Overall, it was Nine’s night but also a particularly strong performance from the ABC. The Hillary Clinton “Exclusive” interview on Four Corners drew 1.14 million national viewers, and dragged other ABC programs higher and contributed to equal second place, with Seven where the first part of the Michael Hutchence special bombed badly.

Four Corners audience was up from 848,000 a week ago, boosting the ABC’s Monday night performance and lifting it out of its recent rut. The higher audience for Four Corners lifted Media Watch back over the million national mark to 1.005 million (794,000 a week ago) and boosted Q&A’s audience to 733,000 (from 611,000 a week earlier). The first part of Seven’s much hyped Michael Hutchence special averaged a very weak 809,000 nationally and 526,000 in the metros. That’s another nail in the biopic/docu drama genre about well known Australian personalities. So while the Hillary Clinton interview improved the ABC to parity with the other main channels, it was probably more the viewer thumbs down to the Michael Hutchence program on Seven. Part two is tonight.

The Block rolled on its merry way with 2.08 million nationally and 1.44 million in the metros.  In regional areas The Block ruled with 645, 000 viewers, followed by Seven News with 614,000, then Seven News/Today Tonight with 513,000, then Home and Away with 465,000 and the 5.30pm part of The Chase Australia was fifth with 412,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (30.0%)
  2. Seven (25.0%)
  3. ABC (21.3%)
  4. Ten (16.8%)
  5. SBS (6.9%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (22.9%)
  2. Seven (16.2%)
  3. ABC(16.2%)
  4. Ten (11.7%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.5%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.2%)
  2. ABC 2 (3.76%)
  3. 7mate (3.4%)
  4. GO (3.0%)
  5. ONE (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 2.085 million
  2. Seven News  — 1.619 million
  3. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.497 million
  4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.314 million
  5. Nine/NBN News — 1.287 million
  6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.217 million
  7. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.191 million
  8. Four Corners (ABC) — 1.146 million
  9. 7pm ABC News — 1.138 million
  10. Media Watch (Nine) — 1.005 million

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 1.440 million
  2. Seven News — 1.004 million

Losers: Seven. The Michael Hutchence special.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.004 million
  2. Nine News (6.30pm) — 993,000
  3. Nine News — 990,000
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 985,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 847,000
  6. 7pm ABC News — 844,000
  7. Media Watch (ABC) — 729,000
  8. 7.30 (ABC) — 687,000
  9. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 631,000
  10. Australian Story (ABC) — 630,000

Morning (national) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 491,000
  2. Today (Nine) —422,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC,  176,000 + 79,000 on News 24) — 255,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 254,000
  5. Today Extra (Nine) — 170,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 138,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 56,000
  2. Family Guy (Fox8) — 44,000
  3. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 43,000
  4. Paul Murray Overtime (Sky News) — 43,000
  5. American Dad (Fox8) —- 42,000