The Sun-Herald

The ratings race: week 40

This blog is now a heritage item -- worth studying but not the latest word on the subject. For this week's discussion, go to www.smh.com.au/tribalmind.

To find out what kids and teenagers actually watch on television, go to The Tribal Mind.

The daily media report by David Dale, updated 10am Sunday
Channel Seven won the week, averaging 28.9 per cent of the prime time audience, with Nine on 25.3, Ten on 22.6, ABC on 17.9 and SBS on 5.4.
What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 NEW TRICKS ABC 1,328,000 354,000 367,000 238,000 185,000 183,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,181,000 314,000 275,000 243,000 143,000 207,000
3 ABC NEWS-SAT ABC 1,070,000 327,000 272,000 198,000 147,000 127,000
4 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,064,000 270,000 325,000 206,000 148,000 115,000
5 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,040,000 305,000 292,000 169,000 137,000 137,000
6 MAVERICK -RPT Nine 805,000 227,000 243,000 140,000 89,000 105,000
7 JUDGE JOHN DEED Seven 799,000 215,000 234,000 152,000 100,000 98,000
8 LILO & STITCH Seven 789,000 245,000 223,000 133,000 71,000 116,000
9 THUNDERBIRDS Ten 712,000 212,000 220,000 100,000 83,000 96,000
10 THE BILL ABC 706,000 216,000 174,000 134,000 86,000 95,000
15 TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY RPT Ten 564,000 158,000 194,000 62,000 76,000 73,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainalnd capitals)

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,378,000 399,000 321,000 261,000 154,000 244,000
2 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,313,000 481,000 339,000 201,000 131,000 161,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,307,000 390,000 319,000 250,000 136,000 212,000
4 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,227,000 361,000 321,000 231,000 113,000 201,000
5 NINE NEWS Nine 1,110,000 333,000 345,000 204,000 120,000 107,000
6 REBUS ABC 1,064,000 263,000 377,000 146,000 144,000 133,000
7 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,063,000 351,000 315,000 184,000 118,000 95,000
8 TEMPTATION Nine 998,000 325,000 285,000 175,000 107,000 106,000
9 AIRLINE Nine 923,000 219,000 272,000 203,000 103,000 126,000
10 ABC NEWS ABC 907,000 281,000 269,000 135,000 114,000 107,000
11 AIRPORT -RPT Nine 872,000 207,000 254,000 206,000 93,000 111,000
12 DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven 855,000 257,000 229,000 142,000 93,000 134,000
13 DUKES OF HAZZARD Nine 850,000 199,000 303,000 153,000 89,000 106,000
14 FRIDAY NIGHT DOWNLOAD Ten 849,000 178,000 270,000 153,000 106,000 141,000
15 ROSE AND MALONEY ABC 822,000 208,000 294,000 112,000 115,000 94,000
20 M-THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Seven 691,000 192,000 211,000 119,000 81,000 88,000
21 NEIGHBOURS Ten 650,000 150,000 231,000 104,000 76,000 89,000
22 SAHARA Ten 632,000 188,000 167,000 130,000 67,000 80,000
28 SUNRISE Seven 433,000 136,000 105,000 93,000 40,000 59,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,478,000 392,000 409,000 299,000 165,000 213,000
2 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,401,000 389,000 410,000 283,000 136,000 184,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,330,000 353,000 376,000 239,000 154,000 209,000
4 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Ten 1,306,000 335,000 445,000 201,000 163,000 163,000
5 MISSING PERSONS UNIT Nine 1,230,000 344,000 393,000 204,000 121,000 169,000
6 ABC NEWS ABC 1,140,000 363,000 370,000 171,000 108,000 127,000
7 THE GIFT Nine 1,139,000 319,000 361,000 171,000 140,000 148,000
8 NINE NEWS Nine 1,130,000 297,000 402,000 240,000 110,000 81,000
9 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,128,000 292,000 343,000 219,000 113,000 161,000
10 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,115,000 291,000 378,000 242,000 111,000 93,000
11 TEMPTATION Nine 1,064,000 268,000 372,000 218,000 97,000 109,000
12 BIONIC WOMAN Seven 1,059,000 283,000 311,000 213,000 122,000 131,000
13 GETAWAY Nine 1,054,000 275,000 360,000 186,000 97,000 136,000
14 HEROES Seven 934,000 255,000 319,000 159,000 94,000 107,000
15 RPA WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Nine 918,000 282,000 258,000 135,000 119,000 124,000
What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC 1,646,000 535,000 516,000 239,000 166,000 190,000
2 SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH ABC 1,512,000 482,000 510,000 188,000 141,000 191,000
3 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,502,000 436,000 502,000 246,000 158,000 160,000
4 HOUSE 4 Ten 1,484,000 448,000 441,000 217,000 192,000 185,000
5 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,375,000 407,000 407,000 238,000 132,000 190,000
6 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,370,000 407,000 353,000 242,000 161,000 208,000
7 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,344,000 395,000 391,000 214,000 142,000 202,000
8 MEDICAL EMERGENCY-WED Seven 1,241,000 294,000 372,000 271,000 131,000 172,000
9 ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Ten 1,227,000 334,000 424,000 146,000 160,000 162,000
10 NINE NEWS Nine 1,175,000 344,000 375,000 214,000 138,000 104,000
11 CHILD IN A MILLION Seven 1,145,000 257,000 342,000 263,000 121,000 162,000
12 THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE Nine 1,136,000 333,000 360,000 206,000 104,000 132,000

At this point in the ratings week, Channel Nine's position looks even more embarrassing than usual -- an average of 24.3 per cent of the prime time audience, while Seven is on 32.1, Ten is on 22.4 (and will rise tonight with House), ABC is on 15.9 (and will rise tonight with The Chaser, Spicks and Specks and the final of Summer Heights High) and SBS is on its usual 5.3.

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 DANCING WITH THE STARS Seven 1,756,000 599,000 486,000 280,000 159,000 233,000
2 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,389,000 392,000 359,000 292,000 141,000 204,000
3 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,379,000 353,000 390,000 240,000 179,000 217,000
4 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,354,000 421,000 431,000 198,000 137,000 167,000
5 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,352,000 368,000 392,000 220,000 166,000 206,000
6 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,232,000 350,000 378,000 238,000 146,000 120,000
7 NINE NEWS Nine 1,204,000 314,000 405,000 229,000 150,000 106,000
8 THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 1 Ten 1,195,000 243,000 471,000 196,000 155,000 129,000
9 NCIS RPT Ten 1,193,000 302,000 385,000 184,000 151,000 172,000
10 THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 2 Ten 1,177,000 246,000 461,000 185,000 154,000 131,000

Updated 10 am Tuesday October 23
Channel Nine's advance publicity made it look terribly tacky, and the early reviews out of America suggested it was "quite possibly the worst TV program of all time". That should have pulled a few viewers, motivated purely by curiosity or faith in the hitherto unblemished record of national icon Hugh Jackman.

But as you see from the table below, Viva Laughlin's ratings were disastrous. And even as Nine was showing the first episode last night, it was being cancelled in the US. Nine is not just down the toilet, it's through the pipe and heading rapidly out to sea. And Jackman's judgement is now in question.

What Australia watched, Monday
1. Border Security Seven 1.857m
2. The Force Seven 1.759
3. City Homicide Seven 1.570
4. Seven News Seven 1.540
5. Today Tonight Seven 1.488
6. Home and Away Seven 1.463
7. National Nine News Nine 1.315
8. A Current Affair Nine 1.213
9. ABC News ABC 1.195
10. Criminal Minds Seven 1.178
11. Who Wants to be a Millionaire Nine 1.089
12. Australian Idol Ten 1.087
13. Supernatural Ten 1.064
14. Enough Rope with Andrew Denton ABC 1.017
15. Ten News Ten 0.876
16 WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE - LIVE Nine 861,000 S 290,000 M408,000 B163,000
19 VIVA LAUGHLIN Nine 833,000 254,000 322,000 113,000 73,000 72,000

Updated Monday, October 22
A superficial look at the ratings chart below might cause commentators to say this: "Typical bloody Australians -- totally uninvolved in the political process, prefer a program about gambling to a discussion about the nation's future".

Such a reaction would imply ignorance of a few details: 1. The program listed as 60 Minutes was actually Channel Nine's showing of the election debate, which averaged 1.4 million viewers. 2. The ABC's showing of the same debate averaged 909,000 viewers. 3. The total audience in the mainland capitals who remained interested for 90 minutes was 2.3 million -- the same as for this year's NRL grand final (to see where the debate fits with the most watched programs of all time, go to The TV shows we loved).

This might suggest that Australians are more involved in thinking about their future this year than in any previous election year.

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 NATIONAL BINGO NIGHT Seven 1,561,000 356,000 445,000 336,000 190,000 234,000
2 KATH & KIM (R) Seven 1,484,000 348,000 458,000 314,000 168,000 196,000
3 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,423,000 364,000 353,000 326,000 164,000 215,000
4 60 MINUTES Nine 1,422,000 423,000 458,000 274,000 120,000 148,000
5 AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten 1,357,000 396,000 409,000 207,000 156,000 189,000
6 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,208,000 313,000 431,000 213,000 157,000 94,000
7 ABC NEWS-SUN ABC 1,183,000 374,000 396,000 177,000 83,000 153,000
8 ROVE Ten 1,166,000 305,000 419,000 182,000 124,000 136,000
9 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE RPT Ten 1,030,000 242,000 325,000 188,000 131,000 143,000
10 ABC NEWS UPDATE ABC 924,000 306,000 282,000 154,000 80,000 103,000
11 AUSTRALIA VOTES 2007: THE LEADERS' DEBATE ABC 909,000 289,000 277,000 167,000 83,000 93,000
12 SINGING BEE Nine 887,000 241,000 343,000 148,000 65,000 90,000
13 AUSTRALIA REVEALED Seven 841,000 230,000 256,000 157,000 91,000 106,000
14 S.W.A.T. -RPT Nine 817,000 244,000 239,000 129,000 114,000 91,000
15 THE EINSTEIN FACTOR ABC 802,000 223,000 241,000 152,000 94,000 93,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

Last week
The ABC is going gangbusters at the moment. Last week it captured more than 18 per cent of the prime time audience, coming close to replacing Channel Ten as Network Number Three. You already know about the success of Spicks and Specks, The Chaser's War on Everything and Summer Heights High, but nobody expected the crime comedy, New Tricks, to pull 1.4 million viewers on Saturday night.

And election fever is keeping the audience for ABC news well above a million most nights, while doing nothing for Channel Nine, which can no longer bill itself as the most trusted source for news.

Channel Seven won the week, with 30 per cent of the prime time audience, while Nine got 25.7, Ten (with Australian Idol sinking fast) got 20.8, the ABC got 18.4 and SBS got 5.1.

What Australia watched, week ending October 20
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 KATH & KIM Seven 2,338,000 652,000 775,000 419,000 237,000 255,000
2 BORDER SECURITY Seven 1,904,000 485,000 554,000 354,000 222,000 289,000
3 THE FORCE Seven 1,877,000 462,000 586,000 317,000 214,000 298,000
4 DANCING WITH THE STARS Seven 1,811,000 546,000 581,000 300,000 177,000 208,000
5 CITY HOMICIDE Seven 1,695,000 452,000 524,000 269,000 211,000 240,000
6 HOUSE Ten 1,565,000 474,000 428,000 247,000 199,000 217,000
7 THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC 1,504,000 508,000 413,000 266,000 138,000 178,000
8 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,462,000 466,000 438,000 239,000 153,000 165,000
9 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,408,000 420,000 435,000 264,000 132,000 157,000
10 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,376,000 365,000 355,000 260,000 161,000 235,000
11 NEW TRICKS ABC 1,361,000 368,000 406,000 245,000 175,000 168,000
12 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,354,000 369,000 359,000 251,000 156,000 218,000
13 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,350,000 338,000 364,000 296,000 133,000 219,000
14 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,348,000 399,000 356,000 264,000 139,000 190,000
15 HOT PROPERTY Seven 1,323,000 397,000 440,000 329,000 157,000
16 MY NAME IS EARL Seven 1,314,000 417,000 482,000 261,000 154,000
17 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,290,000 342,000 436,000 224,000 169,000 119,000
18 SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH ABC 1,288,000 467,000 346,000 206,000 105,000 164,000
19 AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten 1,286,000 356,000 388,000 218,000 156,000 167,000
20 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,273,000 399,000 424,000 177,000 127,000 146,000
21 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,244,000 367,000 296,000 256,000 131,000 195,000
22 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,240,000 347,000 328,000 292,000 99,000 174,000
23 BIONIC WOMAN Seven 1,231,000 338,000 349,000 248,000 128,000 168,000
24 ABC NEWS-SAT ABC 1,221,000 359,000 413,000 172,000 147,000 130,000
25 THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 2 Ten 1,216,000 254,000 447,000 197,000 167,000 152,000
26 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,212,000 343,000 343,000 199,000 173,000 153,000
27 MR. & MRS. SMITH Nine 1,208,000 328,000 388,000 192,000 173,000 127,000
28 MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS Nine 1,208,000 309,000 311,000 277,000 154,000 156,000
29 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,197,000 288,000 368,000 225,000 160,000 155,000
30 MEDICAL EMERGENCY-WED Seven 1,197,000 326,000 377,000 229,000 102,000 164,000
31 NINE NEWS Nine 1,183,000 333,000 372,000 238,000 143,000 97,000
32 MISSING PERSONS UNIT Nine 1,172,000 321,000 350,000 206,000 139,000 156,000
33 THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 1 Ten 1,165,000 245,000 407,000 187,000 167,000 158,000
34 REBUS ABC 1,148,000 284,000 396,000 168,000 134,000 167,000
35 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,147,000 309,000 372,000 240,000 129,000 98,000
36 AUSTRALIAN IDOL - THE LIVE VERDICT Ten 1,143,000 342,000 332,000 206,000 123,000 139,000
37 TEMPTATION Nine 1,133,000 301,000 371,000 217,000 123,000 121,000
38 ABC NEWS-SU ABC 1,122,000 321,000 347,000 176,000 133,000 146,000
39 ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Ten 1,103,000 292,000 371,000 179,000 121,000 140,000
40 GETAWAY Nine 1,102,000 303,000 370,000 188,000 114,000 126,000
(OzTAM mainland capitals)

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For further observations of Australian attitudes and behaviour, go to www.smh.com.au/tribalmind.

• by David Dale in The Tribal Mind at 08:26 AM
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WHO WE ARE: With a thong in our heart

A weekly column about Australia, by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 28/10/2007
You probably didn't notice, but last Wednesday was National Thong Day. It was an event staged to draw attention to poverty in Australia (which still exists, despite the economic boom). The organisers chose an icon that symbolises the casual, egalitarian nature of this society.

Sadly both John Howard and Kevin Rudd declined to be photographed wearing thongs, so the anti-poverty message didn't get much publicity. Better luck next year, when there'll be no election campaign to give the politicians an inflated sense of their own dignity.

Pedants may quibble that the thong is not an Australian invention, and is therefore not worthy of celebration, but I don't think that matters. We have an honourable tradition of adopting ideas from other countries and making them our own (spaghetti bolognese our national dish, cappuccino our national drink, poker machines our national vice, etc).

Like the pavlova, the thong is an invention of New Zealand, where they call it the Jandal (short for "Japanese sandal"). Our contribution was to give it a better name. But we discovered that the name has not spread beyond our shores in 2000, when we saw an episode of the sitcom Friends.

Elle Macpherson was guest starring as a new flatmate for Joey, the show's lustful bachelor. Joey decided to take a cold shower to distract himself from the sight of Macpherson doing exercises. Within seconds he emerged from the bathroom, saying "Oh my God". Macpherson: "Oh, sorry about that stuff hanging in there. It's just my thongs are too delicate for the dryer."

On the face of it, this was a bizarre exchange. Much as we love our footwear, Australians don't tend to put them in the dryer, or consider them to be delicate. And Joey had no prior history as a shoe fetishist.

Of course, in America the word "thong" refers to what we call a g-string. Their name for the jandal is "flip flop". (Which makes you wonder if politicians would have responded any more enthusiastically to an event called "National Flip Flop Day").

In any case, I think the anti-poverty campaigners created a great precedent by naming a day after a popular symbol. We could look forward to ...

National Amoxycillin Day, celebrating our most prescribed antibiotic and honouring our Nobel Prize-winning scientist Howard Florey, who discovered how to isolate and mass-produce penicillin.

National Chiko Day, commemorating Victoria's Frank McEnroe, who was inspired by the Chinese spring roll to create, in 1951, this country's own contribution to fast food culture.

National Phantom Day, commemorating the comic book hero embraced by Australia. Although invented in America, The Ghost Who Walks appealed to something deep in our psyche, perhaps because his tale of being abandoned on a fatal shore and forced to survive a brutal environment resonated with our foundation myth.

National Loud Shirt Day, honouring Mambo's reinvention of the Hawaiian shirt and asserting the right of fathers to embarrass their offspring at barbecues.

National Day of The Body, commemorating the international success of Australian models, and assuring Elle Macpherson that, although she lives overseas, she can hang her thongs in our shower any time.

Tell us your suggestions for other national days worth celebrating ...

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in Who We Are at 03:04 AM
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The box office: Picky filmgoers

The three biggest stars of today, according to the weekly gossip magazines, are Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and George Clooney. Two of them are married to each other and two of them went head to head in Australian cinemas over the week to Wednesday.

Apparently Australians prefer The Jaw to The Lips. On 122 screens, Clooney's Michael Clayton earned $997,000, while Jolie's A Mighty Heart, on 149 screens, earned $489,000.

What Australians seem to like more than American celebrities is a good laugh. In its second week, the little English comedy Death at a Funeral, on 130 screens, stayed at No. 1 and made 8 per cent more than in its first week -- $1.86 million (for a total of $3.8 million).

Will the gossip mags now start probing the private life of Matthew Macfadyen? (FYI: Keeley Hawes, who is married to MacFadyen and co-stars in Death at a Funeral, provided the voice in the most recent video games about Lara Croft, played in the movies by ... well, you know.)

While we're discussing superstars, we were impressed with this observation by the singer/filmmaker Nick Cave, who is due to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame this week: "That's something I've been avoiding for 25 years because I think it's so f---ing tedious. But I think I'm allowed to come in the back door, get inducted - however they're going to induct me - and leave and go and get a kebab."

While we're discussing movies, results of the Herald's poll on the greatest movies of the past 25 years appear in Metro on Friday. By Tuesday the poll, conducted in the Metro section, had received 9340 votes. Chris Fitchett, chief executive of the Australian Film Commission, said his top three film picks, in order, would be: Withnail & I (1987), Muriel's Wedding (1994) and This is Spinal Tap (1984). Will the readers better that?

We welcome your comments.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. For further observations of Australian attitudes and behaviour, go to www.smh.com.au/tribalmind.

• in The Tribal Mind at 10:03 AM
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The tribal mind: The kids are (mostly) alright

by David Dale
THIS column was deeply offended by The Eulogy Song performed in the last few minutes of The Chaser's War on Everything last week. The proposition that John Lennon's songs were "never quite as good'' as Paul McCartney's is so absurd as to suggest the Chaser boys were simply trying to draw attention to themselves. In expressing outrageous views which they could not possibly hold, they must have been parodying the very shock jocks who proceeded to attack them for a lapse of taste.

The thrust of the complaints was that the song might corrupt the impressionable young people who form the majority of The Chaser's audience, causing them to lose respect for their elders and betters. It set this column to wondering if youngsters really do watch The Chaser, and indeed whether those who say television damages unformed minds actually have any idea what children watch.

This column found a kindly boffin who was able to dissect OzTAM's audience data and provide this insight into a rarely reported demographic ...

What kids watch (Top rated shows with viewers aged 0-12): 1 Kath and Kim (7); 2 Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (10); 3 The Simpsons (10); 4 My Name Is Earl (7); 5 Curious George (ABC); 6 Australia's Funniest Home Videos (9); 7 Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies (ABC); 8 Futurama (10); 9 Tupu (ABC); 10 Five Minutes More (ABC); 11 Tracey McBean (ABC); 12 Neighbours (10); 13 Avatar: The Last Airbender (ABC); 14 Word Girl (Interstitials) (ABC); 15 Serious Amazon (ABC); 16 Carl Squared (ABC); 17 Hot Property (7); 18 Bindi The Jungle Girl (ABC); 19 Sitting Ducks (ABC); 20 Dinosapien (ABC).

What teenagers watch (Top rated shows with viewers aged 13-17): 1 Kath and Kim (7); 2 Summer Heights High (ABC); 3 The Simpsons (10); 4 Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (10); 5 My Name Is Earl; (7); 6 House (10); 7 The Chaser's War on Everything (ABC); 8 NCIS (10); 9 Bionic Woman (7); 10 Kicking and Screaming (10); 11 Heroes (7); 12 Border Security (7); 13 The Force (7); 14 Home and Away (7); 15 Australian Idol (10); 16 So You Think You Can Dance (10); 17 Thank God You're Here (10); 18 Rove (10); 19 Singing Bee (9); 20 Futurama (10).

Tentative conclusions: Family life in Australia is flourishing, not fragmenting. On Sundays, mum, dad and kids unite around Kath & Kim, My Name Is Earl and Hot Property. Channel Ten may be queen of the teens, but the ABC is king of the kids -- more than half the under-12 favourites are programs specifically made to be good for children and shown in the morning or afternoon. The rest are either morally healthy ( The Simpsons, Futurama) or mostly harmless (Neighbours, Australian Idol).

But you will see deeper social significance in those charts, and we'd like to hear your analysis, below.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in The Tribal Mind at 10:38 AM
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REASSESSMENTS: Dumbledore comes out in the world

You thought it was Harry Potter who was forced to live in a closet. In fact it was his mentor, Albus Dumbledore. On Friday, while addressing a group of fans at New York's Carnegie Hall, his creator, J.K. Rowling, was asked if the late headmaster of Hogwarts had ever enjoyed passion in his life. She replied: "My truthful answer to you is that I have always thought of Dumbledore as gay."

As a young man, she said, Dumbledore loved Gellert Grindelwald, a charismatic wizard with whom he hoped to set up a benign dictatorship for the benefit of Muggles. But Dumbledore had to destroy the object of his affection when he turned out to be a practitioner of the dark arts.

"To an extent, do we say it excused Dumbledore a little more because falling in love can blind us?" said Rowling. "He was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him." When the audience cheered this revelation, Rowling said: "If I'd known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago."

One person who isn't cheering is Laura Mallory, a mother of four from Georgia, who has been campaigning to have the Potter books removed from school libraries. "My prayer is that parents would wake up, that the subtle way this is presented as harmless fantasy would be exposed for what it really is: a subtle indoctrination into anti-Christian values," Mallory told the US news network ABC. "A homosexual lifestyle is a harmful one. That's proven, medically."

Peter Tatchell, a gay rights campaigner in Britain, welcomed the outing as a victory for "tolerance and understanding". He said: "My only disappointment is that the author didn't make Dumbledore's homosexuality more explicit in the books. It would have been a much more powerful message."

Mary Bousted, the general secretary of Britain's Association of Teachers and Lecturers, disagreed. She said: "I always had my suspicions. I am also glad that she didn't write his sexuality into the stories. Dumbledore's sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he is a headmaster at Hogwarts."

This column has so far been unable to get comment from Mr G, acting head of drama at Summer Heights High.

We welcome your comments.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• in The Tribal Mind at 08:02 PM
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WHO WE ARE: Growing bigger, not necessarily better

A weekly column about Australia, by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 21/10/2007
It was, of course, pure coincidence that, a matter of weeks before the election was announced, the Bureau of Statistics published a report showing that Australians are vastly better off than they were ten years ago. The revelation was part of the bureau's annual MAP analysis, where MAP stands for "Measures of Australia's Progress". Apparently we are doing really really well.

The word "growth" appears often in that report, just as it does in the Liberal Party's campaign slogan. But if the MAP analysis becomes a tool for election propaganda, the Government should stock up on Band-aids, because it's a two-edged sword. In this decade we are being told that growth is good, just as we were told in the 80s that greed is good. But the English language allows for the word to be used in a different context, as in "she's having a growth removed".

First, lets do the good news about how Australia has grown in the past ten years: life expectancy is up (from 78 to 80); more of us have after-school educational qualifications (up from 48 per cent to 59 per cent of Australians over 25); national income is soaring (we're 30 per cent better off in average earnings than ten years ago); unemployment is down (from 8 per cent to below 5 per cent); we're living spaciously (77 per cent of homes have at least one spare bedroom); we're helping each other (the proportion of Australians who say they participate in voluntary work has risen from 32 per cent to 35 per cent); and we're one of the world's most participatory democracies (the Bureau reports that "the vast majority of eligible Australians are enrolled to vote").

But other effects of the Growth is Good decade show up in sections of the MAP report headed "The Natural Landscape", "The Air and Atmosphere" and "Oceans and Estuaries". Here's what the Bureau says:

"Between 1996 and 2006, the number of bird and mammal species assessed as extinct, endangered or vulnerable rose by 44 per cent from 119 to 171 (of which 68 were birds and 103 were mammals). At 1 June 2006, just under half (47 per cent) of those species were vulnerable, around one third (35 per cent) were more seriously threatened (endangered) and the remainder (18 per cent) were presumed extinct over the ten year period ...

"In 2005, for fish stocks managed by the Australian Government, 24 of the 83 principal species ... were overfished or subject to overfishing. This compares with 3 species in 1996".

The bureau reports that for 2005, Australia's net greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 559.1 megatonnes of "carbon dioxide equivalent". This was 2.2 per cent higher than in 1990, which is "the base period for the reporting of emissions under the Kyoto protocol". Apparently we've managed to achieve the highest per capita level of greenhouse gas emissions of all the OECD countries.

So along with the economic boom, Australia has enjoyed a boom in animal extinctions, overfishing and air pollution. Going for growth may not be an aspirational goal in every aspect of our lives.

Is the slogan "Go for growth" likely to influence the way you vote?

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in Who We Are at 10:22 AM
• Comments (14)

The ratings race: Week 42

This blog is now a heritage item -- worth studying but not the latest word on the subject. For this week's discussion, go to www.smh.com.au/tribalmind.

The daily media report by David Dale, updated 10 am Sunday
Channel Seven won the week again, averaging 30.0 per cent of the prime time audience, with Nine on 25.7, Ten on 20.8, ABC on 18.4 and SBS on 5.1.

What Australia watched on Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 NEW TRICKS ABC 1,361,000 368,000 406,000 245,000 175,000 168,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,240,000 347,000 328,000 292,000 99,000 174,000
3 ABC NEWS-SAT ABC 1,221,000 359,000 413,000 172,000 147,000 130,000
4 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,197,000 288,000 368,000 225,000 160,000 155,000
5 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,061,000 274,000 352,000 207,000 128,000 100,000
6 M- ARE WE THERE YET? Nine 898,000 249,000 301,000 147,000 108,000 94,000
7 GARDENING AUSTRALIA ABC 830,000 214,000 283,000 124,000 109,000 101,000
8 THE BILL ABC 818,000 205,000 274,000 155,000 83,000 100,000
14 DEADLIEST CATCH Ten 641,000 154,000 196,000 126,000 78,000 88,000
17 SMALLVILLE SAT Ten 415,000 120,000 121,000 82,000 40,000 51,000

What Australia watched on Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,462,000 466,000 438,000 239,000 153,000 165,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,221,000 349,000 313,000 210,000 155,000 193,000
3 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,219,000 364,000 317,000 238,000 147,000 152,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,182,000 319,000 318,000 210,000 151,000 184,000
5 REBUS ABC 1,148,000 284,000 396,000 168,000 134,000 167,000
6 NINE NEWS Nine 1,118,000 358,000 341,000 201,000 127,000 91,000
7 AIRLINE Nine 1,069,000 262,000 357,000 201,000 107,000 142,000
8 TEMPTATION Nine 1,051,000 312,000 339,000 186,000 111,000 102,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,035,000 318,000 340,000 197,000 113,000 67,000
10 AIRPORT -RPT Nine 1,009,000 250,000 314,000 201,000 107,000 136,000
14 TROY -RPT Nine 752,000 206,000 232,000 116,000 96,000 102,000
19 M-HIDE AND SEEK Seven 685,000 191,000 192,000 137,000 66,000 100,000
23 JOHN FOREMAN PRESENTS: BURT BACHARACH Ten 544,000 186,000 166,000 76,000 79,000 37,000
24 AUSTRALIAN IDOL - DOIN' IT FOR THE KIDS Ten 544,000 165,000 161,000 85,000 71,000 61,000
38 M-CABIN FEVER Seven 256,000 83,000 65,000 48,000 25,000 35,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

That special power for attracting audiences, inserted by mysterious scientists into the body of Jaime Sommers (could this name be the inspiration for the other Jaime at Sommer Heights High?), has started failing already. Last night she was down to 1.23 million viewers across the mainland capitals, beaten even by Jennifer Love Hewitt's all natural cleavage.

Is Bionic Woman's plotting absurdly complex, with stunts that are kind of lame, or is that just my jetlag speaking? And why does Heroes remain so unpopular, when all the geeks were supposed to return to watching it on the box, once downloading became unnecessary?

What Australia watched, Thursday
1. Today Tonight Seven 1.359
2. Seven News Seven 1.343
3. Home and Away Seven 1.337
4. Ghost Whisperer Seven 1.244
5. Bionic Woman Seven 1.231
6. Missing Persons Unit Nine 1.160
7. Temptation Nine 1.149
8. Nine News Nine 1.143
9. A Current Affair Nine 1.142
10. Getaway Nine 1.098
11. The Gift Nine 1.096
12. ABC News ABC 1.070
13. So You Think You Can Dance Ten 1.068
14. Heroes Seven 0.987
15. RPA Where Are They Now Nine 0.870

What Australia watched, Wednesday, October 17.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. HOUSE 4 Ten: 1,565,000 474,000 428,000 247,000 199,000 217,000.
2. THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING-EV ABC: 1,500,000 505,000 413,000 266,000 138,000 176,000.
3. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,407,000 393,000 379,000 249,000 135,000 250,000.
4. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,401,000 415,000 384,000 264,000 125,000 213,000.
5. SPICKS AND SPECKS-EV ABC: 1,390,000 410,000 434,000 262,000 130,000 155,000.
6. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,368,000 367,000 357,000 257,000 146,000 241,000.
7. SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH-EV ABC: 1,307,000 472,000 351,000 211,000 107,000 166,000.
8. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,241,000 348,000 387,000 237,000 163,000 107,000.
9. MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS Nine: 1,207,000 309,000 314,000 277,000 151,000 156,000.
10. MEDICAL EMERGENCY-WED Seven: 1,206,000 326,000 377,000 229,000 102,000 172,000.
11. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,160,000 314,000 371,000 219,000 120,000 135,000.
12. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,134,000 304,000 346,000 250,000 136,000 98,000.
13. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,105,000 294,000 343,000 224,000 130,000 114,000.
14. ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Ten: 1,103,000 292,000 371,000 179,000 121,000 140,000.
15. CHILD IN A MILLION Seven: 1,057,000 252,000 361,000 195,000 97,000 152,000.

What Australia watched, Tuesday, October 16
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. DANCING WITH THE STARS 7 Seven: 1,803,000 543,000 578,000 298,000 176,000 208,000.
2. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,462,000 372,000 394,000 266,000 179,000 252,000.
3. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,388,000 381,000 402,000 249,000 153,000 203,000.
4. ALL SAINTS Seven: 1,374,000 426,000 457,000 199,000 135,000 157,000.
5. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,360,000 417,000 390,000 260,000 117,000 176,000.
6. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,254,000 328,000 436,000 238,000 150,000 103,000.
7. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,250,000 287,000 448,000 242,000 161,000 112,000.
8. THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 2 Ten: 1,213,000 253,000 447,000 196,000 167,000 151,000.
9. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,191,000 315,000 425,000 177,000 124,000 151,000.
10. THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 1 Ten: 1,166,000 246,000 407,000 188,000 167,000 158,000.
11. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,112,000 282,000 372,000 213,000 133,000 111,000.
12. NCIS RPT Ten: 1,096,000 234,000 343,000 213,000 156,000 149,000.
13. 7.30 REPORT-EV ABC: 929,000 254,000 305,000 159,000 100,000 111,000.
14. SURPRISE SURPRISE GOTCHA Nine: 859,000 208,000 281,000 173,000 106,000 91,000.
15. TEN NEWS AT FIVE Ten: 857,000 212,000 248,000 135,000 109,000 153,000.

What Australia watched, Monday, October 15.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. BORDER SECURITY - AUSTRALIA'S FRONT LINE Seven: 1,904,000 485,000 554,000 354,000 222,000 289,000.
2. THE FORCE - BEHIND THE LINE-MON Seven: 1,877,000 462,000 586,000 317,000 214,000 298,000.
3. CITY HOMICIDE Seven: 1,695,000 452,000 524,000 269,000 211,000 240,000.
4. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,485,000 370,000 395,000 288,000 178,000 255,000.
5. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,436,000 393,000 385,000 265,000 170,000 222,000.
6. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,425,000 361,000 378,000 263,000 186,000 237,000.
7. CRIMINAL MINDS Seven: 1,212,000 343,000 343,000 199,000 173,000 153,000.
8. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,189,000 311,000 403,000 237,000 114,000 124,000.
9. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,175,000 323,000 366,000 266,000 110,000 109,000.
10. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,143,000 307,000 348,000 260,000 138,000 88,000.
11. AUSTRALIAN IDOL - THE LIVE VERDICT Ten: 1,092,000 330,000 316,000 198,000 116,000 132,000.
12. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,083,000 300,000 360,000 191,000 113,000 119,000.
13. FOUR CORNERS-EV ABC: 1,010,000 304,000 314,000 180,000 109,000 104,000.
14. SUPERNATURAL Ten: 977,000 240,000 274,000 204,000 123,000 135,000.
15. MEDIA WATCH-EV ABC: 974,000 287,000 359,000 137,000 92,000 98,000.

What Australia watched, Sunday, October 14.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. KATH & KIM Seven: 2,304,000 641,000 755,000 418,000 232,000 258,000.
2. MY NAME IS EARL Seven: 1,569,000 500,000 574,000 315,000 180,000.
3. SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven: 1,336,000 334,000 358,000 293,000 133,000 218,000.
4. NATIONAL NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine: 1,291,000 342,000 436,000 224,000 169,000 119,000.
5. AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten: 1,285,000 353,000 388,000 218,000 157,000 169,000.
6. MR. & MRS. SMITH Nine: 1,217,000 331,000 392,000 193,000 174,000 128,000.
7. HOT PROPERTY Seven: 1,208,000 361,000 395,000 305,000 147,000.
8. ABC NEWS-SU ABC: 1,122,000 321,000 347,000 176,000 133,000 146,000.
9. AUSTRALIA'S BEST BACKYARDS Seven: 1,088,000 336,000 338,000 275,000 140,000.
10. 60 MINUTES Nine: 1,012,000 254,000 320,000 202,000 112,000 123,000.
11. SINGING BEE Nine: 1,008,000 233,000 351,000 204,000 112,000 108,000.
12. ROVE Ten: 968,000 266,000 347,000 143,000 128,000 84,000.
13. DIRTY JOBS Nine: 914,000 220,000 296,000 164,000 110,000 125,000.
14. RAIN SHADOW-EV ABC: 910,000 238,000 330,000 139,000 111,000 92,000.
15. THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE 2 SUN RPT Ten: 887,000 244,000 276,000 142,000 115,000 111,000.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. For further observations of Australian attitudes and behaviour, go to www.smh.com.au/tribalmind.

• in The Tribal Mind at 10:15 AM
• Comments (93)

The Tribal Mind: Not coming to a cinema near you

by Garry Maddox
Enough with the candy bars and online ticket machines. Based on the blockbusters over winter, it's time for some real services for filmgoers.

Early on, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End took $33.1 million at the Australian box office. But amidst all the colourful action and romance, who really had any idea what was happening? Was there a plot in there that made sense? At Wit's End would have been a more accurate title.

Next time there's a Pirates movie, cinemas should install a giant whiteboard in the foyer, with the plot outlined like one of Einstein's more complex equations. Filmgoers could crowd around afterwards saying things like "so he was really dead!" and "that's why they were upside down".

Shrek the Third was even more successful, taking $33.5 million. But it sadly lacked the heart and humour of the first two Shreks.

What was needed was a video screen showing the best scenes from the earlier movies, then a message from their director, Andrew Adamson, explaining that he wanted to make The Chronicles of Narnia so the studio had to get someone else. A studio executive could have explained why Shrek the Fourth would definitely be better. Everyone could have felt more cheerful then about spending their $15.50.

The Bourne Ultimatum was a well-deserved hit, taking $20.9 million. But watching it was like being hooked up to jumper leads after five cans of Red Bull. Afterwards, you wanted a quiet room with some peaceful music and a calming hot chocolate. Definitely no surveillance cameras.

Leaving No Reservations, the chefs romance that took a modest $5.4 million, there should have been a counter serving that magical bowl of pasta from the movie. The one so magnificent it immediately bonded a traumatised orphan to an itinerant chef who seemed to have escaped from a Papa Giuseppe's commercial.

The Lord did not smile on Evan Almighty, about a modern Noah building an ark. It cost many shekels to make but has taken only $6.9 million.

In Genesis, Noah was 600 years old when the flood arrived. In the movie it just felt like that long.

There should have been a Gideon's stand in the foyer, highlighting relevant and inspiring passages from the Bible. One that springs to mind is: "It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God."

The comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - aka Strange Bedfellows: the Brooklyn Years - was a modest hit, taking $7.3 million.

For fans of Adam Sandler it might have been hilarious. If you enjoy Rob Schneider at his method acting best, this was your movie.

But there was only one stand I wanted when I left the cinema. It would have been selling something alcoholic. And enough of it to repress the memory.

• in The Tribal Mind at 12:00 AM
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WHO WE ARE: We can be heroes

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald 14/10/2007
The government is keeping secret the list of 200 questions with which it will test peoples' suitability to become citizens of Australia, but a glance through the study guide, Becoming An Australian Citizen, suggests that a propensity for hero-worship would give the applicant a head start. The text, written at the comprehension level of an eight year old, speaks with infectious enthusiasm about the giants who created this nation. Let me quote some highlights ...

Arthur Phillip "took great care over the feeding and welfare of the convicts and very few died on the voyage. When starvation loomed in the early years of the colony, he put the whole settlement, including himself and military officers, on the same ration."

Governor Lachlan Macquarie "is remembered with great affection because he treated reformed convicts as if they had never offended. He invited rich ex-convicts to government house and expected the free settlers to treat them as equals."

"English woman Caroline Chisholm, who came to Australia with her army officer husband in 1838, became known as 'The Immigrants' Friend'. She worked to improve life on the ships bringing people to Australia and helped people start new lives."

"The failure of Burke and Wills, though easy to explain, can not easily be forgotten. Their story has inspired great writing and art. It remains a symbol of a country that can destroy you."

"Sir Charles Kingsford Smith became an international aviation hero in 1928 when he and Charles Ulm completed the first trans-Pacific crossing from the United States to Australia in the Fokker trimotor Southern Cross."

"Except for small scale battles between settlers and Aboriginal people, Australia has been a remarkably peaceful country. There have been no civil wars or revolutions. It is strange then, that it has a very strong military tradition and that the ordinary soldier, the digger, is a national hero."

Anzac Day "honours the qualities of the ordinary soldier: mateship, endurance, humour in the face of adversity. One individual soldier has come to stand for all these qualities - John Simpson Kirkpatrick ... He acquired a donkey and was allowed to work on his own carrying the wounded back to the shore."

John Monash "was one of the most creative generals in the war and the only Australian general who has come close to having heroic status."

The Melbourne Cup: "the great winners have become national heroes ... Phar Lap, the most famous of them ... made many people happy in dark days."

Sir Donald Bradman "was the greatest cricket batsman of all time. He was small and slight but amazingly quick on his feet, playing his shots almost like a machine ... Among all Australian sporting heroes, Bradman is the best known."

If the applicants for citizenship are as simpleminded as this level of writing assumes, they may draw the conclusion that to become a good Australian, you need to invite rich ex-convicts to dinner (ensuring your ration is the same as theirs), befriend immigrants, get lost in the desert, acquire a donkey, fly in a trimotor, and be quick enough on your feet to make people happy in dark days.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in Who We Are at 10:04 AM
• Comments (2)

The ratings race, October 2007

This blog is now a heritage item -- worth studying but not the latest word on the subject. For this week's discussion, go to who we are.

What Australia watched, Saturday, October 13.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 NEW TRICKS-EV ABC 1,336,000 379,000 439,000 217,000 162,000 140,000
2 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,182,000 295,000 403,000 200,000 126,000 159,000
3 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,170,000 291,000 326,000 223,000 126,000 204,000
4 ABC NEWS-SA ABC 1,142,000 327,000 358,000 194,000 144,000 120,000
5 NATIONAL NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,003,000 249,000 385,000 151,000 126,000 91,000
6 BILL-EV ABC 856,000 227,000 318,000 131,000 82,000 97,000
7 M-TARZAN Seven 790,000 210,000 300,000 185,000 94,000
8 GARDENING AUSTRALIA-EV ABC 702,000 199,000 226,000 118,000 90,000 69,000
9 TEN NEWS AT FIVE SAT Ten 697,000 149,000 229,000 140,000 76,000 103,000
10 JUDGE JOHN DEED Seven 670,000 215,000 207,000 150,000 97,000
11 BATMAN BEGINS Nine 627,000 135,000 217,000 115,000 88,000 72,000
12 DEADLIEST CATCH Ten 626,000 144,000 217,000 107,000 69,000 89,000
13 SON OF THE MASK Nine 610,000 166,000 170,000 109,000 73,000 91,000
14 BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II RPT Ten 598,000 156,000 225,000 81,000 72,000 62,000
15 SPORTS TONIGHT SAT Ten 588,000 127,000 194,000 111,000 66,000 90,000

(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

Editor's note: For the next two weeks The Ratings Race will come to you in downsized form. David Dale, who normally edits this blog, is working overseas. Kerry Coleman, his replacement, will publish daily ratings figures and approve comments, but won't be able to research extra questions. We hope readers talk amongst themselves on this blog until David's return on October 18, when you'll see "Tribal Mind replies" start to appear again at the end of comments.

What Australia watched, Friday, October 12.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven : 1,357,000 422,000 371,000 266,000 124,000 174,000.
2. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,263,000 400,000 291,000 231,000 135,000 205,000.
3. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,217,000 388,000 307,000 239,000 110,000 174,000.
4. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,178,000 363,000 289,000 217,000 126,000 184,000.
5. WIRE IN THE BLOOD-EV ABC: 1,144,000 266,000 384,000 200,000 116,000 178,000.
6. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,122,000 313,000 392,000 205,000 142,000 69,000.
7. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,055,000 296,000 347,000 228,000 108,000 77,000.
8. TEMPTATION Nine : 987,000 265,000 314,000 202,000 98,000 107,000.
9. AIRLINE Nine: 973,000 255,000 323,000 182,000 99,000 114,000.
10. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 958,000 264,000 333,000 156,000 89,000 116,000.
11. AIRPORT -RPT Nine: 928,000 249,000 292,000 180,000 95,000 113,000.
12. KICKING & SCREAMING Ten: 789,000 163,000 286,000 128,000 112,000 100,000.
13. DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven: 773,000 269,000 196,000 130,000 81,000 97,000.
14. COLLECTORS-EV ABC: 754,000 200,000 220,000 141,000 102,000 92,000.
15. TEN NEWS AT FIVE Ten: 753,000 154,000 235,000 118,000 95,000 152,000.

What Australia watched, Thursday, October 11.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. BIONIC WOMAN Seven: 1,417,000 404,000 412,000 282,000 140,000 179,000.
2. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,353,000 401,000 357,000 262,000 137,000 196,000.
3. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,298,000 340,000 347,000 249,000 162,000 199,000.
4. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,295,000 345,000 328,000 265,000 155,000 202,000.
5. GHOST WHISPERER Seven: 1,278,000 331,000 383,000 268,000 108,000 188,000.
6. MISSING PERSONS UNIT Nine: 1,198,000 385,000 394,000 262,000 156,000.
7. GETAWAY Nine: 1,135,000 316,000 348,000 218,000 141,000 113,000.
8. HEROES Seven: 1,124,000 278,000 377,000 206,000 113,000 150,000.
9. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,103,000 334,000 371,000 178,000 103,000 118,000.
10. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,100,000 261,000 379,000 218,000 130,000 112,000.
11. THE GIFT Nine: 1,084,000 352,000 306,000 171,000 111,000 145,000.
12. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE 3 Ten: 1,073,000 235,000 398,000 177,000 119,000 143,000.
13. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,071,000 280,000 388,000 198,000 111,000 93,000.
14. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,064,000 279,000 370,000 223,000 125,000 68,000.
15. LAW & ORDER THURS Ten: 967,000 260,000 315,000 159,000 130,000 103,000.

What Australia watched, Wednesday, October 10.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. HOUSE 4 Ten: 1,570,000 446,000 460,000 249,000 193,000 222,000.
2. THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING-EV ABC: 1,536,000 483,000 482,000 229,000 150,000 192,000.
3. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,499,000 428,000 394,000 268,000 163,000 245,000.
4. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,490,000 437,000 379,000 264,000 157,000 253,000.
5. RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE-WED Seven: 1,484,000 400,000 452,000 312,000 118,000 200,000.
6. SPICKS AND SPECKS-EV ABC: 1,470,000 420,000 474,000 249,000 144,000 183,000.
7. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,467,000 457,000 370,000 284,000 142,000 213,000.
8. MEDICAL EMERGENCY-WED Seven: 1,459,000 350,000 495,000 292,000 124,000 198,000.
9. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,203,000 347,000 371,000 247,000 157,000 81,000.
10. SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH-EV ABC: 1,192,000 381,000 417,000 146,000 102,000 145,000.
11. ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Ten: 1,164,000 293,000 389,000 140,000 170,000 172,000.
12. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,126,000 346,000 339,000 236,000 126,000 78,000.
13. LIFE Ten: 1,115,000 269,000 332,000 180,000 171,000 164,000.
14. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,112,000 315,000 410,000 174,000 108,000 106,000.
15. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,102,000 292,000 377,000 211,000 109,000 113,000.
16. MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS Nine: 1,076,000 303,000 319,000 218,000 122,000 114,000.

What Australia watched, Tuesday, October 9.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. DANCING WITH THE STARS 7 Seven: 1,906,000 587,000 563,000 335,000 197,000 225,000.
2. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,409,000 425,000 340,000 292,000 145,000 207,000.
3. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,385,000 386,000 391,000 237,000 161,000 210,000.
4. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,367,000 386,000 347,000 258,000 151,000 224,000.
5. ALL SAINTS Seven: 1,306,000 422,000 434,000 189,000 129,000 132,000.
6. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,246,000 332,000 396,000 261,000 129,000 128,000.
7. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,211,000 310,000 385,000 253,000 141,000 122,000.
8. THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 2 Ten: 1,200,000 247,000 427,000 214,000 149,000 164,000.
9. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,190,000 302,000 426,000 218,000 124,000 119,000.
10. THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 1 Ten: 1,149,000 244,000 411,000 202,000 134,000 158,000.
11. NCIS RPT Ten: 1,080,000 256,000 348,000 192,000 131,000 153,000.
12. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,071,000 311,000 333,000 184,000 104,000 140,000.
13. CSI: MIAMI Nine: 828,000 210,000 262,000 160,000 109,000 89,000.
14. DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven: 810,000 269,000 199,000 155,000 83,000 105,000.
15. SURPRISE SURPRISE GOTCHA Nine: 801,000 177,000 298,000 141,000 77,000 108,000.

What Australia watched, Monday, October 8.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. THE FORCE - BEHIND THE LINE Seven: 1,948,000 499,000 589,000 407,000 174,000 280,000.
2. BORDER SECURITY - AUSTRALIA'S FRONT LINE Seven: 1,934,000 512,000 546,000 414,000 178,000 283,000.
3. CITY HOMICIDE Seven: 1,635,000 427,000 577,000 277,000 177,000 176,000.
4. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,527,000 361,000 418,000 285,000 155,000 308,000.
5. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,510,000 416,000 414,000 305,000 145,000 230,000.
6. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,399,000 339,000 384,000 265,000 153,000 259,000.
7. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,251,000 362,000 391,000 264,000 155,000 80,000.
8. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,241,000 332,000 411,000 271,000 129,000 97,000.
9. CRIMINAL MINDS Seven: 1,202,000 334,000 382,000 209,000 160,000 117,000.
10. TEMPTATION Nine 1,105,000 291,000 363,000 230,000 115,000 106,000.
11. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,074,000 291,000 368,000 187,000 99,000 129,000.
12. AUSTRALIAN IDOL - THE LIVE VERDICT Ten: 1,042,000 333,000 296,000 158,000 130,000 125,000.
13 LAW AND ORDER: SVU MON RPT" Ten: 947,000 251,000 232,000 213,000 123,000 129,000.
14. DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven: 881,000 262,000 238,000 163,000 94,000 125,000.
15. MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING -RPT Nine: 848,000 247,000 301,000 110,000 90,000 100,000.

What Australia watched, Sunday, October 7.
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. KATH & KIM Seven: 2,069,000 495,000 758,000 391,000 203,000 222,000.
2. SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven: 1,636,000 466,000 413,000 384,000 175,000 199,000.
3. MY NAME IS EARL Seven: 1,538,000 391,000 564,000 268,000 139,000 176,000.
4. HOT PROPERTY Seven: 1,413,000 389,000 407,000 291,000 171,000 155,000.
5. SEVEN'S V8 SUPERCARS ROUND 10: BATHURST D3 POST RACE Seven: 1,383,000 447,000 376,000 346,000 125,000 89,000.
6. SEVEN'S V8 SUPERCARS ROUND 10: BATHURST D3 THE RACE Seven: 1,335,000 419,000 365,000 315,000 159,000 78,000.
7. AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten: 1,321,000 364,000 409,000 232,000 177,000 139,000.
8. AUSTRALIA'S BEST BACKYARDS Seven: 1,277,000 378,000 323,000 260,000 161,000 155,000.
9. NATIONAL NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine: 1,246,000 343,000 412,000 210,000 169,000 113,000.
10. SINGING BEE Nine: 1,196,000 317,000 415,000 191,000 128,000 144,000.
11. 60 MINUTES Nine: 1,187,000 313,000 346,000 225,000 126,000 178,000.
12. RAIN SHADOW-EV ABC: 1,111,000 254,000 387,000 178,000 145,000 146,000.
13. HITCH Nine: 1,053,000 294,000 352,000 170,000 102,000 136,000.
14. THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE 2 SUN RPT Ten: 1,040,000 206,000 383,000 201,000 134,000 116,000.
15. ABC NEWS-SU ABC: 1,023,000 269,000 284,000 210,000 124,000 137,000.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• in The Tribal Mind at 10:00 AM
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The ratings race, September 2007

What Australia watched, Saturday, October 6
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. NEW TRICKS-EV ABC: 1,329,000 310,000 422,000 253,000 172,000 174,000.
2. SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven: 1,316,000 378,000 326,000 300,000 121,000 191,000.
3. NATIONAL NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine: 1,225,000 388,000 395,000 178,000 171,000 92,000.
4. ABC NEWS-SA ABC: 1,211,000 299,000 405,000 223,000 130,000 154,000.
5. M-MADAGASCAR Seven: 1,140,000 301,000 374,000 209,000 117,000 140,000.
6. AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine: 1,126,000 295,000 360,000 196,000 139,000 137,000.
7. BILL-EV ABC: 881,000 250,000 258,000 149,000 98,000 125,000.
8. LOONEY TUNES BACK IN ACTION Nine: 829,000 202,000 285,000 127,000 119,000 95,000.
9. GARDENING AUSTRALIA-EV ABC: 802,000 185,000 258,000 144,000 112,000 103,000.
10. 2007 RUGBY WORLD CUP - QF 1 AUSTRALIA V ENGLAND Ten: 795,000 283,000 167,000 124,000 84,000 137,000.
11. JUDGE JOHN DEED Seven: 753,000 195,000 236,000 135,000 102,000 85,000.
12. ABC NEWS UP-DATE-EV ABC: 720,000 200,000 243,000 106,000 76,000 95,000.
13. THE ISLAND Nine : 667,000 148,000 224,000 122,000 90,000 83,000.
14. TEN NEWS AT FIVE SAT Ten: 623,000 176,000 150,000 99,000 86,000 111,000.
15. SPORTS TONIGHT SAT Ten: 622,000 150,000 192,000 101,000 83,000 97,000.
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

Editor's note: For the next three weeks The Ratings Race will come to you in downsized form. David Dale, who normally edits this blog, is working overseas. Kerry Coleman, his replacement, will publish daily ratings figures and approve comments, but won't be able to research extra questions. We hope readers talk amongst themselves on this blog until David's return on October 18, when you'll see "Tribal Mind replies" start to appear again at the end of comments.

What Australia watched, Friday, October 5
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven:1,392,000 449,000 394,000 233,000 134,000 182,000.
2. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,210,000 383,000 332,000 207,000 121,000 166,000.
3. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,208,000 308,000 330,000 217,000 146,000 207,000.
4. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,176,000 312,000 341,000 209,000 128,000 186,000.
5. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,134,000 330,000 378,000 211,000 123,000 92,000.
6. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,085,000 302,000 401,000 200,000 101,000 82,000.
7. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,043,000 291,000 368,000 179,000 109,000 95,000.
8. WIRE IN THE BLOOD-EV ABC: 1,026,000 215,000 361,000 187,000 111,000 152,000.
9. AIRLINE Nine: 999,000 210,000 382,000 195,000 106,000 106,000.
10. AIRPORT -RPT Nine: 910,000 193,000 333,000 159,000 119,000 107,000.
11. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 901,000 232,000 296,000 165,000 102,000 106,000.
12. COLLECTORS-EV ABC: 812,000 210,000 276,000 144,000 89,000 93,000.
13. HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS RPT Ten: 801,000 212,000 273,000 130,000 85,000 102,000.
14. DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven: 801,000 255,000 216,000 140,000 98,000 92,000.
15.M-FLOOD Seven: 772,000 202,000 206,000 159,000 93,000 111,000.

What Australia watched, Thursday, October 4
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. BIONIC WOMAN Seven: 1,590,000 446,000 476,000 285,000 167,000 216,000.
2. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,311,000 332,000 408,000 259,000 129,000 183,000.
3. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,290,000 317,000 348,000 280,000 152,000 192,000.
4. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,286,000 404,000 322,000 267,000 124,000 169,000.
5. HEROES Seven: 1,223,000 363,000 393,000 204,000 105,000 158,000.
6. SEA PATROL Nine: 1,204,000 370,000 401,000 207,000 114,000 111,000.
7. GHOST WHISPERER Seven: 1,201,000 349,000 336,000 218,000 108,000 191,000.
8. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,096,000 307,000 367,000 220,000 104,000 99,000.
9. GETAWAY Nine: 1,088,000 299,000 361,000 209,000 99,000 121,000.
10. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE 3 Ten: 1,084,000 332,000 319,000 169,000 126,000 139,000.
11. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,077,000 271,000 346,000 188,000 106,000 165,000.
12. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,073,000 262,000 396,000 188,000 104,000 123,000.
13. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,063,000 318,000 347,000 199,000 114,000 85,000.
14. LAW & ORDER Ten: 908,000 239,000 282,000 122,000 149,000 117,000.
15. 7.30 REPORT-EV ABC: 787,000 187,000 297,000 126,000 74,000 103,000.

What Australia watched, Wednesday, October 3
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. HOUSE 4 Ten: 1,553,000 461,000 438,000 268,000 201,000 186,000.
2. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,455,000 410,000 370,000 259,000 178,000 238,000.
3. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,436,000 392,000 387,000 265,000 148,000 245,000.
4. RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven: 1,433,000 404,000 399,000 314,000 119,000 197,000.
5. THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC: 1,357,000 427,000 387,000 211,000 162,000 170,000.
6. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,306,000 391,000 328,000 275,000 121,000 191,000.
7. MEDICAL EMERGENCY Seven: 1,284,000 320,000 388,000 293,000 116,000 168,000.
8. SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC: 1,278,000 347,000 432,000 208,000 149,000 142,000.
9. RPA Nine: 1,209,000 333,000 421,000 195,000 123,000 138,000.
10. ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Ten: 1,179,000 345,000 386,000 178,000 49,000 121,000.
11. SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH ABC: 1,156,000 385,000 360,000 171,000 111,000 129,000.
12. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,142,000 338,000 351,000 214,000 145,000 94,000.
13. LIFE Ten: 1,085,000 270,000 291,000 185,000 172,000 165,000.
14. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,082,000 292,000 373,000 173,000 125,000 119,000.
15. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,078,000 313,000 348,000 210,000 111,000 94,000

What Australia watched, Tuesday, October 2
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. DANCING WITH THE STARS Seven: 1,814,000 559,000 559,000 289,000 182,000 225,000.
2. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,392,000 339,000 330,000 285,000 172,000 266,000.
3. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,357,000 351,000 303,000 289,000 149,000 265,000.
4. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,329,000 374,000 321,000 280,000 145,000 208,000.
5. ALL SAINTS Seven: 1,253,000 413,000 419,000 167,000 121,000 134,000.
6. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,153,000 342,000 383,000 226,000 114,000 89,000.
7. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,143,000 347,000 375,000 207,000 129,000 85,000.
8. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,119,000 311,000 351,000 181,000 103,000 172,000.
9. NCIS RPT Ten: 1,073,000 250,000 355,000 195,000 138,000 135,000.
10. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,032,000 281,000 371,000 176,000 102,000 102,000.
11. THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 2 Ten: 951,000 219,000 283,000 202,000 120,000 127,000.
12. THE SIMPSONS TUES EP 1 Ten: 944,000 225,000 285,000 186,000 113,000 135,000.
13. SURPRISE SURPRISE GOTCHA Nine: 878,000 203,000 297,000 186,000 96,000 95,000.
14. NUMB3RS Ten: 847,000 233,000 264,000 135,000 134,000 83,000.
15. DEAL OR NO DEAL Seven: 805,000 246,000 194,000 163,000 85,000 117,000.

What Australia watched, Monday, October 1
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. BORDER SECURITY - AUSTRALIA'S FRONT LINE Seven: 2,014,000 597,000 610,000 345,000 189,000 273,000.
2. THE FORCE - BEHIND THE LINE Seven: 1,878,000 526,000 578,000 311,000 202,000 262,000.
3. CITY HOMICIDE Seven: 1,762,000 500,000 576,000 265,000 213,000 208,000.
4. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,569,000 400,000 356,000 278,000 198,000 337,000.
5. TODAY TONIGHT Seven: 1,501,000 398,000 375,000 269,000 177,000 283,000.
6. HOME AND AWAY Seven: 1,444,000 459,000 385,000 250,000 144,000 205,000.
7. NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine: 1,286,000 357,000 448,000 211,000 174,000 96,000.
8. A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine: 1,286,000 341,000 460,000 211,000 168,000 106,000.
9. CRIMINAL MINDS Seven: 1,234,000 351,000 399,000 176,000 158,000 151,000.
10. ABC NEWS-EV ABC: 1,143,000 294,000 389,000 179,000 119,000 162,000.
11. TEMPTATION Nine: 1,119,000 278,000 404,000 205,000 135,000 97,000.
12. AUSTRALIAN IDOL - THE LIVE VERDICT Ten: 1,068,000 333,000 276,000 188,000 144,000
127,000.
13. LAW AND ORDER: SVU Ten: 977,000 297,000 236,000 194,000 129,000 122,000.
18. CALIFORNICATION Ten: 839,000 205,000 274,000 156,000 108,000 96,000.
31. MYTHBUSTERS SBS: 569,000 125,000 200,000 102,000 84,000 57,000.
102. MIDDAY REPORT-PM ABC: 135,000 41,000 20,000 29,000 17,000 28,000.

What Australia watched, Sunday, September 30
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1. RUGBY LEAGUE GRAND FINAL Nine: 2,389,000 913,000 723,000 568,000 95,000 89,000.
2. RUGBY LEAGUE GRAND FINAL PRESENTATION Nine: 1,575,000 627,000 554,000 393,000.
3. NATIONAL NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine: 1,574,000 514,000 492,000 306,000 147,000 115,000.
4. RUGBY LEAGUE GRAND FINAL ENTERTAINMENT Nine: 1,566,000 575,000 524,000 390,000 77,000.
5. SEVEN NEWS Seven: 1,417,000 318,000 378,000 333,000 142,000 246,000.
6. M-THE PACIFIER Seven: 1,126,000 254,000 416,000 204,000 138,000 114,000.
7. AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten: 1,052,000 202,000 395,000 158,000 135,000 162,000.
8. M-THE HAUNTED MANSION Seven: 1,029,000 196,000 389,000 174,000 122,000 148,000.
9. ABC NEWS ABC: 870,000 182,000 297,000 153,000 106,000 132,000.
10. ROVE Ten: 805,000 171,000 320,000 93,000 110,000 111,000.
11. THE EINSTEIN FACTOR-EV ABC: 768,000 170,000 254,000 160,000 98,000 86,000.
12. AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL 5 Ten: 730,000 139,000 294,000 96,000 83,000 119,000.
14. THE SUNDAY FOOTY SHOW Nine: 700,000 165,000 316,000 97,000 68,000 54,000.
19. RUGBY LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1ST DIVISION Nine: 572,000 398,000 174,000
35. 2007 RUGBY WORLD CUP - AUSTRALIA V CANADA (REPLAY) Ten: 264,000 55,000 100,000 40,000 41,000 29,000.
83. 2007 RUGBY WORLD CUP - WALES V FIJI Ten: 112,000 39,000 35,000 16,000 22,000.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• in The Tribal Mind at 10:00 AM
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WHO WE ARE: A contribution of value

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald 7/10/2007
The anonymous authors of the booklet called Becoming an Australian Citizen take a stab at listing those elusive creatures called "Australian values" which the radio talk jocks keep going on about. It's not apparent if the authors are claiming that these are what Australians actually believe in, or what the government thinks we ought to believe in.

Interestingly, their list has similarities to a statement of "core beliefs of average Australians" offered two years ago by the prime minister when he was launching a Liberal Party magazine called The Conservative. This was Mr Howard's list:

1 We live in a very successful nation.
2 Australia is well-regarded around the world.
3 Individuals should be given a fair go if down on their luck but, once helped, should not expect continued community support.
5 Traditional institutions like the family are central but people with alternative views should not be persecuted.
6 People should be very tolerant of diversity, but also believe in unity when facing a common threat.
7 Society should be classless, where a person's worth is determined by personal character and hard work and not religion, race or social background.

This is the list of Australian values in the citizenship booklet: 1 Respect for the equal worth, dignity and freedom of the individual; 2 Freedom of speech; 3 Freedom of religion and secular government; 4 Freedom of association; 5 Support for parliamentary democracy and the rule of law; 6 Equality under the law; 7 Equality of men and woman; 8 Equality of opportunity; 9 Peacefulness; 10 Tolerance, mutual respect and compassion for those in need.

Presumably any immigrant who can memorise and repeat those principles will have no trouble getting admitted to this country. But would those new citizens then have any better idea of what most Australians actually believe? If they're curious about that, they'd be better off studying a publication called Australian Social Attitudes (published by University of NSW Press), which reports the results of a survey conducted between 2003 and 2005 by the Centre for Social Research at the Australian National University.

It is based on the answers to questionnaires filled in by 4270 adults -- an impressive sample size, considering that million-dollar programming decisions in television are based on ratings from a sample of only 3,000. People were asked to tick "agree", "disagree" or "don't know" for a series of statements about social issues. These propositions attracted the most agreement:

1. To be truly Australian, it is fairly important that you speak English (92 per cent agreement)
2. The father should be as involved in the care of his children as the mother (90)
3. A woman should have the right to choose whether or not she has an abortion (87)
4. The gap between those with high incomes and those with low incomes is too large (84)
5. Generally speaking, Australia is a better country than most other countries (83)
6. When big businesses break the law they often go unpunished (81)
7. Media ownership in Australia is too concentrated among a few rich families (81)
8. Large international companies are doing more and more damage to local businesses in Australia (75).

Strangely, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship chose not to offer this insight into national values to readers of its booklet.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

• by David Dale in Who We Are at 12:05 AM
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The tribal mind: Worth hitching on to this bandwagon

by Paul Bibby
Channel Nine's prodigal son David Gyngell has returned, but what rabbits will he pull out of the hat to turn around the broadcaster's fortunes?

There's plenty of talk about buckets of new Australian drama and comedy, as well as plans to refresh the jaded troops by moving out of the old digs in Sydney and Melbourne. But when it comes down to it, the success or failure of Gyngell's second coming could depend on how much cash his new private equity bosses will give him to buy back some ratings points by jumping onto the "fast-track" bandwagon.

For months now, channels Seven and Ten have been banging on about how shows such as Californication, House and Heroes have been "fast-tracked" to our screen from the United States; that is, we get to see them a month after the Americans rather than a year or so. It's a clear strategy to get us watching and it seems to have worked. Californication has been a strong ratings performer, attracting 44 per cent of viewers aged 18 to 49 last week and 50 per cent of those aged 16 to 39.

Another fast-tracker, Prison Break (Seven), also did well, closing the gap on the ABC's Summer Heights High, with 900,000 viewers.

Two more programs are fast-tracked this week on Seven: the series return of Heroes and the debut of Bionic Woman (think the $6 Million Man in Lycra), which says Seven, attracted 13.6 million American viewers in its debut this month.

Ten will role out its latest import this week, Life, an off-beat cop drama about a troubled detective who rejoins the police force after serving years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. And it doesn't stop there. Seven and Ten are promoting next year's fast-tracked line-up, which includes a Grey's Anatomyspin-off, Private Practice, and an apple-pie sitcom, Back to You, about two TV news presenters.

It's hardly surprising that the strategy of promoting programs as the latest thing from the US has worked, even though in some cases we're still a season behind. Not only are Australians always interested in the latest thing, we tend to be extra susceptible when it comes from places deemed to be more fashionable than we are. Perhaps as a geographically isolated post-colonial society we fear losing touch with our new motherland (the US) if we miss out on the latest sitcom.

What is more surprising is that, with the exception of a handful of programs such as the new Glenn Close drama Damages, Nine has not yet jumped on the fast-track, direct-download bandwagon.

The amount of control Gyngell is given over the station's purse strings by the new crew in charge will go a long way to determining the ratings fortunes of the station.

David Dale is on leave.

• in The Tribal Mind at 10:11 PM
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