The Glenn Dyer breakdown: The big story from last night was the slump in Seven’s line up. Nine edged home, Ten was average and struggled in the main channels, while Rake finished the current run on ABC1 with a now trademark finish.

Overall, it was a pretty average night of viewing. The top five national shows were all news or current affairs programs. That means the audience found the rest of the night’s offerings pretty weak.

At 7.30pm Seven’s Brynne: My Dazzling life lost more lustre to average 681,000 metro (756,000 last week) and 1 million national viewers (1.088 million last week). Beauty And The Geek Australia at 8.30pm also slid, down to 712,000 metro (831,000 last week) and 1.120 million nationally (1.249 million a week ago) national viewers. While Brynne and Beauty and The Geek did well in the demos, they were also weaker here as well. Last week Beauty and The Geek topped all the demos, from 16 to 54. Last night, just one, women 18 to 49 and several second placings. That’s the best example of the damage a weak overall audience can do to a program’s standings in the demos. Beauty and The Geek still did OK last night, but it is no longer as dominant as it was.

The Chaser’s mini effort, The Unbelievable Truth again faded on air last night: The metro audience tumbled to just 428,000 metro and 644,000 national viewers at 9.30pm on Seven, down from 520,000 metro and 736,000 national viewers last week).

Tonight: New Tricks on ABC1, The Living Room on Ten and nothing much on Nine except Big Brother. Seven has Better Homes and Gardens. ABC also has another repeat of Miranda, a very funny show. Pineapple Dance Studio on ABC2 at 8.45 pm. PVR it and watch at your leisure. Ten has bike racing from Philip Island all weekend.

Saturday: SBS ONE with another episode of the Prohibition documentary of Ken Burns. The double episodes of Boardwalk Empire straight after sort of miss the mark once you have seen the reality of prohibition. But watch both. ABC1 has a Doc Martin repeat and then a fresh episode of Kingdom (which died three years ago in the UK). Seven Nine and Ten have movie repeats and other ratings rats and mice. Go out or go to bed.

Sunday: The morning chats. Landline at Midday. ABC1 has a new local production called The Mystery of the Hansom Cab. At least check it out. Doesn’t sound as interesting as Jack Irish, but we can’t have everything. Nine has 60 Minutes, BB and House Husbands/ Seven has Sunday Night, Border Security, Air Ways and Bones. Ten has its sagging Super Sunday night. Will last Sunday’s uptick continue?

The top 10 national programs (metro & regional combined):

  1. Seven News — 1.557 billion.
  2. Nine News — 1.443 million.
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.433 million.
  4. ABC News (7pm) — 1.397 million.
  5. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.303 million.
  6. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.284 million.
  7. Catalyst (ABC1) — 1.230 million.
  8. Rake (ABC1) — 1.223 million.
  9. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.120 million.
  10. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.067 million.

The Metro Winner:

  1.  Seven News (6pm) — 1.082 million.

The Losers: Seven’s schedule from 7.30pm onwards, Ten’s schedule. Jamie Oliver’s 15 minute meals did sort of OK, but is 583,000 metro and national viewers at 7.30pm and 614,000 metro and national viewers at 8pm really enough for success in any demographic? Law and Order SVU at 8.30pm, 586,000 metro and national viewers.Metro News & CA: Seven News won Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth and lost Melbourne by 99,000. TT was weaker, losing Sydney, Melbourne (by 121,000, a flogging), and Brisbane.

  1. Seven News (6pm) — 1.082 million.
  2. ABC News (7pm) — 997,000.
  3. Nine News (6pm) — 989,000.
  4. A Current Affair (Nine, 6.30pm) — 927,000.
  5. Today Tonight (Seven, 6.30pm) — 883,000.
  6. 7.30 (ABC 1, 7.30pm) — 816,000.
  7. Ten News At Five — 563,000.
  8. The Project (Ten, 6.30pm) — 441,000.
  9. The Project (Ten, 6pm) — 350,000.
  10. Ten Late News (10.30pm) –205,000.
  11. Lateline (ABC1, 10.30pm) — 163,000.
  12. World News Australia (SBS ONE, 6.30pm) — 140,000.
  13. The Business (ABC 1, 11.05pm, rpt) — 101,000.
  14. World News Late (SBS ONE, 10.30pm) — 53,000.
  15. The Drum (News 24, 10pm, rpt) — 53,000.

In the morning: Today and Sunrise are having a very close week.

  1. Sunrise (Seven, 7am) — 352,000.
  2. Today (Nine, 7am) — 350,000.
  3. The Morning Show (Seven, 9am) — 137,000.
  4. Mornings (Nine, 9am) — 118,000.
  5. News Breakfast (ABC1, 7am) — 52,000 + 25,000 on News 24.
  6. Breakfast (Ten, 7 – 8.30 am) — 46,000.

Metro FTA: Nine (3 channels) won with a share of 27.3%, from Seven (3) on 25.2%, Ten (3) was third with 21.1%, the ABC (4) was on 20.3%, and SBS (2) ended on 6.2%. Seven leads the week with 29.5%, from Nine on 27.5%, the ABC is on 19.6% and Ten is on 18.1%. Main Channels: Nine won narrowly with 18.6% from Seven on 18.3%, ABC 1 was on 15.2%, Ten was on 13.2% and SBS ONE was on 5.2%. Seven leads the week on 22.1% from Nine on 20.4%, ABC 1 on 14.9% and Ten on 12.0%.

Metro Digital: GO won easily with a share of 6.0%, from Eleven for 4.8%, 7mate was on 3.8%, 7TWO was on 3.1%, ONE ended on 3.0%, Gem and ABC 2 were on 2.7%, ABC 3 was on 1.5%, and SBS TWO and News 24 ended with 1.0% each. The 10 digital channels had an FTA share of 29.5%. GO now leads the week with 4.1% from 7TWO on 3.8% and 7mate on 3.6%, with Eleven on 3.4%.

Metro including Pay TV: Nine (3 channels) won with a share of 22.6%, from Seven (3) on 20.9%, Ten (3) was on 17.5%, the ABC (4) was on 16.8 and SBS (2) ended on 5.1%. The 15 FTA channels had an 85.0% viewing share last night. The 5 main channels totalled 60.6%, the five main channels, 24.4%. The 200 channels on Foxtel had a total Pay TV share last night of 15.0%

The top five pay TV channels were:

  1. Fox 8 — 3.0%.
  2. LifeStyle — 2.9%
  3. TV1 — 2.6%.
  4. A&E — 2.0%.
  5. Fox Classics — 1.7%

The five most-watched programs on pay TV were:

  1. Grand Designs Australia (LifeStyle) — 130,000.
  2. The Simpsons (F8) — 99,000.
  3. Futurama (F8) — 66,000.
  4. Family Guy (F8) — 63,000.
  5. River Cottage Everyday (LifeStyle) — 57,000.

The five most-watched programs in regional markets were:

  1. A Current Affair — 505,000.
  2. 7.30 — 486,000.
  3. Seven News — 476,000.
  4. Nine News — 455,000.
  5. Home and Away — 423,000.

Major Metro Markets: Nine won overall and the main channels in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (Seven tied the main channels with Nine). In Adelaide Nine won overall, but Seven won the main channels. Seven was a big winner in Perth with Ten second overall and the ABC 3rd. In the main channels it was Seven from AC 1 and Ten with Nine left right out. GO ran the movie Contact and won big nationally and in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. 7TWO snuck a win in Adelaide. Nine leads the week in Sydney and Melbourne, Seven leads in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The ABC is third everywhere.

(All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight All People)

Source: Oztam, TV Networks data