Thankfully the third Ashes cricket test starts today and will dominate TV viewing until the fresh Christmas stuff starts appearing from next week onwards. I say thankfully because, even though cricket isn’t everyone’s prime interest — at least it is fresh, live, moving TV (literally), compared to the pastiche of repeats, dud stuff and other programming flotsam and jetsam we have been subjected to in the past two weeks. Even Seven, which had fresh episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and The Amazing Race (US version), couldn’t raise interest from viewers.  Nine’s offering of fresh episodes of Getaway (the only time this former powerhouse moves back to the main channel is in non-ratings), Person of Interest and double episodes of CSI NY was weak, but not as weak as Seven’s offerings of former ratings winners.

Ten’s mixture of repeats of Jamie Oliver cooking summer and Law and Order SVU proved more popular with viewers than the ABC’s offerings which included one bit of original programming which was not really strongly supported by viewers. The final of Exhumed on ABC1 from 8pm averaged 631,000 national/ 395,000 metro/ 236,000 regional viewers which was a pity for what was a great hour of pub rock. In the morning, and is Ten’s struggling Wake Up putting down ratings roots around 40,000 to 50,000 metro viewers? Could be judging by this week’s ratings with 44,000 figure yesterday, up from 40,000 the day before.  Studio 10 is showing definite signs of losing viewers — 24,000 metro viewers yesterday was down sharply on the 37,000 for the day before.

If anyone if interested, Nine won the night in metro and regional markets and will win the week thanks to the Test cricket tonight and tomorrow.  Not one program was interesting enough last night to grab and hold a million or more viewers across the metro markets. That sums up the night, as did the collective 35.2% of the FTA audience who were watching the various digital channels of the networks last night and not the main channels. And this is the final ratings report of the year: have a great break and happy St Nicking, if that’s your thing. If not, enjoy the cricket, the boat race, the food, friends, a drink or three and watch out for the sun, it’s dangerous, as is a drink or three etc etc.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.8%)
  2. Seven (24.9%)
  3. Ten (20.8%)
  4. ABC (17.9%)
  5. SBS (7.6%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (18.6%)
  2. Seven (15.3%)
  3. Ten (14.0%)
  4. ABC1 (10.5%)
  5. SBS ONE (6.5%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (6.7%)
  2. Gem (5.7%)
  3. 7TWO (3.9%)
  4. ABC2 (3.8%)
  5. Eleven (3.5%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.428 million
  2. Nine News — 1.371 million
  3. Today Tonight — 1.160 million
  4. ABC News — 1.088 million
  5. 7.30 (ABC1) — 957,000
  6. Getaway (Nine) — 919,000
  7. Better Homes And Gardens Summer (Seven) — 913,000
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 889,000
  9. Hot Seat (Nine) — 860,000
  10. How I Met Your Mother (Seven) — 800,000

Losers: Well, how about winners – those viewers with the courage not to watch last night (with the exception of Exhumed on ABC1, where it was those viewers who didn’t watch).Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 931,000
  2. Nine News — 922,00
  3. Today Tonight — 815,000
  4. ABC News — 698,000
  5. 7.30 (ABC1) — 625,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News — 555,000
  7. The Project (Ten) — 393,000
  8. Ten Eyewitness News Late  – 214,000
  9. SBS World News — 159,000
  10. ABC Late News — 120,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 344,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 295,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 176,000
  4. Mornings (Nine) — 111,000
  5. News Breakfast (ABC 1 55,000 + 34,000 on News 24) — 89,000
  6. Wake Up (Ten) — 44,000
  7. Studio 10 (Ten) — 24,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. LifeStyle  (3.6%)
  2. Fox 8 (2.7%)
  3. A&E (2.4%)
  4. TV1 (2.3%)
  5. Nickelodeon (2.0%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Grand Designs Australia (LifeStyle) – 131,000
  2. Storage Wars Texas (A&E) – 67,000
  3. Selling Houses Australia (LifeStyle) – 61,000
  4. Container Wars (A&E) – 57,000
  5. George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces  (LifeStyle) – 56,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.