Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell (Image: ABC)

Nine’s night from Seven back in the distance, with the ABC third and Ten (without Hunted) fourth. Shaun Micallef’s last series of Mad As Hell returned last night on the ABC and with 685,000 nationally topped Shaun Micallef’s Brain Eisteddfod on Ten with 599,000. He must have sprinted from Ten to the ABC in Melbourne last night. 

Mad As Hell’s take-off of Sarah Ferguson, the new host of 7.30, was startlingly accurate. Funny point as well about the absence of ALP characters after so many years of the Coalition in Canberra, though the program does have Albo almost down pat.

Nine’s Beauty and the Geek perked up and grabbed 711,000 national viewers from 528,000 the night before. The ABC’s Gruen was the most watched entertainment show with 748,000 in prime time. The 5.30pm part of The Chase Australia did better with 851,000, even though it is just out of prime time.

NRL on Nine tonight, the TDF is in the Pyrenees, starting at Lourdes — some of the riders will need a pre-race blessing to finish after Wednesday’s murderous climbs, just 143km tonight and 2 Cat 1 and 1 HC finish. The previous stage: 3 Cat 1 (and a finish) climbs and 1 Cat 2.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (31.0%)
  2. Seven (23.7%)
  3. ABC(17.9%)
  4. Ten (17.8%)
  5. SBS (9.6%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (22.3%)
  2. Seven (16.5%)
  3. ABC (13.1%)
  4. Ten (11.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 10 Peach (3.9%)
  2. 7TWO (3.5%)
  3. Gem (3.2%)
  4. GO (2.4%)
  5. ABC Kids/Plus, 9Life (2.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.470 million
  2. Seven News 6.30pm — 1.397 million
  3. Nine News — 1.112 million
  4. Nine News 6.30pm — 1.098 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 900,000
  6. 7pm ABC News — 858,000
  7. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 851,000
  8. Gruen (ABC) — 748,000
  9. 7.30 (ABC) — 774,000
  10. Beauty and the Geek (Nine) — 711,000

Top metro programs: none with a million or more viewers.

Regional Top 5: Seven News, 588,000; Seven News 6.30pm, 531,000; The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 324,000; Home and Away, 293,000; 7pm ABC News, Nine News, 291,000.

Losers: Nine, repeating Travel Guides.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 912,000
  2. Seven News 6.30pm — 866,000
  3. Nine News — 822,000
  4. Nine News 6.30pm — 819,000
  5. ACA (Nine) — 638,000
  6. 7pm ABC News — 567,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 492,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 357,000
  9. Ten News First — 321,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 256,000

Morning (national) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) — 352,000/192,000
  2. Today (Nine) — 296,000/195,000
  3. ABC News Breakfast — 274,000/181,000
  4. ABC News Mornings — 237,000
  5. The Morning Show (Seven) — 217,000
  6. Today Extra (Nine) — 157,000
  7. Studio 10 (Ten) — 30,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

  1. Credlin (Sky News) — 62,000
  2. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 49,000
  3. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 48,000
  4. NRL: 360 (Sky News) — 47,000
  5. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 43,000