Last Law & Order: UK secures the highest ratings

ITV1’s UK version of the popular US crime series Law & Order came to a dramatic end last night, attracting the peak audience during the all-important 9pm to 10pm slot.

More than 5.5 million viewers tuned in to see series’ finale, starring Bradley Walsh and Freema Agyeman, securing ITV1 with a 23.5% average audience share.

Meanwhile, BBC One’s Traffic Cops, a documentary based on real-life car crime in South Wales, pulled in 4.9 million peak viewers and a 18.3% average share during the 9pm and 10pm peak-hour.

At the same time, Channel 4’s new Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant picked up over 2.1 million viewers and a 9.2% share, while BBC Two’s Heroes pulled in 1.5 million viewers and a 6.5% share.

Elsewhere, the sixth of eight episodes of Five’s Extreme Fishing with Robson Green attracted 1.3 million viewers and a 5.8% average share.

However, the soaps battled it out for the highest overall ratings of the evening – BBC One’s Eastenders managed to steal the top spot with more than 10 million peak viewers.

ITV1’s Emmerdale kick-started the soap run with more than 7 million viewers, followed by Coronation Street, which peaked with 9.5 million – however, the aftermath of Danielle’s death in Eastenders attracted the highest ratings – 10 million peak viewers and an impressive 41.5% average share.

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 and key multi-channel stations.