The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty
(Image: The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty)

It was another drab Sunday night. There was the confected energy of the All New Monty (1.19 million for the performance and 1.12 million for the lead-up) on Seven and the confected competition on The Block (1.38 million for the room reveal and 1.33 million for the lead-up). Elsewhere, the ABC debuted its new-look Sunday evening line-up with another bit of Brit navel-gazing about the family affairs of Rupert Murdoch.

Last night’s first ep of The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty averaged 796,000. It covered much of what we already know: he is a cad and a bounder; he and his family and executives are obsessed with wealth, power and control. It is also playing to the converted. Australians know all about this dynasty. They also know its in terminal decline, with only Lachlan left to sustain it.

If this series upsets or offends you, where have you been for the past 40 years? His and his family’s paws are all over democracy here, the US and the UK.

On ABC’s Insiders, 601,000 watched Scott Morrison emerge from seclusion in Canberra to smirk to David Speers. In regional markets: Seven News, 511,000; All New Monty performance 385,000; 7pm ABC News, 374,000; Nine/NBN News, 366,000; The All New Monty, 364,000.

Network channel share

  1. Nine (32.4%)
  2. Seven (29.5%)
  3. ABC (16.7%)
  4. Ten (13.3%)
  5. SBS (8.1%)

Network main channels

  1. Nine (24.5%)
  2. Seven (20.5%)
  3. ABC (13.1%)
  4. Ten (8.0%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.3%)

Top five digital channels

  1. 7mate (4.3%)
  2. 10 Bold (3.2%)
  3. GO (2.8%)
  4. 7flix (2.5%)
  5. 7TWO (2.2%)

Top 10 national programs

  1. Seven News — 1.615 million
  2. The Block – Room Reveal Winner (Nine) — 1.3803 million
  3. Nine/NBN News — 1.377 million
  4. The Block (Nine) — 1.338 million
  5. All New Monty – performance (Seven) — 1.190 million
  6. All New Monty (Seven) — 1.121 million
  7. 7pm ABC News — 1.100 million
  8. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 968,000
  9. The Rise of The Murdoch Ministry (ABC) — 796,000
  10. Grantchester (Seven) — 749,000

Top metro programs

  1. Seven News — 1.105 million
  2. The Block – Room Reveal Winner (Nine) — 1.029 million
  3. Nine News — 1.011 million

Metro news and current affairs

  1. Seven News — 1.105 million
  2. Nine News — 1.011 million
  3. 7pm ABC News — 726,000
  4. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 717,000
  5. The Sunday Project 7pm (Ten) — 404,000
  6. The Sunday Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 290,000
  7. Ten News First— 220,000
  8. SBS World News — 175,000

Morning (national) TV

  1. Insiders (ABC, ABC News ) — 601,000
  2. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) — 458,000
  3. Landline (ABC) — 453,000
  4. Weekend Today (Nine) — 298,000
  5. Offsiders (ABC) — 251,000
  6. Sports Sunday (Nine) — 208,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: Sydney v Geelong (Fox Footy) — 251,000
  2. AFL: Footscray v Fremantle (Fox Footy) — 215,000
  3. NRL: Newcastle v St George  (Fox League) — 208,000
  4. Supercars (Fox Sport) — 154,000
  5. NRL: Canberra v Auckland (Fox League) — 151,000