The Winners: Seven News was tops again with 1.244 million, with Today Tonight second with 1.210 million, Nine’s 8.30pm repeat of The Mentalist was 3rd with 1.114 million and Nine News was 4th with 1.1030 million. A Current Affair averaged 972,000. The Force on Seven at 7.30pm averaged 992,000 for a repeat and Destroyed In Seconds on Seven at 8pm averaged 989,000. The 7pm ABC News averaged 972,000 and Two and a Half Men averaged 958,000 at 7.30pm for Nine. The six digital channels averaged just over 10% last night between them. That is saving the five free to air networks from an embarrassing loss of viewers this summer.

The Losers: Funniest Home Videos at 7pm, 759,000. It did better than The 7pm Project with 693,000 which was an hour. Malcolm in the Middle on Ten at 6.30pm, 691,000. Top Gear on SBS at 7.30pm, 651,000. Are viewers tiring of the antics of the chaps? SBS would hope so, that’s what they are trying to do ahead of Nine getting the rights next year.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Brisbane. TT won everywhere, Brisbane by 1000 over ACA. ACA was weak in Adelaide and Perth where the canning of the local versions by WIN has not helped boost audiences. The 7pm ABC News averaged 981,000, The 7.30 Report, 761,000. Lateline, 239,000. Ten News, 798,000. The late News/Sports Tonight, 380,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 210,000, 217,000 for the late edition, 7am Sunrise, 360,000, 7am Today, 283,000.

The Stats: Seven won 6pm to midnight All People with a share of 28.3% from Nine with 25.1%, Ten with 19.6%, the ABC with 17.2% and SBS with 9.8%. Seven won all five metro markets and leads the week 30.0% to 26.0%.

Digitally: 7TWO’s turn to win the night with 3.80% (leaving Seven’s main channel on 24.50%). ABC2 and Nine’s GO tied with 2.10% each. (ABC3 was on 0.80% and ABC1 was on 14.20%). Nine’s main channel was on 23.00%. Ten’s ONE averaged 1.00%. Ten’s main channel was on 18.60%. SBSTWO averaged 0.50% (SBSONE was on 9.30%). That’s 10.3% all up for the six digitals. ABC3 is now more popular than SBSTWO. ABC3 only broadcasts from 6am to 9pm, so that’s a solid effort.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Nothing much to be said about TV last night. Nine News in Sydney put the boot into Seven’s Home and Away where a “star” was arrested and charged by police with possession of cocaine. Channel Seven in Sydney put the boot into Home and Away by leading with the same story. And that was the highlight for the night.

Man Vs. Wild on SBS at 8.30pm, 576,000. With solid figures like that keep an eye on the commercials who may try and grab this one and perhaps do a local version. It’s a strangely interesting program.

TONIGHT: Sadness, time for more Christmas shopping, I think. Nine has My Big Fat Greek Wedding as its movie tonight. That sums up the night. The movie was made in 1992 and seems to have been on 92 times. Seven has the turgid Private Practice and the end of The Amazing Race. Ten has the very bad White Collar and a repeat of NCIS. The ABC repeats a Grumpy Old Men series. Oh dearie me. 7TWO has Mother and Son, Nine’s GO has Seinfeld and Frasier as the highlights. If you have digital, watch these, you won’t be disappointed, even if you have seen them before.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports