an hour for to cover the dust storm). Home and Away averaged 1.172 million at 7pm for Seven and City Homicide won the 8.30pm slot with 1.154 million. Money For Jam averaged 1.116 million at 8pm for Nine and the Wednesday repeat of NCIS on Ten at 8.30pm averaged 1.116 million. Spicks and Specks averaged 1.112 million for the ABC at 8.30pm and 12th was the 7pm ABC News with 1.056 million. The second repeat of NCIS at 9.30pm averaged 1.045 million and Nine’s 8.30pm program RPA averaged 1.013 million in 14th spot. Nine’s The Gift averaged 890,000 viewers at 9pm.

The Losers: The United States of Tara at 9.30pm on the ABC, 687,000. River Cottage on the ABC at 6.10pm. A replacement for The Cook and The Chef, but longer and far less interesting. 315,000 people watched, so the ABC audience also found it boringly British and condescending. Star Stories on the ABC at 9pm, 590,000. Without a Trace on Nine at 9.30pm, 582,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Today Tonight won everywhere bar Melbourne where A Current Affair won easily. Ten News averaged 902,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 404,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 884,000. Lateline, 231,000, Lateline Business, 120,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 208,000, 134,000 for the 9.30pm edition. Nine’s late News, 202,000. 7am Sunrise, 464,000, 7am Today, 411,000.

The Stats: Seven won 6pm to Midnight All People with 28.2% (29.9%), from Nine with a combined channel share of 26.8% (27.5%), from Ten with a combined share of 23.4% (17.1%), the ABC with a joint share of 17.2% (20.6%) and SBS with a share of 4.4% (4.8%).

Digitally: A win for ABC 2 with a 2.000% share, (ABC 1 with 15.30%), from Nine’s GO with 1.60% (Nine’s main channel share was 25.20%); Ten’s ONE on 1.20% (22.20% for the main channel), SBS TWO with 0.30% and SBS ONE was on 4.10%.

In regional areas a win for Prime/7Qld with 28.8%, from WIN/NBN with 27.4%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 19.7%, the ABC on 18.7% and SBS with 5.4%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Seven won the night from Nine. It wasn’t a great night of TV. Ten wetted the audience for NCIS Los Angeles, the spin off from the original, which went to air in the US overnight and comes to Ten next Wednesday. The new season of NCIS started on CBS last night in the US and as did very well (as did the LA version). Two and a Half Men at 7pm was shown everywhere bar Sydney because ACA went in its place.

TONIGHT: The last AFL Footy Show of the year should bring big numbers of Nine in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The NRL show in Sydney and Brisbane? Forget it and watch the action on the field tomorrow night and Saturday evening. The ABC has Q&A at 9.30pm. Seven has nothing memorable, Ten has Glee Club, The 7pm Project and perhaps Rush at 8.30pm. SBS has the foodie program My Family Feast at 7.30pm and Costa’s Garden Odyssey at 8pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports