Firstly, I’d like to congratulate all the viewer-readers from Crikey and beyond for showing the good taste by all but ignoring the grand final of Nine’s Celebrity Apprentice last night. The boardroom/challenge parts of the program averaged 892,000 national/ 613,000 metro/ 279,000 regional viewers, which was significantly less than the program’s opening episode of this series managed 1.218 million national/ 837,000 metro/ 381,000) viewers. It’s a sign that a TV program, especially a reality show, has worn out its welcome. So will Nine fire this load of rubbish, and its host Mark Bouris, or is he and his Yellow Brick Road financial services company rusted onto Nine via a shareholding that means that Celebrity Apprentice has been a part of the marketing campaign all along? Nine took a 19.9% stake in the company back in late 2011.

Apart from that bit of joy, pleasure also for Seven with another comprehensive ratings win, led by House Rules, which has well and truly conquered Nine’s The Block. House Rules was the most-watched program in metro, regional and national markets last night with 2.268 million national/ 1.474 million metro/ 794,000 regional viewers. The Block had 1.728 million national/ 1.191 million metro/ 527,000 regional viewers. 

And, pleasure for Ten with a top 10 program at last. Under The Dome did very well, with its debut episode averaging 1.721 million national/ 1.175 million metro/ 546,000 regional viewers (more than The Block!). While it was a rare top 10 program for Ten, we can say the fading MasterChef Australia –– its 909,000 national/ 659,000 metro/ 250,000 — wasn’t very good for yet another night.

Andrew Denton’s departure from TV was confirmed in this morning’s media, but missing from the report and from Denton and  former partners Nick Murray and Michael Cordell in the now-merged company (which was a takeover really) was any mention of Anita Jacoby, a veteran producer who made the program ideas Denton and his crew had (Enough Rope, the Gruens, Hungry Beast), into reality. It was a churlish omission by all concerned, including The Sydney Morning Herald.

And, there’s only one program to watch tonight — other than the second State of Origin from Brisbane on Nine — and that’s Offspring on Ten at 8.30pm. It’s still the best soap on TV. Avoid though, the increasingly irrelevant MasterChef  and watch 7.30 or House Rules (this assumes you won’t be watching the biffers on Nine).

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (33.9%)
  2. Nine (26.2%)
  3. Ten (20.1%)
  4. ABC (15.0%)
  5. SBS (4.8%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (25.3%)
  2. Nine (18.6%)
  3. Ten (15.8%)
  4. ABC1 (11.0%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.0%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (5.9%)
  2. GO (4.6%)
  3. Gem (3.0%)
  4. 7mate (2.7%)
  5. ABC2 (2.5%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. House Rules (Seven) – 2.268 million
  2. Seven News — 2.088 million
  3. Nine News — 1.905 million
  4. Packed To The Rafters  (Seven) –1.804 million
  5. The Block (Nine) — 1.728 million
  6. Under The Dome (Ten) — 1.721 million
  7. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.620 million
  8. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.439 million
  9. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.281 million
  10. ABC1 News — 1.359 million

Top metro programs:

  1. House Rules (Seven) –1.474 million
  2. Seven News — 1.405 million
  3. Nine News — 1.298 million
  4. The Block (Nine) — 1.191 million
  5. Packed To The Rafters >(Seven) — 1.181 million
  6. Under The Dome (Ten) — 1.175 million
  7. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.166 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.136 million
  9. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.083 million

Metro news and current affairs:

  1.  Seven News — 1.405 million
  2. Nine News — 1.298 million
  3. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.166 million
  4. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.136 million
  5. ABC1 News — 907,000
  6. Ten News — 765,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC1) — 745,000
  8. The Project (Ten) — 551,000
  9. Ten Late News — 271,000
  10. Insight (SBS ONE) — 228,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 351,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 348,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC1) – 58,000 + 29,000 on News 24

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox 8 – (2.7%)
  2. Fox Sports 3 — (2.4%)
  3. TV1 – (2.1%)
  4. LifeStyle, Sky News, Crime and Investigation (1.6%)
  5. Disney (1.5%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. The Simpsons  (F08) – 107,000
  2. Family Guy (Fox 8) – 104,000
  3. AFL: 360  (Fox Footy) – 99,000
  4. Rugby: Lions v Melbourne (Fox Sports 2) – 91,000
  5. Modern Family (Fox 8) – 84,000

*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.