The Winners: Seven’s 7.30 pm special The Zoo averaged 1.507 million and topped the night’s most watched list. Seven News was second with 1.486 million (but weak in Sydney and Melbourne). Nine News was 3rd with 1.410 million (but stronger in Sydney and Melbourne). Today Tonight averaged 1.409 million (thanks to big wins on Adelaide and Perth) and A Current Affair was 5th with 1.366 million (and strong on the east coast). The fresh episode of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.175 million at 7.30pm for Nine with the 7pm repeat next averaging 1.161 million. The 7pm ABC News averaged 1.137 million for 8th. The 8.30pm repeat of The Mentalist averaged 1.104 million. The 8pm repeat of The Big Bang Theory averaged 1.074 million. Home and Away was 11th with 1.061 million. Brothers and Sisters averaged 875,000 at 9.30pm for Seven and was beaten by CSI Miami which averaged 946,000 for Nine at 9.30pm. Good News Week on Ten at 8.30pm averaged 904,000.

The Losers: The Biggest Loser: an elimination episode, 832,000 at 7.30pm. It’s no longer as popular with women 16 to 39 and 18 to 49 which is its target audience. Desperate Housewives on Seven at 8.30pm, 999,000. It did Ok in the demos, but again is not as popular as it was.

News & CA: Seven News may have won nationally but lost clearly to Nine News in Sydney and Melbourne. Seven won Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Today Tonight lost Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to ACA in a weaker night. Ten News averaged 892,000 and the late News/Sports Tonight averaged 175,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 755,000, Four Corners, 721,000, Media Watch, 610,000, Q&A at 9.30pm, 540,000, Lateline, 285,000, Lateline Business, 111,000. Nine’s Nightline, 227,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 197,000, 236,000 for the late edition. 7am Sunrise, 322,000, 7am Today, 303,000.

The Stats:

FTA: Seven won with a share of 30.3% from Nine with 28.7%, Ten with 18.0%, the ABC with 15.7% and SBS with 7.4%. Nine won Sydney and Melbourne, Seven won Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Nine leads week, 34.8% from Seven with 28.8%.

Main Channel: Nine won with a share of 26.4% from Seven with 26.2%, Ten with 17.0%, ABC 1 with 14.1%, SBS ONE with 7.0%. Nine won Sydney and Melbourne, Seven won Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Nine leads the week 31.0% from Seven with 25.7%.

Digital: 7TWO won the night with 4.1%, from GO with 2.3%, ABC 2, 1.3%, ONE on 1.0%, SBS TWO, 0.4% and ABC 3, 0.3%. The six FTA digital channels had a total share of 9.4%. GO leads the week, 3.9% from 7TWO with 3.2%.

Pay TV: Seven won with a share of 25.0%, from Nine with 23.7%, Pay TV with 15.0%, Ten with 14.9%, the ABC with 13.0% and SBS with 6.0%. The 11 FTA channels had a share of 85.0%, the 100 plus Pay channels had a share of 15.0%.

Regional: A win to WIN/NBN with 29.4%, from Prime/7Qld with 28.1%, SC Ten on 17.1%, the ABC, 16.9% and SBS 8.5%. WIN/NBN won the main channels with 27.1% from Prime/7Qld with 25.3%, 7TWO won the digitals with 2.8% from GO with 2.3%.

(All shares based on combined overnight All People 6pm to midnight)

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Last night: Seven and Nine can claim last night. An elephant once again proved that a well told animal story will always top crass comedy and other stuff. Seven News had a poor night in Sydney and Melbourne, as did Today Tonight, beaten by Nine News and ACA (which also won Brisbane). Sunrise beat Today, but saw its audience slide 30-50,000 from levels of last week. That won’t make Seven boss, David Leckie happy. He’s said to be concerned at the performance of Sunrise at the moment. But a strong rebound over the rest of the week could make those worries go away.

The 7pm Project hit 839,000 viewers for Ten last night, close to an all time high. It had more viewers than the hour long episode of The Biggest Loser which followed it. So much for the experts in the Sydney and Melbourne TV media who had replaced by now. Dateline‘s George Negus was on the program last night, being seen by three times as many people who watch him on SBS. Back in the limelight.

Hot Seat with 637,000 on Nine at 5.30pm beat Deal or No Deal on Seven in the same slot which averaged 619,000. Man Vs. Wild on SBS at 8.35pm, 639,000.

In the schedules last night’s episode of The Mentalist on Nine at 8.3 pm and The Big Bang Theory on Nine at 8pm were both described as fresh episodes (they didn’t have R for repeat next to them). This morning’s ratings report shows them marked as repeats.

TONIGHT: Well, Foreign Correspondent at 8pm on the ABC, Top Gear has an irrelevant trip through Bolivia where the add to global warming on Nine at 7.30pm, Ten has a fresh episode of NCIS at 8.30pm, as well as Bondi Rescue and The Biggest Loser. Seven returns Australia’s Got Talent at 7.30pm with 90 minutes with two new judges, including Kyle Sandilands.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports