A weak night of TV — reading a book turned out to be a good option a bit of a way through Offspring, which lacked the usual zing last night. Seven news and Today Tonight copped another hiding from Nine news and A Current Affair in Sydney and Melbourne in particular. The Block was OK, but sort of meandered, and Nine won the dispiriting night thanks to solid victories in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Nine also had a big win in regional markets.

Offspring had 1.079 million million national/ 798,000 metro/ 281,000 regional viewers, which was down more than 100,000 viewers (1.212 million nationally) from its return figures last week. The Block had 1.685 million national/ 1.178 million metro/ 507,000 regional viewers, while House Rules had 1.477 million national/ 951,000 metro/ 526,000 regional viewers (where House Rules beat The Block, again). Nine’s Arrow had 1.515 million national/ 968,000 metro/ 547,000 regional viewers and helped push Nine to its win.

In the 6pm to  pm battle, Nine handed another flogging for Seven in Sydney and Melbourne, and at 6.30pm in Brisbane (Seven won the news battle). At 6pm Nine won the news battle in Sydney by 84,000, Melbourne by 189,000 and lost Brisbane to Seven by 26,000. At 6.30pm A Current Affair beat Today Tonight by 75,000 in Sydney, 111,000 in Melbourne and 33,000 in Brisbane. In all three markets there was a noticeable turn off from the 6pm news to the 6.30pm current affairs programs.

 AFL 360 on Fox Footy was the top rated program last night on pay TV with 122,000 viewers with its discussion of the Eddie McGuire comments on Adam Goodes.

Network metro channel share:

  1. Nine (30.4%)
  2. Seven (29.0%)
  3. ABC (19.0%)
  4. Ten (17.2%)
  5. SBS (4.3%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (22.4%)
  2. Seven (20.5%)
  3. ABC1 (13.4%)
  4. Ten (12.5%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.6%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. Go, 7TWO, 7mate (4.3%)
  2. ABC 2, Gem (3.7%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Nine News (Nine) – 1.970 million
  2. Seven News — 1.881 million
  3. The Block (Nine) — 1.685 million
  4. Arrow (Nine) – 1.515 million
  5. House Rules (Seven) — 1.477 million
  6. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.443 million
  7. ABC1 News — 1.378 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.331 million
  9. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.309 million
  10. The Big Bang Theory (Nine) — 1.208 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.353 million
  2. Seven News — 1.253 million
  3. The Block (Nine) — 1.178 million
  4. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.128 million
  5. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.062 million

Losers:  Sigh … all of us. Not the most uplifting of nights.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News  – 1.353 million
  2. Seven News — 1.253 million
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.128 million
  4. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.062 million
  5. ABC1 News — 911,000
  6. 7.30 (ABC1) — 785,000
  7. Ten News  — 696,000
  8. The Project (Ten) — 570,000
  9. SBS ONE News — 214,000
  10. Lateline (ABC1) — 189,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 333,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 317,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC1) – 59,000 + 36,000 on News 24

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox 8 – 2.9%
  2. TV1 – 2.6%
  3. LifeStyle – 2.1%
  4. UKTV, Fox Sports 3 – 1.7%.
  5. Fox Classics – 1.6%

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 122,000
  2. Wentworth (SoHo) – 115,000
  3. NCIS (Tv1) – 91,000
  4. AFL: The Club (Fox Footy) – 67,000
  5. Family Guy (Fox 8) – 66,000

Tonight: The Checkout checks out on ABC1 tonight at 8pm as the success story of the year so far as new programs are concerned. Well made, intelligent and well reported, it showed up the so-called consumer reports on Today Tonight and A Current Affair that are often merely vehicles for some hidden camera footage (and only shot in Queensland). The AFL Footy Show tonight on Nine should also be worth watching to see the reaction to the latest atrocity from Eddie McGuire (who was the foundation host) and the attitudes some of the thickheads on that program take on the racism issue and Adam Goodes, especially Dermott Brereton.

*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.