The Winners: 60 Minutes was tops with 1.751 million, followed by Seven News with 1.606 million and Nine News third with 1.476 million. Seven’s Battle of The Choirs ended strongly at 7.30pm with 1.377 million and Nine returned Animal Emergency at 6.30pm with 1.348 million. Foyle’s War at 8.30pm on the ABC averaged 1.215 million and the repeat of CSI Miami at 8.30pm (not a fresh episode as marked in some guides) averaged 1.195 million in 7th spot. The 7pm ABC News averaged 1.182 million and Rove lifted to average 1.102 million and from memory, his best figures for the year so far. Ten’s repeat of Thank God You’re Here at 7.30pm averaged 1.085 million, with the ABC News update at 8.25pm averaging 1.065 million. Dr Who was 12th with 1.064 million; and Thank You, a strange Seven program at 6.30pm averaged 1.001 million. Perhaps Seven was hoping to out-schmaltz Nine’s Animal Emergency, or Domestic Blitz. Ten’s America’s Next Top Model averaged 955,000 at 6.30pm and beat The Einstein Report on the ABC at the same time (6.30pm to 7pm at least) with 842,000. But the ABC won the overall 6.30pm to 7.30pm slot because of the higher audience for the 7pm News.

The Losers: Dexter on Ten at 9.40pm, 688,000. High in the rankings, but viewers steadily leaving. Seven’s movie at 8.30pm, Derailed: 765,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and won Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Nine News won Melbourne and Adelaide. Nine News had the highest audience in any market last night in Melbourne of 518,000. The 6.30pm SBS News averaged 245,000.

The Stats: Nine won 6pm to midnight All People with a share of 29.3% (30.9% last week) from Seven with 22.8% (24.4%), the ABC with 21.2% (19.0%), Ten with 20.9% (19.1%) and SBS with 5.8% (6.7%. It could be the first of a couple of nights this week where Ten finishes behind the ABC. Nine won all five metro markets. In regional areas Nine through WIN/NBN finished with 34.5% share, Prime/7Qld was second with 21.7%, the ABC third with 20.2%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 17.8% and SBS with 5.7%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: A fierce battle for second last night between Seven, Ten and the ABC. Nine was its usual dominant self from 6.30pm to well past bed time. Seven News scratched a win at 6pm. We are now in for days and days of Olympics on Seven and SBS, with average to repeat programming on Nine and Ten, with the ABC making a conscious effort some nights to relieve the burden of rampant nationalism and shouting commentators.

Tonight The Farmer Wants a Wife ends — how about The Farmer Wants a Hubbie next time? Good News Week on Ten at 8.30pm (up against TFWAW) and City Homicide in the same slot. Four Corners, also on at 8.30pm. Joe Ramos Horta is interviewed by Andrew Denton tonight on Enough Rope.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports