The Winners: Packed to the Rafters regained around 300,000 people who had disappeared in previous weeks to average 1.841 million at 8.30pm for Seven. That was up against a solid 1.477 million for Ten’s NCIS in the same timeslot. Seven News was 3rd with 1.457 million and Today Tonight was next with 1.428 million. Seven’s Last Chance Surgery averaged 1.404 million at 8pm and RSPCA Animal Rescue at 7.30pm was next with 1.403 million for Seven. Nine’s most watched program was the 7pm repeat of Two and a Half Men with 1.230 million, with 20 to 1 next at 7.30pm with 1.197 million. Home and Away averaged 1.188 million people at 7pm, All Saints, 1.181 million at 9.30pm for Seven and Lie To Me in the same slot for Ten was 11th with 1.170 million. Nine News was 12th with 1.117 million and A Current Affair averaged 1.097 million in 13th and the final spot in the million viewer list. The Simpsons at 7.30pm averaged 978,000 for Ten and the first new up of the new series at 8pm averaged 934,000.

The Losers: Nine’s Spiderman 3 movie from 8.30pm. No one wanted to watch and that’s why the network tanked and finished 3rd. 604,000 isn’t good enough. The Mysterious Death of Cleopatra, 544,000 on the ABC at 8.30pm.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market as did Today Tonight. Nine News audience dropped to 273,000 last night in Sydney. the ABC had 307,000, Seven News averaged 373,000. ACA was much stronger in Sydney with 303,000 (TT; 376,000) than Nine News. The 7pm ABC News nationally averaged 992,000, The 7.30 Report, 821,000. Lateline, 191,000, Lateline Business, 115,000. Ten News, 777,000, Ten’s late News/Sports Tonight, 435,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 175,000; Insight at 7.30pm, 204,000; the 9.30pm News, 162,000. 7am Sunrise, 333,000, 7am Today, 315,000. Close again.

The Stats: Seven won 6pm to Midnight All People with a share of 33.3% (31.9% a week earlier); with Ten on a combined 25.2% (22.7%); with Nine third on a combined 24.4% (27.1%), the ABC on a combined 12.6% (13.2%) and SBS with a combined figure of 4.6% (5.1%). Seven won all five metro markets and leads the week 30.1% with Nine on a combined 26.1%. Ten won 16 to 39’s, Seven won the rest of the demos.

Digitally: Nine’s Go won that battle with a share of 2.30% (leaving the digital channel with 22.10%). Ten’s ONE averaged 1.70% (23.50% for the main channel), ABC 2 averaged 0.90% (ABC 1, 11.70%; SBS TWO with 0.40% and SBS ONE was on 4.20%.

In regional areas Prime/7Qld won with 36.6%, from WIN/NBN on 22.4%, Southern Cross (Ten) on 22.2%, the ABC on 12.9% and SBS with 5.9%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: A stronger night for Seven and Ten than the week before and Nine was squeezed into third, made more apparent by comparing the share figures for the main channels and not the combined numbers.

Packed to the Rafters recovered from the previous three weak weeks and topped 1.8 million, even up against a strong NCIS.

Foreign Correspondent had a very good look at bushfires (or wildfires) in California, with a surprisingly strong Australian (actually Black Saturday) involvement. Once again it was the type of story that 60 Minutes might have once done; that Sunday might have done or perhaps Four Corners. At least the story was done and shown to Australians. As terrible as our fires in Victoria were on Black Saturday, the people and the state are not alone. Some of the fires in California (and in Greece) in recent years have been miserable and very, very dangerous. It was a solid first up effort from Michael Brissenden in the US. You felt at the end that you had learned something. Drought and global warming are making for a combustible mixture everywhere.

TONIGHT: Spicks and Specks at 8.30pm. RPA at 8.30pm on Nine, City Homicide on Seven at 8.30pm. Celebrity MasterChef Australia on Ten at 7.30pm, perhaps NCIS Los Angeles on Ten at 8.30pm. Three Rivers is a new US medico drama at 9.30pm on Ten. Inspector Rex on SBS at 7.30pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports