Rock Rivals Lacks X-Factor For Viewers

Glossy new drama series Rock Rivals, loosely inspired by ITV1’s The X-Factor, launched with a less than spectacular 3.6 million adults (with a 16.9% share of viewing) last night.

Featuring the fictionalised account of the behind-the-scene goings on of a reality singing contest, the programme initially had an audience of 4.1 million during the first 15 minutes before slipping to 3.4 million between 9.45pm and 10pm.

BBC One’s Traffic Cops comfortably won the 9pm slot, attracting an average of 3.9 million adult viewers for its duration (with the audience steadily increasing across the hour long slot. Over on Channel 4, Grand Designs Revisited claimed third spot for the hour, with 3.3 million tuning in to see what had happened to a Peterborough couple who built a brand new home on the site of a previous cottage.

Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood claimed fourth spot, with a fairly respectable 2.5 million tuning into the channel.

Most watched programme of the night was The Bill, which saw DCI Meadows going undercover to catch armed robbers targeting an antiques shop, which held sway with 5.2 million adult viewers. The ratings were nearly the equal for BBC One and Channel 4’s 8pm offerings combined, with Whistleblower watched by 2.5 million and Relocation Relocation seen by 2.9 million.

Elsewhere Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA proved to be more popular than the revival of News At Ten on ITV1. Around three million people watched the volatile celebrity on Channel 4 as he tried to help two brothers turn around the fortunes of their Irish pub in the Hamptons. At the same time on ITV1, News At Ten was watched by a million fewer viewers. This was 2.2 million less than BBC One’s Ten O’Clock News.

Overnight data is available each morning in mediatel.co.uk’s TV Database, with all BARB registered subscribers able to view reports for terrestrial networks, ITV2 and Sky One.

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