The Winners: Packed To The Rafters averaged 2.045 million on its second outing for Seven last night. That was up 100,000 from its first outing last week. It vindicated Seven’s decision to shift Dancing With The Stars to 7.30pm Sundays. RSPCA Animal Rescue was second with 1.707 million at 7.30pm. Seven News was third with 1.631 million, Find My Family at 8pm was next with 1.630 million, Today Tonight was 5th with 1.459 million and Home And Away was 6th with 1.319 million people. All Saints was 7th with 1.319 million. NCIS was 8th with 1.286 million and Australian Idol was 9th with 1.249 million. The repeat of Two and a Half Men by Nine at 7pm was 10th with 1.177 million, followed by the 7pm ABC News with 1.173 million. Ten’s new cop show, Rush, at 9.30pm debuted OK with 1.161 million and Nine’s 7.30pm program, Wipeout averaged 1.139 million. A Current Affair was 14th with 1.1 million and Nine News was next with 1.097 million. The fresh episode of Two and a Half Men at 8.30pm averaged 1.024 million and the repeat at 9pm averaged 1.022 million for 17th and the final spot in the million viewers club. Neighbours averaged 897,000, 20 to 1 on Nine at 9.30pm 834,000 for a fresh episode — it’s dead.

The Losers: Well, Nine, sort of. It only had one program in the Top 10, Ten had 2, Seven the rest. The two episodes of Two and a Half Men (fresh/repeat) from 8.30pm to 9.30pm were barely there. The News and ACA were barely there. The network hung on to third; though none of the main Nine programs was a flop like the second episode of Taken Out on Ten at 7pm: 769,000. It averaged 851,000 first up. Gone! Bring back Friends, in repeats it was getting more viewers than this tosh. It’s making Two and a Half Men look interesting. Thankfully Grumpy Old Women finished on the ABC at 8pm (833,000). I was agreeing with them a lot last night.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market as did Today Tonight. In Sydney for another night, Nine’s ailing 6pm news was easily topped by the 7pm ABC bulletin, 329,000 to 260,000. It is starting to look embarrassing because the bulletin has a cheap and slightly patchy feel to it. Ten News averaged 805,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 452,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 862,000, Lateline, 245,000, Lateline Business, 143,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 161,000, Insight, 230,000. The late news, 127,000. 7am Sunrise up to 419,000 (without the Olympics), 7am Today up to 300,000.

The Stats: Seven won All People 6pm to midnight and other demos with a 34.4% share (34.8%) from Ten with 23.7% (22.1%), Nine with 23.1% (23.9%), the ABC with 15.2% (15.7%) and SBS unchanged on 3.5%. Seven won all five metro markets and leads the week 30.7% to 25.2% for Nine. In regional areas, Prime/7Qld won with 35.6% from WIN/NBN with 22.6%, Southern Star (Ten) with 22.1%, the ABC with 15.1% and SBS with 4.5%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Next Sunday night Nine has two hours of CSI Miami (one fresh, one repeat) from 8.30pm. Monday night it starts Kitchen Nightmares USA with swearing Gordie Ramsay, Tuesday night it reverts to back to back (rresh/repeat) episodes of Two and a Half Men at 8.30pm to 9.30pm, after the normal repeat at 7pm. It’s in trouble if it thinks that is going to hurt the ABC on Sunday nights (and to a lesser extent Seven and SBS), Seven on Monday nights and Seven and Ten on Tuesday nights. After copping a hiding Monday night and not beating Seven convincingly enough on Sunday night, Nine fell to third behind a dominant Seven and a rising Ten last night.

Nine’s cop program, The Strip had better work tomorrow night or it is in real trouble. What is wonderful though is that the programs giving Nine trouble are all Australian. City Homicide, Packed To The Rafters, Rush on Ten last night), Dancing With The Stars and Australian Idol on Sunday nights. The Strip is a local production. Here’s hoping it does well. Nine just can’t seem to get its head around the fact that it need one or two successful long form dramas in its schedule. Seven has three: Home and Away, City Homicide and Packed To The Rafters. They are more expensive and there’s less of a handout from the Federal Government through the producers rebate (That’s why we now have 13 part mini series on Nine like Patrol Boat: to maximise the rebate).

Tonight: The UK version of The Apprentice is now going to hold up the 10.30pm timeslot tonight after its first up failure last week at 9.30pm. Seven doubles Criminal Minds (fresh/repeat) from 8.30pm to 10.30pm after Crash Investigation Unit and Medical Emergency. The ABC though will give cheek with Spicks and Specks, The Hollowmen and Very Small Business. Nine has an hour of Two and a Half Men, Hole In The Wall at 8pm and then the movie, Wedding Crashers. Ten has Taken Out, Australian Idol and then a bit more So You Think You Can Dance.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports