A Chaser-free night

Spicks and Specks benefited from The Chaser's absence with a very solid audience, but Seven News won the night.

The Winners: Seven News was tops with 1.667 million people, Thank God You’re Here was second with 1.531 million and Ten’s MasterChef Australia was 3rd with 1.509 million. Today Tonight was next with 1.436 million and Spicks and Specks had a very tasty 1.426 million at 8.30pm for the ABC (without any help from The Chaser audience tuning in close to 9pm). Nine News was 6th with 1.380 million and RPA jumped to 1.374 million for Nine at 8pm. A Current Affair was 8th and down a bit from Tuesday’s win over TT. It averaged 1.356 million. Seven’s Criminal Minds averaged 1.287 million at 8.30pm (and won the hour). 10th was the 7pm repeat of Two and a Half Men for Nine a with 1.179 million people. Home and Away was 11th with 1.129 million, the fresh episode of The Simpsons at 8pm on Ten, 1.097 million in 12th and The Mentalist was 13th for Nine at 8.30pm with 1.082 million. The 7pm ABC News was next with 1.066 million, Ten News climbed to 1.060 million from less than 1 million on Tuesday night and Nine’s 7.30pm program What’s Good For You averaged 1.039 million. Deal or No Deal on Seven at 5.30pm, 903,000, Hot Seat on Nine in the same slot, 677,000. The Cook and The Chef on the ABC at 6.30pm, 697,000 and not all that far behind Neighbours on Ten at 6.30pm with 805,000.

The Losers: My Name Is Earl on Seven at 9.30pm: 784,000. How I Met Your Mother at 10pm on Seven, 734,000. Law and Order repeat at 9.30pm, 713,000. Nine’s 9.30pm repeat of Cold Case, 525,000. That finished 4th. The 9.30pm slot was a death zone last night. Moving Wallpaper on the ABC at 9.30pm averaged 399,000, At The Movies on the ABC at 10pm, 352,000. The Tracy Ullman Show at 9pm on the ABC instead of The Chaser: 696,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne. Today Tonight lost Sydney and Melbourne to ACA but won the rest. The 7.30 Report averaged 880,000, Lateline, 235,000, Lateline Business, 146,000. Ten’s late News/Sports Tonight, 365,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 174,000, 223,000 for the 9.30pm late edition. Nine’s late News, 244,000. 7am Sunrise, 364,000, 7am Today, 294,000.

The Stats: Seven won All People 6pm to midnight with a share of 28.6% (22.2% last week which was the first state of Origin on Nine). Seven also won 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. Nine was second with 27.2% (35.4%), Ten was next with 22.8% (21.5%), the ABC was on 17.3% (16.8%) and SBS was unchanged on 4.2%. Seven won Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Nine won Sydney and Adelaide. Seven leads the week 27.3% to Ten with 26.4% and Nine with 25.6%. In regional areas a win to WIN/NBN with 28.2% from Prime/7 Qld with 27.3%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 21.4%, the ABC with 17.5% and SBS on 5.7%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: A Chaser-free night, and apart from a slight sense of loss, (which quickly passed), it was an OK night. Spicks and Specks certainly benefited from The Chaser‘s absence with a very solid audience. In fact Spicks and Specks was very funny with its retro look at the 1950s. Pete Smith, the former Nine Network booth man in Melbourne was very funny, as was Hamish of Hamish and Andy.

TONIGHT: NRL and AFL Footy Shows, Getaway and 20 to 1 on Nine. Seven has the usual Ghost Whisperer, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, with Heroes at 10.30pm. Ten has an hour of Rules of Engagement; Law and Order CI and then Medium at 9.30pm. The ABC has The Ascent of Money. SBS has Inspector Rex and Mad Men, which together are probably the best two hours of TV on the night. Woof.