A bad night for Nine but big nights for Seven and Ten and the ABC. It made for a strange night Monday all over, with Desperate Housewives winning as usual, but the other networks found enough joy to smile at Nine’s misfortunes. The big winner besides Seven was the ABC. It did well across the country with the strong line up of The 7.30 Report, then Australian Story (with Neighbours star Ian Smith’s story), Four Corners on Melbourne’s ganglands wars, Media Watch and Andrew Denton talking to a frank Michael Slater.

So just how good a line-up was it? Well who would have thought the ABC would beat the mighty Nine Network on a Monday night? It did, in Perth. Seven won Perth with 33.6% to 21.8% for Ten, 19.4% for the ABC and Nine with 18.0%. That’s a first in most TV veterans’ memories. In Sydney though more embarrassment for Nine, third place behind Seven and Ten. Seven won with 32.3%, Ten was second with 23.0%, Nine was third with 22.6%.Ouch!

Nationally Seven won the network battle with a 32.9% share, to 22.4%, Ten with 21.4%, the ABC with 17.6% and SBS on 5.8%. Nine News beat Seven nationally but lost to Seven in Sydney and Today Tonight thumped A Current Affair nationally and in Sydney and Melbourne.

Failure of the night: It couldn’t have been the X-Factor on Ten, it had the night off. Likewise Joey and Two and a Half Men were rested by Nine which in their place showed an hour of live swimming finals from the Australian Titles. It bombed, finishing a distant fourth behind Seven’s Great Outdoors, Ten’s Biggest Loser final and the ABC’s 7.30 Report and Australian Story.