The spectre of holiday ratings starts its annual TV visit

You can see the summer ratings pall slowly descending on TV viewing areas across the country. Take last night — Bride and Prejudice: the Forbidden Weddings (971,000 nationally on Seven) has left itself nowhere to go except to more of these appalling affairs. Its success means it will be back to haunt us in 2019. Likewise Ambulance Australia on Ten (830,000), and Nine’s Family Food Fight, which is still duking it out in front of 571,000 loyal viewers. Will it return? Hard to say but it will need a real shakeup.

The Good Doctor again charmed us with his American TV baloney — 937,000 nationally — he will be back because Seven still has more eps to screen. Then there was the Ghost of PM’s Past: Paul Keating in another chat fest on 7.30 (883,000 national). Now cue a 7.30 interview with ScoMo Micawber for end of year balance. 

In regional markets it was Seven News/Today Tonight on top with 908,000, followed by Seven’s 6pm News with 484,000, then Home and Away with 363,000, then the 5.30pm part of The Chase Australia with 339,000, and The Good Doctor with 336,000.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (31.8%)
2. Nine (25.6%)
3. ABC, Ten (17.0%)
4. SBS (8.5%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (21.7%)
2. Nine (16.7%)
3. Ten (11.7%)
4. ABC (11.1%)
5. SBS ONE (5.4%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7mate (5.0%)
2. GO (4.3%)
3. 10Boss (3.3%)
4. ABC Kids/Comedy (3.1%)
5. 7TWO (3.0%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.410 million
2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.392 million
3. Nine/NBN News — 1.075 million
4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.065 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 1.014 million
6. Home and Away (Seven) — 975,000
7. Bride and Prejudice (Seven) — 971,000
8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 961,000
9. The Good Doctor (Seven) — 937,000
10. 7.30 (ABC) — 883,000

Top metro programs: None with a million or more viewers.

Losers: So many — just a below-average night of viewing.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 908,000
2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 906,000
3. Nine News — 828,000
4. Nine News6.30 — 812,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 694,000
6. 7.30 (ABC) — 612,000
7. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 414,000
8. 10 News First— 350,000
9. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 271,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) – 439,000
2. Today (Nine) — 326,000
3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 272,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 185,000
5. Mornings (Nine) — 125,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 91,000

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 66,000
2. The Bolt Report, Credlin (Sky News) — 55,000
3. Soccer: Australia v Chile (Fox Sports) — 51,000
4. Back Page (Fox Sports) — 46,000