The Seven Network’s hopes for a deep Australian participation in the Australian Open tennis via Nick Kyrgios collapsed last night as he collapsed from a winning position to a dummy spit. Seven’s main channel audience topped the million national viewers for the first time (1.024 million). 

With audiences on 7mate (144,000) and 7TWO (164,000) a total of 1.364 million people watched Seven’s tennis coverage last night, which was the largest audience across all channels on the night. That saw Seven easily win the metros, but it was closer in the regions where Seven won the main channels and Nine won total people. Ten’s Big Bash game was again well watched. And that was a weak night after the early promise of a solid outing by Nick Kyrgios. Today the third ODI between Australia and Pakistan from Perth will be on Nine.

The Emmy-winning Will & Grace is returning to US TV later this year in a 10 episode ninth series. NBC has gathered the stars and producers for the new series which was triggered by a surprise election themed mini-episode released on September 26 without any involvement from NBC. That has been watched by an estimated seven million people. That sparked a surge in demand and interest from fans and Universal TV has gone on to nail down stars Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes as well as creators/executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Director James Burrows, who directed every episode of the show during its initial eight years, will direct and executive produce the new series. The program remains very popular, is in syndication in the US and around the world and still makes money for those who hold the rights (some of the stars). Up to now it has been Netflix which has been reviving past hits from US network TV: Arrested Development, Fuller House (Full House) and, most recently Gilmore Girls. The original 8 series aired on NBC from 1998 to 2006. — Click here to read Glenn Dyer’s full TV Ratings