The Winners: Seven News averaged 1.374 million, with Today Tonight on 1.277 million, with Nine’s repeat of The Mentalist at 8.30pm 3rd with 1.221 million. Seven’s Destroyed in Seconds averaged 1.174 million at 8pm. Nine’s repeat of Two and a Half Men at 7.30pm averaged 1.089 million, with Nine News 6th with 1.054 million. The 7pm ABC News was next with 1.054 million and The Big Bang Theory repeat at 8pm on Nine averaged 1.046 million. Seven’s repeat of The Force at 7.30pm averaged 1.026 million in 9th and A Current Affair was 10th with 1.014 million. Elders with Andrew Denton (Clive James) averaged 1.008 million at 8pm. The 7pm strip of Funniest Home Videos on Nine averaged 922,000. Seven’s 7pm summer version of How I Met Your Mother averaged 815,000. Flashpoint on Nine at 9.30pm, 835,000.

The Losers: Supernatural on Ten at 8.30pm, 514,000, out-rated by the 9.30pm second episode, 532,000. Viewers of Ten. A very disappointing night.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne, as did Today Tonight. According to the morning figures, ACA didn’t air in Adelaide last night, but did in Perth. The local WIN editions finished up on Friday night. Nine’s Nightline also didn’t air in Adelaide and Perth. In Sydney Nine News was beaten by Seven, Chris Bath doing well in her first outing with 387,000 viewers to 290,000 for Nine. The 7pm ABC News averaged 320,000 in Sydney and beat Nine into second behind Seven in the national rankings. The 7.30 Report averaged 898,000, Lateline, 331,000, Lateline Business, 161,000. Ten News averaged 904,000. The late News/Sports Tonight, 263,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 177,000, 293,000 for the 9.30pm edition. 7am Sunrise, 359,000, 7am Today, 343,000. Close again.

The Stats: Nine won with a 6pm to midnight All People combined share of 27.9% from 27.4% for Seven, 17.9% for the ABC, 17.4% for Ten and 9.4% for SBS. Nine won Sydney and Melbourne, Seven won Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Seven leads 29.65% to 27.4% for Nine.

In regional areas a clear win to WIN/NBN with 28.4%, from Prime/7Qld with 24.3%, the ABC with 19.1%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 15.6% and SBS with 12.5%.

Digitally: Nine’s GO won with an average of 2.60%, (Nine’s main channel was on 25.30%), from 7TWO with 2.50% (Seven’s main channel on 24.90%), ABC 2 with 1.50%, (ABC main channel with 16.30%); Ten’s ONE on 1.20% (Ten’s main channel was on 16.20%). SBS TWO with 0.20% (SBS ONE With 9.10%).

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Close last night, with Nine getting up on a combined and main channel basis. At 8pm I was right about Andrew Denton’s chat with Clive James. It rated very well, averaging more than a million souls who must have sat there reading a book or doing Sudoku while Clive drained a dictionary or three and came back for seconds. A talkathon.

There seemed to be some life at last for the heavy end current affairs folk at The 7.30 Report. The 898,000 was the best audience for some weeks and came on the eve of the Liberal Party blood fest this morning. Tonight’s figures should be very interesting. Tony Abbott (AKA the Mad Monk), vs. Kerry O’Brien (AKA Red Kerry), tickets, anyone?

But Clive was the highlight last night. Top Gear was a boring repeat of a boring visit to the Arctic. That’s one episode I hope Nine bins next year. The Mentalist was OK. FlashForward faded for Seven at 8.30pm: 984,000. But at least it kept faith with fans by showing the final episode for the year.

The surprise was Man vs. Wild on SBS at 8.30pm: 708,000 and better than Top Gear (672,000). The 7pm Project was Ten’s most popular program in prime time with 826,000 across the hour (Ten News is outside prime time, but attracted 904,000 viewers).

With Supernatural bombing at 8.30pm, Ten actually finished 5th for the hour. SBS climbed to 4th spot, with the ABC’s soapy, Lillies averaging 662,000 at 8.30pm.

TONIGHT: Well, how to stay awake. The Circuit will do the trick on SBS at 8.30pm. It’s the second series. I hope it’s up to the quality of the first. Private Practice comes back to 8.30pm on Seven: avoid. Nine has Survivor Samoa then a repeat of Oceans 13, the movie at 8.30pm. That’s a write-off. Ten has The US version of The Office at 8pm. The 7.30 Report and Lateline will no doubt have more on the blood sport in Canberra.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports