As suspected, Zumbo’s Just Desserts just doesn’t do it for Australian TV viewers in the numbers that Seven thought it would. It is too sugary and too studio-based, and not enough home contests like My Kitchen Rules, which is clearly the most watched part of that program. Seven didn’t want it to look too much like a clone of MKR, but Just Desserts is like any other studio cooking show.

But it is not an Australian Survivor which is still clinging to the ratings life raft, over on Ten, but the seas are rough. The Block is sitting in the middle of that raft with viewers busily paddling it towards a successful end of the season. As a result, Nine was an easy winner in the metros last night, but just the metros. In the regions, Seven had a solid win, while the ABC was in third, just ahead of Ten. In the metros, the ABC was a clear third in both total people and the main channels and that was down to the weakness of Australian Survivor because for another Monday night, Ten’s Have You Been Paying Attention (which follows Survivor) had more viewers with 1.006 million nationally.

Australian Survivor averaged 880,000 national viewers ( 677,000 metro and 203,000 regional). Not good enough. Even Zumbo’s Just Desserts managed to stay above the 1 million mark nationally (1.170 million, with 769,000 metro and 395,000 regional viewers, who are helping keep the program alive, as they are doing for Home and Away). Survivor was a weak fourth last night in the metros and nationally and regionally). It backs up tonight for Ten, and that will make for another tough night.

With Zumbo sagging, Seven’s Australia’s Cheapest Weddings also crashed: 798,000 nationally (405,000 in the metros and 314,000 regionally). It was the loser of the wedding shows last night with Nine’s ratty Married At First Sight easily winning with 1.119 million national viewers (805,000 in the metros and 304,000 regionally).

Nine’s The Block was the most watched non-news program in the metros with 932,000 viewers. Nationally it had 1.304 million for 70 minutes (why Nine won the metros last night), just behind Seven’s Home and Away with 1.316 million (over 30 minutes).

In the regions, Seven’s win can be seen from the most watched list, headed again by Seven News with 611,000, followed by Seven News/Today Tonight with 512,000; Home and Away third with 510,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm was fourth with 432,000 and Just Desserts was fifth with 395,000.

In breakfast Seven’s Sunrise started the week proper with a win (318,000) over Today on Nine with 287,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (29.0%)
  2. Seven (25.4%)
  3. ABC (20.6%)
  4. Ten (19.6%)
  5. SBS (5.4%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (20.9%)
  2. Seven (17.4%)
  3. ABC (15.8%)
  4. Ten (14.7%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.1%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (3.7%)
  2. 7mate, GO (3.0%)
  3. Gem (2.8%)
  4. ABC 2 (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News  — 1.776 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.629 million
  3. Nine News — 1.476 million
  4. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.316 million
  5. The Block (Nine) — 1.304 million
  6. ABC News — 1.225 million
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 1.190 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.170 million
  9. Just Desserts (Seven) — 1.164 million
  10. Australian Story (ABC) — 1.154 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.165 million
  2. Seven News/ Today Tonight — 1.117 million
  3. Nine News — 1.097 million
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.047 million

Losers: Australian Survivor on Ten, Australia’s Cheapest Weddings on Seven.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.165 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.117 million
  3. Nine News — 1.097 million
  4. Nine News (6.30pm) — 1.047 million
  5. ABC News – 886,000
  6. 7.30 (ABC) — 835,000
  7. Australian Story (ABC) — 835,000
  8. Four Corners (ABC) — 809,000
  9. A Current Affair (Nine) – 805,000
  10. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 768,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 318,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 287,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 179,000
  4. News Breakfast (ABC, 116,000 + 49,000 on News 24) — 165,000
  5. Today Extra (Nine) — 126,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 89,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Sports 1 (3.4%)
  2. TVHITS  (2.2%)
  3. Nick Jr (1.9%)
  4. Fox 8  (1.8%)
  5. UKTV (1.7%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. NRL: Parramatta v St George (Fox Sports 1) — 269,000
  2. NRL: Monday Night With Matty Johns (Fox Sports 1) — 157,000
  3. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 117,000
  4. AFL: On The Couch (Fox Footy) — 88,000
  5. Paw Patrol (Nick Jr) — 73,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2016. 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.