With popular live shows running overtime the rating's results are being skewed, with The Big Bang Theory the latest to be given a viewer injection.
After Big Brother ran overtime on Tuesday night, gate-crashing The Big Bang Theory's time slot, the comedy exploded into the Top 10 with 1.222 million viewers to be third.
For the past two weeks the Nine Network's Big Bang Theory has been hovering around the 700,000 viewer mark - just outside the top 10.
The same odd result occurred last week when the Seven Network's musical Smash rode on the coattails of The X Factor, which ran overtime, and surfed into the Top 10. In the previous few weeks Smash had been struggling around the 300,000 viewer mark.
The overnight ratings are completed on advertised starting times and do not allow for shows running overtime and sharing another time slot.
There is however one result that is constant - the popularity of The X Factor on Seven. It attracted 1.471 million viewers to beat Seven News (1.219 million), The Big Bang Theory and Nine News (1.059 million).
Seven's family drama Winners & Losers was fifth with 1.058 million viewers, while Big Brother's Eviction show was sixth with 1.056 million.
ABC News (1.034 million) was seventh, just ahead of Big Brother's regular show (1.027 million) and Home And Away (1.025 million).
Today Tonight, which usually sits near the top of the ratings, slipped to 10th with 1.005 million viewers, while A Current Affair finished 11th.
Top rating shows on Tuesday night
1. The X Factor Results (Seven) - 1.471 million
2. Seven News (Seven) 1.219 million
3. The Big Bang Theory (Nine) - 1.122 million
4. Nine News (Nine) - 1.059 million
5. Winners & Losers (Seven) - 1.058 million
6. Big Brother Live Eviction (Nine) - 1.056 million
7. ABC News (ABC) - 1.034 million
8. Big Brother (Nine) - 1.027 million
9. Home And Away (Seven) - 1.025 million
10. Today Tonight (Seven) - 1.005 million
