The Winners: Seven News was tops with 1.193 million, with Today Tonight second with 1.189 million. CSI on Nine was third with 1.119 million at 8.30pm and Getaway averaged 1.073 million at 7.30pm. The 7pm repeat of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.073 million people for Nine and Seven’s Beauty and The Geek Australia averaged 1.067 million at 8.30pm and 5th slot. Next was Home and Away at 7pm with 1.040 million and Nine’s A Current Affair was 8th with 1.006 million. Nine News surprised with a touch under a million, or999,000. The Secret Millionaire at 9.30pm averaged 946,000 Ten’s Glee with 923,000 at 7.30pm, Seven’s Ghost Whisperer at 7.30pm averaged 873,000.

The Losers: Viewers of Beauty and The Geek Australia (are they all for real?) and The Secret Millionaire on Seven and Nine respectively. Burn Notice at 9.30 m for Ten, 786,000. The Amazing Race on Seven beat it in the slot with 804,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market bar Melbourne. ACA won Melbourne well, lost the rest to Today Tonight. The 7pm ABC News averaged 920,000; The 7.30 Report, 809,000 (It beat Seven’s Ghost Whisperer in Sydney). Q&A averaged 495,000. Lateline, 268,000, Lateline Business, 146,000. Ten News averaged 720,000; the Late News/Sports Tonight, 415,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 161,000, 111,000 for the 9.30pm edition. 7am Sunrise, 371,000, 7am Today, 307,000.

The Stats: On a combined basis of analogue and digital, Nine had 28.9% (28.2%a week ago) and Seven had 27.1% (26.1%). Ten was third with 22.6% (21.9%) on a combined share basis and the ABC was on a joint 16.5% (18.6%) with SBS on a combined 22.6% (21.9%). Nine won Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Seven won Adelaide. Nine won Perth. Some of those markets were boosted by Nine’s Go digital channel. Seven leads the week with 29.3% to a combined 27.0% for Nine.

Digitally: A better look comes from the digital figures where Go won with 2.00%, leaving Nine’s analogue main channel on 27.00%. Ten’s ONE continued with its good week with a 1.60% share (leaving Ten’s main channel with 21.00%). ABC 2 averaged 0.90% and ABC 1, 15.60%, SBS TWO, 0.40% and SBS ONE, 4.50%.

Nine however won regional areas with WIN/NBN on 29.2%, from Prime/7Qld with 25.3%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 23.2%, the ABC with 15.9% and SBS with 6.3%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Last night emphasised the confused state of ratings figures with the digital channels. On the face of it, Nine won with a bigger share, but stripping out the digital share for Nine’s Go and Seven had more share. Seven says it had more primetime viewers and won 16 to 39, 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. Ten says it won 16 to 39. Go figure, it’s TV where everyone can be a winner.

Q&A was predictable given the line up. It was amusing at times, but just an hour sitting at a bench facing and audience and talking. It made the previous week’s edition, with Germaine Greer and Janet Albrechtsen look scintillating, which it was, and much more engaging.

TONIGHT: Better Homes and Gardens on Seven at 7.30pm. Ten has dumped the dull Spearman Experiment into 7.30pm. It has the movie, Love Actually, at 8.30 m and Nine’s movie is The Shawshank Redemption, which I think has already been screened in Sydney once this year. Another night to go out, read a book, watch Pay TV.

SATURDAY: Will Nine show the black face skit in tonight’s repeat of the last Hey Hey episode? Nine is screening the great movie, Groundhog Day, immediately afterwards (the repeating, again, of the movie is a Groundhog Day moment in itself). Apart from the return of Taggart on the ABC at 9.20pm (a series needing subtitles). Go out, read a book, wash your hair, watch Pay TV.

SUNDAY: Sunday Night at 6.30pm on Seven, Bones and Castle return from 8.30pm. Australian Idol and Rove on Ten for the young heart or tone deaf. The ABC’s remake of The 39 Steps is the night’s best. Nine has, hmmm, 60 Minutes. Rescue Special Ops at 8.30pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports