The Winners: Seven news was tops with 1.309 million, Today Tonight was second with 1.261 million and The Footy Shows were a combined 3rd with 1.204 million. Getaway averaged 1.160 million at 7.30pm for Nine, Home and Away averaged 1.151 million at 7pm in 5th spot and the 7pm repeat of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.055 million for Nine. A Current Affair was 7th with 1.041 million and Nine News was 8th with 1.009 million. Ten’s Rush was 9th at 8.30pm with 1.008 million. Glee on Ten at 7.30pm averaged 967,000. Seven’s The Amazing Race, 877,000 from 8.30pm till 10.30pm.

The Losers: Gary Unmarried on Seven at 7.30pm, 823,000. it’s really “Gary Unfunny”. Burn Notice on Ten at 9.30pm, 697,000. Even though it was up against the AFL Footy Show in southern markets in particular, it was still a poor result. It did poorly last week as well.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne. Today Tonight won everywhere. The 7pm ABC News averaged 930,000, The 7.30 Report, 866,000, Q&A, 404,000; Lateline, 231,000, Lateline Business, 114,000. Ten News, 716,000. The late News/Sports Tonight averaged 353,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 186,000; the 9.30pm edition, 105,000. 7am Sunrise, 378,000, 7am Today, 313,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a share of 34.9% (30.7%) for 6 pm to midnight, All People. Seven was next with 24.3% (24.4%), Ten was third with 21.5% (21.7%), the ABC was on 14.6% (18.3%) and SBS, 4.6% (4.8%). Nine won all five metro markets. Seven leads the week 29.4% to 27.3% for Nine. Nine will make up ground with the NRL tonight in Brisbane and Sydney.

Digitally: Ten’s ONE averaged 1.50%, (20.10% for Ten’s main channel) from ABC 2 with 1.40% (13.20% for ABC 1), from Nine’s Go with 1.20% ( 33.70% for the Nine main channel), 0.50% for SBS TWO with SBS ONE on 4.20%.

Seven has named its new digital channel 72. No word on when it starts, but it has to by December 27 because that’s when the new ratings and reporting system starts.

Seven’s channel will be more lifestyle and current programming related, although it has yet to completely finalise the format. Seven probably won start it until towards the end of ratings in late November when it won’t drain money from the main channel.

And, Seven gave the thumbs down to two new series pitched by Granada last week. Nothing unusual about that, except Seven said no right at the end of negotiations: Tim Worner said no for no apparent reason. Tim Worner. Granada were very confident they had two deals.

And Seven is starting to promote a program called Cast of Thousands:

Channel Seven announced today they are on the hunt for creative, fearless and talented filmmakers to showcase their talents as part of an exciting pilot where they will be challenged to produce some of the best stories never told!

The search is on for teams (two people per team) who are gutsy, out-going, love travel and reckon they have what it takes to write, star in, shoot and edit their own original and hugely entertaining short films or videos. 18 to 80, age is no barrier — as long as you know how to tell a story.

That sounds a lot like Hungry Beast, the ABC TV program that starts soon and is being produced by Zapruder, the Andrew Denton company. Theirs is the original idea, Seven’s is the imitator.

On regional areas a win to WIN/NBN with 33.0% from prime/7Qld with 23.6%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 21.6%), the ABC with 15.3% and SBS with 6.4%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: The AFL Footy Show Grand Final edition did it for Nine, has predicted. 583,000 people watched in Melbourne. Next week’s final program for the NRL Footy Show won’t get the same interest. And that was the night.

TONIGHT: The NRL Final in Sydney between Parramatta and Canterbury on Nine. For Seven. its Friday nights without the AFL, although thanks to Better Homes and Gardens, the News, Home and Away and Today Tonight, it already does well. The ABC has George Gently around 8.30pm as a highlight. No NRL in prime time in Melbourne tonight. So much for doing the right thing. Where’s the News Ltd media when you need to make an issue out of this (News Ltd owns half the NRL).

SATURDAY: A certain AFL game in Melbourne. Ten has 12 hours or more of coverage in Melbourne. Nine is showing the NRL final between the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane along the east coast from 7.30pm. The ABC and Seven, nothing on at all. Ten in Sydney and Brisbane has nothing except movie repeats (also on Seven and Nine after the NRL).

SUNDAY: The first Sunday for months without a game being played: the fallout from Saturday in the AFL will dominate, especially in the deep south, speculation about the NRL Final the following Sunday will dominate in the north. Seven has Sunday Night, Border Security. Nine has 60 Minutes and Rescue Special Ops. The ABC has Midsomer Murders and the second of three parts on Yellowstone Park. Australian Idol is on Ten, as is Rove.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports