• Nine starts new week at #1 as gap between Nine and Seven expands
• Nine well ahead primary and combined share: MAFS up, Spartan down
• TEN posts its biggest Sunday survey share, overtakes Seven in key demos
Seven
The channel resisted any temptation it may have had to move the much-hyped but less-anticipated Australian Spartan after a soft launch a week ago with 816,000 watching. Episode 2 held onto the 7pm timeslot with a much lower 524,000. This would not be acceptable given Seven’s Sunday record and expect Spartan to be moved soon.
Sunday Night returned for first time this year with host Melissa Doyle speaking with Karlie Tyrrell, the mother of missing toddler William Tyrrell. The episode did 488,000, which is one of the show’s smallest-ever audiences after a poor lead-in.
Crimes That Shook The World followed close to 10pm with 196,000, while the third season of Blindspot then launched close to 11pm with 81,000.
Nine
We are already 21 episodes into Married At First Sight, which featured the second-last commitment ceremony, where there was surprise about a bride’s decision. The Sunday episode set yet another audience record for the format – 1.53m for a regular episode.
60 Minutes rode the gamut from university residential colleges initiation rituals to Aussie surfers riding 30-foot monster waves. The episode did 795,000 after 823,000 a week ago.
The third episode of the gruesome Born To Kill: Class Of Evil then did 246,000.
TEN
The Sunday episode of The Project features Lisa Wilkinson, Hamish Macdonald, Tommy Little and Rachel Corbett each week. Guests last night include actress Yael Stone and journalist Sharri Markson with 365,000 watching after 7pm.
Finals week has arrived for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and the latest guest to make a brief appearance was TEN News presenter Sandra Sully. The Sunday episode saw visiting butler Paul Burrell sent home. The audience of 633,000 for the elimination and 580,000 for the regular ep was down on little on the week prior.
NCIS then did 419,000, followed by SEAL Team on 224,000.
ABC
Encore screening started the primetime week with The Checkout at 6pm on 100,000 followed by Hard Quiz at 6.30pm on 204,000.
The 40-minute Sunday news bulletin was on 738,000.
A Victorian gate house in North London was the subject of a renovation on Grand Designs with 621,000 watching.
The four-part adaptation of EM Forster’s classic novel “Howards End” telling the story of two independent and unconventional sisters and the men in their lives only went to air in the UK at the end of 2017 and it was a treat for ABC viewers last night. The first episode did 569,000 putting it in the top 10.
SBS
Episode five of Eight Days That Made Rome screened at 7.30pm to 176,000.
Coverage of the 2018 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras followed with 243,000 watching part 1 and the 206,000 staying on for part 2.
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