The Winners: Seven News was on top with 1.830 million, up from Nine News with 1.830 million (Seven won thanks to an enormous winning margin in Brisbane). Ten’s MasterChef Australia was third with 1.565 million and Seven’s Sunday Night had its highest finish so far with fourth spot and 1.469 million. 60 Minutes was fifth with 1.420 million and Bones averaged 1.372 million at 8.30pm for Seven. Merlin was seventh for Ten at 6.30pm with 1.335 million (down from the previous week). Seven’s The Force averaged 1.111 million at 8pm; the 7pm ABC News, 1.078 million in ninth and Rove was 10th for Ten at 8.30pm with 1.055 million. Doctor Who on the ABC averaged 1.051 million at 7.30pm and Border Security USA on Seven at 7.30pm averaged 1.030 million (And doesn’t mean a thing to Australian viewers. Not a bean). Castle on Seven at 9.30pm, 970,000 (drifting lower). Home Made on Nine at 6.30pm, 958,000 and flat. CSI weak at 8.30pm for Nine 952,000. The Mary Whitehouse Story on the ABC at 8.30pm, 797,000. Underbelly would have defeated her.

The Losers: CSI New York at 9.30pm 629,000. Very poor.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Sydney and Adelaide. Ten News averaged 870,000 (a high figure for a Sunday night for Ten). SBS News averaged 165,000. Dateline at 8.30pm, 241,000, In the morning Weekend Sunrise, 411,000, Today on Sunday, 268,000, Insiders, 192,000, Inside Business, at 10am on the ABC, 172,000, Offsiders, 130,000. Landline on the ABC, 205,000. Ten’s Meet The Press, 63,000.

The Stats: Seven won with a 6pm to midnight All People share of 27.7% (28.1%) from Nine with 26.0% (24.9%), Ten with 24.8% (29.3%), the ABC with 17.2% (13.3%) and SBS on 4.2% (4.5%).

Seven won Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Nine won Sydney and Adelaide. In regional areas a win to Prime/7Qld with 28.1% from WIN/NBN with 25.7%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 22.6%, the ABC with 17.6% and SBS with 6.0%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Seven won last week from Nine and Ten. Ten had its second highest weekly share of the year so far with 24.2%, the ABC had its third with 17.5% with the return of The Chaser the reason for that. Ten and Seven scored in the main demos, leaving Nine winless again.

Ten won 16 to 39 and 18 to 49 last night, despite losing a lot of ground from the previous Sunday’s very solid performance. Seven won All People and 25 to 54. Nine was second without a prize. MasterChef Australia was again very strong from 7.30pm to 8.30pm for Ten.

Once again Seven’s Sunday Night beat Nine’s 60 Minutes, thanks to a decent bit of journalism about the disappearance of a young Queensland boy back in 2003. It’s what 60 Minutes used to do. Sunday isn’t the lightweight it was six weeks ago. Sunday Night has earned itself an extension until the end of the year after topping 60 Minutes over the past month and finishing so highly last night. It’s budget would be half that of 60 Minutes. Sunday Night topped the viewing list in regional areas with 715,000 viewers, 60 Minutes was a solid fifth.

Nine News was boosted in Sydney by the NRL, Seven in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth by the AFL. Seven News lost Adelaide last night though, but Seven News in Brisbane with 495,000 wasn’t boosted by any lead. It had Sharyn Ghidella, the former news reader of Nine’s Today Show, now the most popular news reader in the country on a proportional basis. She’s another refugee from a David Gyngell-run Nine (Back in 2005). Last night’s audience was the highest Seven has recorded in Brisbane for a Sunday night, at least. Nine’s news, with an NRL lead in, was beaten 495,000 to 269,000. That’s an incredible 226,000 winning margin. Proportionally it was the highest audience of any program in any market last night and probably for the entire week, apart from what Nine’s audience for the State of Origin will get in Brisbane on Wednesday night.

For those who are interested. the FA Cup averaged 233,000 on SBS from midnight, while the European Cup final on Thursday morning between Barca and Man United averaged just 83,000. The coverage of the FA Cup after 2 am Sunday (the cut off for ratings) averaged 86,000.

TONIGHT: Four Corners, Australian Story and Media Watch on the ABC, plus Spooks.

Nine has You Saved My Life at 8pm, replacing Missing Pieces. You Saved My Life was retired from the 7.30pm slot because it lost too many viewers, not good omen for 8pm tonight. If it was a strong show it would have continued at 7.30pm where a fresh episode of Two And A Half Men will be shown again after the normal 7pm repeat. Sea Patrol is on at 8.30 pm which will be okay, but Eleventh Hour at 9.30pm is a flop. And so is CSI New York in a repeat at 10.30pm.

Seven has How I Met Your Mother, which continues to fade, Scrubs, which is growing slowly, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters — both are looking good. SBS has the local version of Top Gear (watch at your peril). Ten has MasterChef Australia, Recruits, Good News Week then all change for Supernatural at 9.30pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports.