The Glenn Dyer breakdown: It’s official: Australians prefer contrived food shows over cricket, judging by another strong night last night for My Kitchen Rules on Seven. It averaged 2.172 million metro viewers, more than double the audience that watched the ODI second session from Canberra on Nine which had 1.077 million viewers (but for a much longer period of time, which kept Nine closer to Seven last night). The ABC again accounted for Ten.

Nationally, the audience for MKR was again over 3 million for a third night with 3.139 million. The ODI’s national figure was more than 1.6 million. It was a good thing that MasterChef: The Professionals had the night off on Ten otherwise it would have been another embarrassing figure. Nine rested The Block All Stars last night, and despite the in-program promos for it last night, will viewers remember to return tonight?

But tonight is a test for Seven and the surge this week for MKR. We will learn whether the departure last night of MKR’s focus point for viewers, Jessie and Biswa (who left with good manners and no churlishness), will damage the program’s attraction. There’s a new couple tonight. Can they fill the spot Jessie and Biswa — aka the “spice girls” — occupied in viewers’ minds, or will another couple step up to the plate?

Ten was simply squeezed last night by Seven, Nine and ABC1. That can be shown by a simple example: when The Bold and The Beautiful at 4.30pm has more national viewers (557,000) than a high profile show like Glee at 7.30pm (479,000) you know Ten has problems. In Metro markets The B and The B averaged 395,000 metro viewers, Glee had 377,000.

ABC1’s first of a two part look at some of the complaints about the national broadcaster over the years (Shock Horror Aunty) averaged 952,000 national viewers last night and was worth every one. It had 647,000 metro viewers.

Tonight: My Kitchen Rules and Bones on Seven tonight from 7.30pm means the night is over. Nine has The Block All Stars then weak repeats. Ten has American Idol and then a Law and Order: SVU repeat. SBS has foodie programs as usual. Nigellissima is on ABC1 at 8.30pm, then the melodramatic The Hour. That’s after Catalyst returns at 8pm with the first of what looks an interesting idea: a road trip across Australia looking at the science and other features of our continent.

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

  1. My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 3.139 million.
  2. Nine News — 1.943 million.
  3. ODI Cricket Session 2 (Nine) — 1.684 million.
  4. Seven News — 1.617 million.
  5. Home and Away — 1.448 million.
  6. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.448 million.
  7. ABC1 News — 1.288 million.
  8. Movie: Notting Hill (Seven) — 1.097 million.
  9. ODI Cricket Session 1 (Nine) — 978,000.
  10. Shock Horror Aunty (ABC 1) — 952,000.

The Metro Winners:

  1. My Kitchen Rules (Seven, 7.30pm) — 2.172 million
  2. Nine News (6pm) — 1.327 million.
  3. Seven News (6pm) — 1.203 million.
  4. Today Tonight (Seven, 6.30pm) — 1.159 million.
  5. ODI Cricket (Nine, 6.30pm) — 1.077 million.

The Losers: If you liked cooking shows, an old movie or the cricket (or some local stuff and Steven Fry), then you weren’t watching Ten last night. That was most of the TV audience. Therefore, Ten was the loser.Metro News & CA: ACA was pre-empted by the cricket, TT was pre-empted by an hour-long special news, but don’t tell Seven.

  1. Nine News (6pm) — 1.327 million.
  2. Seven News (6pm) — 1.203 million.
  3. Today Tonight (Seven, 6.30pm) — 1.159 million.
  4. ABC1 News (7pm) — 866,000.
  5. Ten News (Ten, 5pm) — 604,000.
  6. 7.30 (ABC1, 7.30pm) — 579,000.
  7. The Project (Ten, 6.30pm) — 540,000.
  8. Lateline (ABC1, 10.25pm) — 130,000.
  9. SBSONE News Late (10.30pm) — 119,000.
  10. Ten Late News (Ten, 10.30 pm) — 118,000.
  11. SBS ONE News (SBS ONE, 6.30pm) — 104,000.
  12. The Business (ABC1, 11pm repeat) — 74,000 +31,000 on News 24.
  13. The Drum (News 24, 10pm, repeat) — 43,000.

*On News 24 simulcast

In the morning: Today popped up ahead of Sunrise for the first time for a while.

  1. Today (Nine, 7am) — 354,000.
  2. Sunrise (Seven 7am) — 336,000.
  3. The Morning Show (Seven, 9am) — 131,000.
  4. Mornings Summer (Nine, 9am) — 104,000.
  5. News Breakfast (ABC1, 7 am) — 52,000 + 27,000.

*On News 24 simulcast

Metro FTA: Seven (three channels) won with a share of 35.6% from Nine (three) on 30.1%, the ABC (four) was on 16.1%, Ten (three) was on 13.5% and SBS (three) ended with 4.8%. Seven now leads the week with 33.8% from Nine on 27.7%, Ten on 17.0% and the ABC on 16.7%. Main Channels: Seven won with a share of 29.8%, from Nine on 23.2%, with ABC1 on 11.8%, and Ten on 8.5%, with SBS ONE on 3.9%. Seven leads the week with 28.0% from Nine on 21.4%, ABC1 on 12.6% and Ten on 12.1%.

Metro Digital: Another low viewing night with Gem the winner with 3.6% from GO on 3.3%, 7mate on 3.2%, Eleven on 3.1%, ABC2 and 7TWO were on 2.6% each, ONE was on 1.9%, News 24, 1.0%, SBS TWO, 0.8%, ABC3, 0.7% and NITV was on 0.1%. The 11 digital channels had a low FTA viewing share last night of 22.9%. GO leads the week with 3.6% from 7TWO on 3.0%.

Metro including pay TV: Seven (three channels) won with a share of 30.2% from Nine (three) on 25.6%, the ABC (four) was on 13.7%, Ten (three) was on 11.5% and SBS (three) ended with 4.1%. the 16 FTA channels had a total viewing share last night of 87.0%, the highest of the week so far. The 11 digital channels shared a low 19.4%, the five main channels 67.6%. the 200 channels on Foxtel gave pay TV a share of 13.0%, the lowest for the week so far.

The top five pay TV channels were:

  1. Fox8 — 2.9%.
  2. LifeStyle — 2.6%.
  3. TV1 — 2.3%.
  4. A&E — 1.8%.
  5. Sky News — 1.7%.

The five most-watched programs on pay TV were:

  1. Selling Houses Australia (LifeStyle) — 162,000.
  2. Family Guy (Fox 8) — 57,000.
  3. Eastenders (UKTV) — 57,000.
  4. Coronation St (UKTV) — 57,000.
  5. The Simpsons (Fox8) — 56,000.

Regional: Prime/7Qld (three channels) won with a share of 36.3% from WIN/NBN (three) on 33.7%, the ABC (four) was on 14,5%, SC Ten (three) was on 11.4% and SBS (3) ended with 4.1%. The main channels were won by Prime/7Qld with 28.4% from WIN/NBN on 26.1%, ABC1 was on 10.0% and SC Ten was on a very weak 61.%. Gem won the digitals with 4.6% from 7mate on 4.4% and 7TWO on 3.4%. The 11 digital channels had a moderate FTA share last night of 26.1%. Prime/7Qld leads the week with 35.6% from WIN/NBN on 29.8%, the ABC with 15.9% and SC Ten on 14.3%.

The five most-watched programs in regional markets were:

  1. MKR — 967,000.
  2. Nine News — 616,000.
  3. ODI Session 2 — 605,000.
  4. Home and Away — 512,000.
  5. ABC1 News — 421,000.

Major Metro Markets: Surprising Nine managed to beat Seven overall in Melbourne thanks to the latter’s weakness in that market compared with Seven, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth where Seven won convincingly. Seven won the main channels narrowly in Melbourne, unlike the big wins in other markets. Gem won the digitals in Sydney and Melbourne, Eleven won Brisbane, 7mate won Adelaide and ONE won Perth. Seven leads the week everywhere from Nine. Ten is third in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth and shares the spot in Melbourne with the ABC which is keeping Ten in fourth spot in Sydney.

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

Source: Oztam, TV Networks data