The Winners: Seven News was tops with 1.512 million people, Midsomer Murders averaged 1.471 million for the ABC at 8.30pm; and Border Security averaged 1.423 million for Seven at 7.30pm. The Force, which followed it at 8pm averaged 1.350 million for Seven and 4th. Seven’s Sunday night averaged 1.307 million at 6.30pm and Nine News was 6th with 1.213 million. Yellowstone, the ABC program on the US national park averaged a strong 1.148 million and pushed Australian Idol to a distant 4th. 60 Minutes was next with 1.131 million and 8th. Australian Idol was next with 976,000.

The Losers: Nine’s new program, The Best of The Best, at 6.30pm: 913,000. It’s just another list program aimed at older viewers who were watching Sunday Night on Seven. Seven’s movie at 8.30 pm: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry: 798,000 for a dud movie. Las Vegas on Seven after the movie, just 297,000. CSI Miami on Nine at 9.30pm, 692,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market. The 7pm ABC News averaged 959,000. Ten News averaged 630,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 179,000. In the morning Weekend Sunrise on Seven, 307,000 from 8am. Today on Sunday on Nine, 280,000 (the closest it has been so far to weekend Sunrise). Landline on the ABC, 212,000 for the ABC at Noon. Insiders on the ABC at 9am, 201,000. Inside Business at 10am,153,000. Offsiders at 10.30pm, 115,000.

The Stats: Seven won 6pm to Midnight, All People with 25.1% from Nine with a combined share of 24.5%, the ABC third with a combined share of 22.3%, Ten with total share of 21.8% and SBS with a total share of 6.3%. Seven won Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Nine won Melbourne.

Digitally: A win for Nine’s Go with 3.20% (21.30% for Nine’s main channel). The ABC was next with ABC 2 on 1.10% and the main channel, ABC 1 on 21.20%. Ten’s ONE tied with a share of 1.10% and the main channel had a share of 20.60%. SBS Two finished with a share of 0.20% and 6.10% for SBS ONE. Seven was on 25.10%. In regional areas a win to the ABC with 25.1%, with WIN/NBN for Nine second with 23.7%, Prime/7Qld with 23.3% and SBS with 8.4%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Including the digital channels, Nine won last week with a share of 28.9% to Seven’s 27.5%. But Nine’s share included 2.2% share for Go, the digital channel. That left Nine behind Seven with 26.8%, which commentators this morning omitted. Ten had a combined share of 20.7%, after 1.2% for ONE, its digital channel; Ten’s main channel had a share of 19.4%. That wasn’t very good. Ten’s share was boosted by the AFL final on Saturday night, Seven by the Friday night game, Nine by the finals Friday and Saturday nights.

Nine had a combined share less than Seven’s single channel share. Nine will do well Friday and Saturday nights of this week with the NRL finals, as it did last week. But last night shows that its basic programming, outside of the football and where the money comes from, is weak.

Last night: 60 Minutes was easily beaten last night, 1.13 million to over 1.35 million for Seven’s duo, Border Security and The Force from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. Sunday Night averaged 1.307 million viewers for Seven at 6.30pm and seems to be back stronger than 60 Minutes an hour later.

Midsomer Murders made a mess of the 8.30pm timeslot: its 1.47 million viewers crushed Nine’s Rescue Special Ops which averaged less than a million viewers and is fading, despite the opposition. Seven’s movie vanished.

Next week it, Seven and Ten start fast tracking programs from the US in a desperate attempt to keep souring viewers interested. All need the buzz and impact of returning episodes of NCIS (Ten), Two and A Half Men, The Mentalist and the new Flash Forward for Seven next Monday night.

TONIGHT: Frocks and footballers on Seven in Melbourne at the Brownlow for southern markets. There’s not much else on elsewhere on Seven. Nine and Ten running dead in the south, and showing expendable material, such as the Emmys on Ten at 10.30pm, after Good News Week. Nine has Two and a Half Men and a movie, SBS has Top Gear, the ABC, Australian Story at 8 pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports