The Winners: The fresh episode of Criminal Minds at 8.30pm was the most watched program with 1.536 million viewers, with Seven News next with 1.519 million and Today Tonight on 1.387 million. Medical Emergency at 8pm on Seven, 1.356 million, Two and a Half Men on Nine at 7.30pm, 1.351 million. Home and Away at 7pm, 1.328 million, Crash Investigation Unit at 7.30pm on Seven, 1.317 million, Spicks and Specks at 8.30pm on the ABC, 1.305 million and the repeat of Two and a Half Men at 7pm on Nine, 1.241 million in 9th spot. Australian Idol was 10th with 1.231 million, Nine News was 11th with 1.227 million and the 7pm ABC News was next with 1.204 million viewers. The 9.30pm repeat of Criminal Minds averaged 1.176 million (double the audience of last week’s 9.30pm program, Al Sugar’s The Apprentice). Hole in The Wall on Nine at 8pm averaged 1.143 million, A Current Affair was again weak at 15 with 1.114 million and The New Inventors was 17th with 1.029 million at 8pm for the ABC. The Hollowmen averaged 931,000 at 9pm, Nine’s 8.30pm movie, the repeat of the Wedding Crashers, 825,000. So You Think You Can Dance on Ten, 809,000.

The Losers: Hole In The Wall, 1.143 million. That’s barely okay, but the competition is tough: Medical Emergency and Crash Investigation Unit (which added to its debut audience last week) are big audience pullers. The ABC’s New Inventors got to within sight of Hole In The Wall, which has a much bigger budget and promotional power behind it. Australian Idol was more popular. Taken Out at 7pm on Ten, 752,000. Not really much support at all for it. Very Small Business at 9.30pm, 735,000. A lot of hype from the ABC, but I give it a couple more weeks.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market as did Today Tonight. Nine News beat the ABC in Sydney, but ran third in Melbourne behind Seven and then the 7pm ABC News. Ten News averaged 756,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 371,000. The 7.30 Report, 895,000. Lateline, 263,000, Lateline Business, 143,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 200,000, dateline at 8.30pm, 202,000, the 9.30pm late News, 183,000. 7am Sunrise on Seven, 367,000, 7am Today on Nine, 290,000.

The Stats: Seven won 6pm to midnight with a 31.5% share (27.9% last week) from Nine with 25.1% (26.5%), Ten with 20.5% (22.5%, the ABC with 18.7% (18.5%) and SBS with 4.1% (4.6%). Seven won all five markets and leads the week 30.9% to 25.1%. Prime/7Qld won regional areas with a share of 32.2% from WIN/NBN for Nine with 24.8%, Southern Cross for Ten with 20.0%, the ABC with 17.2% and SBS with 5.8%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Another big win for Seven. Nine was like, a Wipeout, a Hole in the Wall and no one really wanted to watch after 8.30pm, preferring Seven, Ten and the ABC. Hole in the Wall, like Wipeout and much of Nine’s programming, has a blokey feel to it. That’s essentially a failure when up against interesting programming on other networks. Last night was no exception. Jules Lund gave it his best, but it’s the same old stuff, week after week: pratfalls, silly costumes, a pool of water, splash and jolly laughter all around. I hope the talent is being paid well.

Spicks and Specks had some fun last night, but it dragged, perhaps it was the unanticipated episode of The Hollowmen at 9pm. Nine’s black hole at 6pm to 7pm needs filling and filling quickly.

Last night was at the end of a big news day. A Current Affair at 6.30pm got back onto its dead horse, Ms Belinda Neal and Iguanagate. The audience just turned off. Nine News handled a busy day competently, but the audience preferred Seven’s version.

Tonight Mine’s much anticipated The Strip at 8.30pm. The Gold Coast as you know it, with some cops and robbers, a divorcee, a tough boss, all the usual stuff of modern Australian cop dramas (Like Ten’s Rush). Then the Footy Shows at 9.30pm. Ten has two hours of cops, Law and Order style (CI and SVU) and Idol up against Nine’s getaway which is back in form. Seven is persisting with its girls first night of Home and Away, Supermodel, Ghost Whisperer and Ugly Betty and Trinny and Susannah for those night owls from 10.30pm. The ABC has the good Family Footsteps and then Q&A. SBS has poor old Inspector Rex at 7.30pm and a repeat of the excellent The Circuit at 8.30pm. Even in repeat The Circuit is the class act at 8.30pm of the three cop or law related programs.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports