A close night which is all there needs to be said about a pretty average night of TV viewing. In the metros, Nine grabbed the key demos. In regional markets, Seven won clearly, the ABC was a dominant third, Ten, a weak fourth (as they were in the metros).

You know the Ten Network is still in trouble, no matter the spin from today’s results briefing, because the News (829,000 national/ 611,000 metro/ 218,000 regional viewers) was the network’s most watched program last night — for yet another night.  Ten’s post 7.30pm lineup is supposed to out-rate the news, which is broadcast when far fewer viewers are watching TV. And yet last night the line up of The Bachelor (819,000 national/614,000 metro/ 205,000 regional viewers), and Wonderland (707,000 national/507,000 metro/ 200,000 regional viewers) were again not up to the mark, just as the Sunday and Monday line ups are not pulling in more viewers.

Nine’s Big Brother (1.176 million national/ 853,000 metro/ 323,000 regional viewers) and weak Hostages (921,000 national/ 650,000 metro/ 271,000 regional viewers) as well as Seven’s SlideShow (1.182 million national/ 729,000 metro/ 453,000 regional viewers) and the fading Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1.372 million national/ 889,000 metro/ 483,000 regional viewers) were just too good at attracting and holding viewers from the 16 to 49 and 25 to 54 age groups from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Seven’s Home and Away (1.321 million national/851,000 metro/ 470,000 regional viewers) at 7pm is dominant.  Even the ABC’s 7.30 (1.228 million national/ 777,000 metro/ 511,000 regional viewers, the appallingly unfunny Tractor Monkeys (929,000 national/ 580,000 metro/ 349,000 regional viewers) and the excellent Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery (1.040 million national/ 726,000 metro/ 314,000 regional viewers) were more popular with viewers than Ten’s offerings. It’s no good Ten spruiking how well its shows did in the under 50 demos because the truth is that Seven and Nine did a lot better and they are grabbing the revenue biscuits. Not to mention the ABC had better programs that were better made (well, with the exception of Tractor Monkeys).

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (29.4%)
  2. Seven (28.8%)
  3. ABC (19.1%)
  4. TEN (18.1%)
  5. SBS (4.6%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (20.0%)
  2. Nine  (19.9%)
  3. ABC1 (13.9%)
  4. TEN (11.9%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.8%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (5.7%)
  2. 7mate (5.6%)
  3. Gem (3.8%)
  4. Eleven (3.5%)
  5. 7TWO (3.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.593 million
  2. Seven News — 1.523 million
  3. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Seven) — 1.347 million
  4. Gruen Planet (ABC1) – 1.342 million
  5. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.321 million
  6. ABC News — 1.278 million
  7. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.228 million
  8. SlideShow (Seven) — 1.182 million
  9. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.176 million
  10. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.121 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.059 million
  2. Seven News — 1.026 million

Losers:  Apart from Gruen, it was yet another night to forget. Wonderland remains the big disappointment with a good idea trapped inside a poorly executed, cast and acted offering. Hostages is forgettable, as was Seven’s Last Resort and Red Widow earlier in the year. And if you want a reminder of a programming idea gone bad, Seven is still burying The Mole at 10.30pm, after the main part of prime time is over. Last night just 320,000 national/ 210,000 metro/ 110,000 regional viewers watched what is Seven’s flop of the year. I wonder who at Seven isn’t claiming this one? Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.059 million
  2. Seven News — 1.026 million
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) — 916,000
  4. Today Tonight (Seven) — 904,000
  5. ABC News – 836,000
  6. 7.30 (ABC1) — 777,000
  7. Ten News — 611,000
  8. The Project (Ten) — 548,000
  9. SBS World News — 169,000
  10. Lateline (ABC1) — 142,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 345,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 307,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC1, 91,000 + 45,000 on News24) — 136,000

Top pay TV channels:

  1. Fox  Sports 3 (4.4%)
  2. LifeStyle, Fox 8 (3.0%)
  3. TV1 (2.5%)
  4. 13th Street, UK TV (1.5%)
  5. Fox Classics, Sky News  (1.4%)

Top pay TV programs:

  1. ODI: India v Australia Game 2 (Fox Sports 3) – 168,000
  2. Location Location Location Australia (LifeStyle) — 142,000
  3. The Simpsons, Family Guy (Fox 8 ) –76,000
  4. Family Guy (Fox 8 ) – 75,000
  5. Selling Houses Austraia (LifeStyle)  – 74,000

*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 and network reports).