Nine’s night thanks to the warblers on The Voice (2.818 million national/ 1.996 million metro/ 820,000 regional). It’s now comfortably back in the groove for 2013, but still with a bit its first year strength and appeal missing. My Kitchen Rules did OK (but is still well adrift of The Voice) with 2.2129 million/ 1.405 million metro/ 725,000 regional viewers.

Ten’s Mr and Mrs Murder (8.30pm, 644,000 national/ 463,000 metro/ 171,000 regional) was crunched by The Voice and MKR running to around 8.45pm. That’s weak, but it had been losing ground anyway. Tractor Monkeys on ABC1 at 8.30pm (545,000 national/ 371,000 metro/ 174,000 national). Yes, it was also partly crunched by the big two on Seven and Nine, but it was already weak and is in no way a replacement for Spics and Specks. The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting needs to sharpen its act, but I fear it’s a bit late after it averaged 459,000 national/ 292,000 metro/ 163,000 regional viewers last night.That’s terminal. After giving it two weeks, it’s very weak and patchy and disappointing.

The producers and those who pass these days for TV understanding management at ABC1 should look at why Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell held up last night (813,000 national/ 571,000 metro/ 242,000 regional) directly in the line of fire from MKR and The Voice. The audience was only down a fraction on previous weeks. The first segment last night on North Korea, with Micallef channelling Peter Sellers as Dr Strangleove was inspired, and frighteningly good. That’s the difference between it, Tractor Monkeys and the blunt Knifefighters.

Nine’s News had another good win, especially in Melbourne over Seven, where it won easily, 456,000 to 315,000. A Currient Affair also whipped Today Today in Melbourne, 403,000 to 249,000. Seven’s woes at 6pm continue in Melbourne. In the morning Today had its third metro win of the week over Sunrise.

Network channel shares:

  1. Nine (36.5%)
  2. Seven (30.4%)
  3. Ten (14.3%)
  4. ABC (14.3%)
  5. SBS  (4.6%)

Main channels:

  1. Nine (29.3%)
  2. Seven (22.4%)
  3. ABC1 (10.3%)
  4. Ten (9.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.9%)

Top five digital channels:

  1. 7TWO (3.9%)
  2. 7mate  (4.1%)
  3. Gem, GO (3.6%)
  4. Eleven (2.9%)
  5. ABC2 (2.5%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Voice  (Nine) – 2.818 million
  2. My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 2.129 million
  3. Nine News — 1.861 million
  4. Seven News  (Seven) – 1. 737 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.345 million
  6. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.345 million
  7. ABC1 News — 1.278 million
  8. The Following (Nine) — 1.267 million
  9. Criminal Minds (Seven) — 1.221 million
  10. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.184 million

Top metro top programs: 

  1. The Voice (Nine) — 1.996 million
  2. My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 1.405 million
  3. Nine News — 1.293 million
  4. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.182 million
  5. Seven News — 1.154 million

Metro/regional: Nine won Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It lost Adelaide overall, but won the main channels. Seven again won Perth by a mile. Nine (WIN/NBN) won the regionals (overall and the main channels)

Losers: A few, but Ten, and the ABC were definitely squeezed, while Seven quietly buried Last Resort last night — the second last episode at 9.30pm averaged 588,000 national/ 338,000 metro/ 220,000 regional, while the final of 13 episodes died with just 422,000 national/ 249,000 metro/ 173,000 regional viewers. No wonder Seven had a night weaker than it seemed last night. The Good Wife on Ten at 9.30pm 513,000 national/ 387,000 metro/ 126,000 regional). 

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.293 million
  2. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.182 million
  3. Seven News – 1.031 million
  4. Seven News — 1.154 million
  5. Today Tonight (Seven) — 939,000
  6. ABC News – 855,000
  7. Ten News — 683,000
  8. 7.30 (ABC1) — 639,000
  9. The Project (Ten) — 468,000
  10. SBS ONE News  — 164,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Today (Nine) – 359,000
  2. Sunrise (Seven) – 355,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC1) – 59,000 + 39,000 on News 24

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox 8 — 4.0%
  2. LifeStyle — 3.0%
  3. TV1 — 2.2%
  4. Cartoon Network — 1.8%
  5. Sky News — 1.7%

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Selling Houses Australia (LifeStyle) – 179,000
  2. Location Location Location Australia (LifeStyle) – 92,000
  3. The Simpsons (Fox 8) – 76,000
  4. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 72,000
  5. Futurama (Fox 8) – 71,000

Tonight: It’s Thursday, so check out The Checkout on ABC1 at 8pm and take it from there. There’s the AFL and NRL Footy Shows from 8.30pm. SBS has its various foodie programs from 7.30pm. Mrs Brown’s Boys returns to Seven from 8.30pm with an added repeat. Ten has some more Jamie Oliver 15-Minute Meals and then back to back Law and Orders SVU. And ABC1 has part two of Orbit, in which the BBC explains to viewers in Britain just what the sun is (that big, bright thing in the sky, not a tabloid newspaper). We in Australia know the sun, don’t we? US masters Golf on Ten in the early AM Friday.

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) Plus network reports.