The Winners: Seven News was on top with 1.234 million, Today Tonight was next with 1.199 million, Ten’s NCIS repeat at 8.30pm averaged 1.088 million and A Current Affair was fifth with 1.069 million. Sudden Impact on Nine at 8pm averaged 1.046 million, Police Ten7 at 7.30pm on Nine, 1.017 million and the 7pm ABC News averaged 1.010 million. The 7.30 Report was next with 967,000. Nine’s movie, Mr and Mrs Smith with Brangellina averaged 954,000, not bad for a movie on a Tuesday night.

The Losers: Eli Stone on Seven at 8.30pm, 767,000, Ugly Betty, Seven at 7.30pm, 733,000, Ghost Whisperer at 9.30pm, 637,000. How I met Your Mother at 7pm, 892,000. On Ten. In Plain Sight, 608,000. It was sad. Rules of Engagement on Ten at 8pm, 667,000. Party Animals on the ABC at 8.30pm, 397,000, and that was too 397,000 too many. It is drifting close to the most idiotic program on TV this year. Temptation: back to 897,000 last night, the dip over a million on Monday night was obviously too much of a shock.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally but needed Perth to fight off Nine News which won Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Today Tonight lost Sydney and Melbourne but wins in Brisbane, Adelaide and especially Perth gave it the national win. The 7pm ABC news in Sydney had more viewers than the 6pm News of Seven and Nine. The 7.30 Report in Sydney had more viewers than TT and finished just behind ACA. Ten News averaged 836,000. The late News/Sports Tonight 126,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 153,000, the 9.30pm edition, 263,000. 7am Sunrise, 397,000, 7am Today, 286,000. A useful margin.

The Stats: Nine won with a share of 30.4% between 6pm and midnight in All People (24.6% a week ago). Seven was a distant second with 23.5% (24.1%), Ten on 22.8% (27.4%), the ABC, 16.9% (19.0%), SBS with 6.4% (4.8%). Nine won all five metro markets. Nine leads the week 26.4% to 26.3% for Seven. In regional areas a win for WIN/NBN with 29.9%, Southern Cross (Ten) was second with 23.8%, Prime/7Qld was next with 22.4%, the ABC on 16.3% and SBS on 7.5%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Gee, did the Seven Network leave the network unstaffed last night, or did someone switch to the late night viewing on early? After Today Tonight, Seven seemingly vanished from the remotes of most viewers. It was incredible. A collection of loser programs gathered together. It was as bad as Ten the previous night. Or, it must have been another of those Christmas party celebrations Seven seems to be having this year. Nine won because Seven went to sleep and continued with a losing Tuesday line up.

Tonight: Food Safari on SBS at 7.30pm and The Biggest Chinese Restaurant In The World on SBS at 8pm. And that is about it. The 7.30 Report if you want to see Kerry O’Brien try another confected interview like his effort with Barnaby Joyce last night. I found myself agreeing with Senator Joyce: he gave Kerry the rounds of the Kitchen and was so far ahead on points that the mercy rule (in baseball) should have been invoked.

Wallace and Gromit is repeat on the ABC at 8.30pm, but it is the classic Close Shave. Apart from that, if there’s a Christmas, family or friends related function, or a good book, or even Pay TV, do it!

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports