Ten’s annual meat market started last night (aka The Bachelor) and it did well in the demos, but remains a tacky, grubby production. It actually cheapens the program that followed it (Offspring). Certainly, without Masterchef as the lead in, Offspring’s numbers sprung a leak and it lost nearly 200,000 viewers from the week before: it had 984,000 national viewers to 1.176 million a week ago. The Bachelor had just on 1.2 million national viewers for its return episode, which will put a smile on Ten’s dial, but not on those at Offspring. Even though it’s a TV drama, it is more real than the confected antics (The Apprentice for chicks?) on The Bachie. The Bachelor ran for an hour and 40 minutes, which is too long. It may have been the launch episode, but that is a waste of TV time. Certainly the later finish didn’t help Offspring retain viewers.

Mad As Hell retired for the season after 12 weeks. My, hasn’t time flown. We’ve had an election campaign, weeks of wasted media huff and puff on the count and the meaning of the poll (Malcolm Turnbull is a dud, and has unleashed Pauline Hanson and a collection of crazies on us with the ill-advised DD poll). And thankfully we have had His Highness, Prince Shaun Micallef to guide the way once a week. Mad As Hell departed with 992,000 national viewers, 710,000 metro and 282,000 in the regions. You know what I would love to see? The Mad As Hell mob do a pisstake on Q&A, with the main characters – Kraken, Admiral Bobo etc … on a panel. Shaun Micallef as Tony Jones?

Seven may have won total people, but Ten won the metro main channels and the big demos. But in the regions, Bacheloring and Offspringing doesn’t play well and Seven won by a mile, both total people and the main channels. The Bachelor managed 314,000 regional viewers and Offspring, 258,000.

Seven News topped the most watched list in the regions with 601,000, followed by The Chase Australia 5.30pm with 485,000. Seven News/Today Tonight was 3rd with 473,000, with Home and Away next with 462,000 ad The Force was fifth with 451,000.

In breakfast Sunrise with 311,000 was a narrow winner over Today, 299,000. Sunrise won nationally.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (26.4%)
  2. Nine (24.7%)
  3. Ten (23.4%)
  4. ABC (17.4%)
  5. SBS (8.2%)

Network main channels:

  1. Ten (18.1%)
  2. Seven (17.6%)
  3. Nine (16.3%)
  4. ABC (12.3%)
  5. SBS ONE (6.1%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.2%)
  2. GO (3.9%)
  3. 7mate, Gem (3.0%)
  4. ABC 2 (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News  — 1.648 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.437 million
  3. Nine News — 1.331 million
  4. The Bachelor – Launch (Ten) — 1.196 million
  5. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.188 million
  6. ABC News — 1.177 million
  7. The Force (Seven) — 1.135 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.135 million
  9. Border Security (Seven) — 1.117 million
  10. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.115 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.048 million
  2. Nine News — 1.007 million

Losers: Us viewers. No more Mad As Hell and the host, his Highness, The Duke of Melbourne, St Shaun Micallef. The antics of The Bachelor and his harem, and Nina and Offspring of suitors can’t sustain me through the rest of winter and spring on Wednesday nights.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.048 million
  2. Nine News — 1.007 million
  3. Seven News/Today Tonight — 964,000
  4. Nine News (6.30pm) — 952,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 808,000
  6. ABC News – 798,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 749,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 684,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 527,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 472,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 311,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 299,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 158,000
  4. News Breakfast (ABC, 94,000 + 50,000 on News 24) — 144,000
  5. Today Extra (Nine) — 124,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 101,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 82,000
  2. AFL: On The Couch (Fox Footy) — 78,000
  3. Back Page (Fox Sports 1) — 63,000
  4. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 63,000
  5. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 59,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2016. 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.