Here we are, people. The list we’ve all been waiting for – what were the top 100 individual programs by ratings for 2010. Those tricky programmers have added in some specialness for us this year with 2010 being the introduction of a single broadcast show being split into multiple parts for ratings purposes alone (see slots 1 & 2, slots 3 & 4, slots 6 & 7, etc). Tricky. It is actually a benefit however because otherwise the averaging of show ratings would miss all the people just turning over to see the winner announced and so while the show may peak higher than what’s listed this offers a closer picture of who watched.

There are certainly no surprises in the Top 20…

2010: Top 100
1 Masterchef Australia (The Winner Announced) – Ten – 4,028,882
2 Masterchef Australia (Finale Night) – Ten – 3,594,399
3 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final: Presentations – Seven – 3,357,550
4 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final: Collingwood V St Kilda – Seven – 2,767,569
5 Melbourne Cup – The Race – Seven – 2,707,307
6 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final Re-Match – Seven – 2,686,813
7 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final Re-Match: Presentations – Seven – 2,618,146
8 State Of Origin Rugby League NSW V Qld 1st – Match – Nine – 2,468,186
9 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final: Post-Match – Seven 2- ,451,165
10 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open – Men’s Final – Seven – 2,420,898
11 Underbelly: The Golden Mile (Ep1) – Nine – 2,357,959
12 Junior Masterchef Australia (Launch) – Ten – 2,293,297
13 State Of Origin Rugby League NSW V Qld 2nd – Match – Nine – 2,172,601
14 Rugby League Grand Final – Nine – 2,168,765
15 Seven’s AFL: AFL Grand Final: On The Ground – Seven – 2,165,832
16 Melbourne Cup – Race Presentation – Seven – 2,134,281
17 Underbelly: The Golden Mile (Ep 2) – Nine – 2,126,464
18 Such Is Life: The Troubled Times Of Ben Cousins (Part 1) – Seven – 2,125,339
19 Packed To The Rafters – Seven – 2,040,938
20 Seven’s AFL: AFL Grand Final: On The Ground Re-Match – Seven – 1,957,160
21 Junior Masterchef Australia (The Winner Announced) – Ten – 1,950,145
22 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final Re-Match: Post-Match – Seven – 1,938,886
23 Masterchef Australia – Ten – 1,934,302
24 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open (Women’s Final) – Seven – 1,898,888
25 Masterchef Australia (Challenge) – Ten – 1,856,560
26 Such Is Life: The Troubled Times Of Ben Cousins (Part 2) – Seven – 1,852,742
27 Hamish & Andy’s Caravan Of Courage – Ten – 1,846,747
28 Undercover Boss Premiere – Ten – 1,844,642
29 The X Factor (The Winner Announced) – Seven – 1,833,207
30 Junior Masterchef Australia (Top 50) – Ten – 1,827,667
31 State Of Origin Rugby League NSW V Qld (3rd Match) – Nine – 1,786,740
32 Melbourne Cup – The Mounting Yard – Seven – 1,778,176
33 Top Gear (Ep1) – Nine – 1,765,961
34 Masterchef Australia (Launch) – Ten – 1,743,808
35 Underbelly: The Golden Mile – Nine – 1,739,621
36 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open (Men’s Final Introduction) – Seven – 1,722,185
37 The Block (Winner Announced) – Nine – 1,712,349
38 Hawke – Ten – 1,690,511
39 Masterchef Australia (Top 50 – Wed) – Ten – 1,664,884
40 The Biggest Loser (Aus) (The Winner Announced) – Ten – 1,641,593
41 State Of Origin Rugby League NSW Qld (1st Pre Match) – Nine – 1,634,098
42 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open – Day 8 Night Session – Seven – 1,631,534
43 Masterchef Australia (Top 50 Thurs) – Ten – 1,627,776
44 Gruen Nation – ABC1 – 1,616,205
45 Australia’s Got Talent – Seven – 1,615,406
46 Junior Masterchef Australia (Finale Night) – Ten – 1,580,726
47 Junior Masterchef Australia (Top 12 Revealed) – Ten – 1,580,227
48 Masterchef Australia (Top 50 Tues) – Ten – 1,579,049
49 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final Pre-Match Entertainment – Seven – 1,571,951
50 Miracle At The Zoo – Seven – 1,545,502
51 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open (Men’s Final Presentation) – Seven – 1,544,778
52 Seven News (Sunday) – Seven – 1,532,727
53 Dancing With The Stars 10 (Grand Final) – Seven – 1,518,715
54 The X Factor Auditions (Tuesday) – Seven – 1,502,331
55 Midsomer Murders – ABC1 – 1,496,868
56 Junior Masterchef Australia (Sunday) – Ten – 1,496,394
57 Modern Family – Ten – 1,479,382
58 Doc Martin – ABC1 – 1,475,582
59 NCIS – Ten – 1,460,765
60 Glee – Ten – 1,448,435
61 The Biggest Loser (Aus – Finale Night) – Ten – 1,431,677
62 World’s Strictest Parents – Seven – 1,419,764
63 Seven’s AFL: Preliminary Final 1 – Seven – 1,419,557
64 Undercover Boss (Wednesday) – Ten – 1,417,312
65 Two And A Half Men – Nine – 1,417,045
66 52nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards – Nine – 1,416,040
67 Air Ways – Seven – 1,414,073
68 The Gruen Transfer – ABC1 – 1,411,289
69 State Of Origin Rugby League NSW V Qld (2nd Pre Match) – Nine – 1,409,175
70 Border Security – Seven – 1,408,398
71 Border Security (Tuesday) – Seven – 1,403,568
72 My Kitchen Rules (Tuesday) – Seven – 1,397,676
73 The Force (Wednesday) – Seven – 1,395,652
74 Seven’s Tennis: 2010: Aust Open (Women’s Final Presentation) – Seven – 1,391,673
75 Nine News (Sunday) – Nine – 1,390,452
76 Dancing With The Stars – Seven – 1,385,367
77 Yes We Canberra! – ABC1 – 1,382,999
78 Seven News (Monday-Friday) – Seven – 1,379,528
79 The X Factor Auditions (Thursday) Seven – 1,377,228
80 Border Security (Wednesday) – Seven – 1,371,616
81 Masterchef Australia (Top 24 Revealed) – Ten – 1,369,413
82 2010 FIFA World Cup: Gha V Aus Live – SBS ONE – 1,367,343
83 Rugby League Grand Final Presentation – Nine – 1,362,313
84 Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story – Nine – 1,359,902
85 My Kitchen Rules (Monday) – Seven – 1,355,477
86 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open (Day 10 Night Session) – Seven – 1,352,339
87 TV Week Logie Awards Arrivals – Nine – 1,351,875
88 The X Factor Auditions (Wednesday) – Seven – 1,350,385
89 Seven’s Tennis: 2010 Aust Open (Women’s Final Introductions) – Seven – 1,347,437
90 Bones – Seven – 1,346,882
91 The Pacific – Seven – 1,345,636
92 Seven’s AFL: Grand Final Re-Match Entertainment – Seven – 1,325,276
93 Today Tonight – Seven – 1,322,773
94 The Farmer Wants A Wife – Nine – 1,318,887
95 Top Gear Australia – Nine – 1,308,416
96 Two And A Half Men (Monday – Ep1) – Nine – 1,306,439
97 Highway Patrol (Wednesday) – Seven – 1,300,103
98 Masterchef Australia (Masterclass) – Ten – 1,298,149
99 The Force (Repeat Eps) – Seven – 1,295,453
100 Learn India With Hamish & Andy – Ten – 1,293,339

5 city metro combined; cal year Weeks 1-48. Includes one-off and series averages.
Consolidated 1 January – 19 November and Overnight 20 – 27 November.

But what does it all mean? Well…

• We can’t get enough of MasterChef & Junior MasterChef (and, to a lesser degree, My Kitchen Rules)
• Sport still features very highly for all Australian viewing habits (be it AFL, Horse racing, Tennis, Soccer or NRL State of Origin)
• Underbelly continued it’s reign as the watercooler drama to watch
• If Ben Cousins and Hamish & Andy ever filmed a show together they’d out-rate anything
• Take middle-aged parents, add children moving home and Grandad too, include newborn, sift in a wedding and a funeral, bake for two seasons & allow to rise for the perfect Australian drama series souffle
• A lot of us watched Hawke – possibly more than was worthy of it
• 1 episode of Undercover Boss beat Ch7’s $25m white elephant’s winner announced episode – how fitting (perhaps a recommendation for David Leckie?)
• The Block is back, baby
• Gruen (Nation & Transfer) proved to be the little franchise that could
• Modern Family, Glee & NCIS delivered strongly for Channel 10, despite it’s poor performance overall
• An episode of Two and a Half Men can beat Television’s night of nights – or most things (what are you doing, people?!)
• Our thirst for factual/reality programming has not abated and will only continue in 2011
• Whatever Hamish & Andy do in 2011 on TV is gonna be a success

It is what it is, people, the numbers don’t lie (mostly). What was your highlight of the 2010 television year?