Overnights: Penultimate Torchwood secures 6.2 million viewers

The penultimate Torchwood – Children of the Earth pulled in the highest ratings during the all-important 9pm to 10pm slot last night with more than 6.2 million peak viewers.

The Doctor Who spin-off, starring John Barrowman, attracted 6.2 million average viewers and a 27% audience share in the middle of BBC One’s peak run.

BBC One secured the peak audience from 7.30pm onwards, starting off with Eastenders‘ high of 7.6 million viewers and a 38.7% average audience share.

Celebrity Masterchef with John Torode and Gregg Wallace, which is due to conclude tonight, followed with almost 6 million peak viewers and a 26% average share in the 8pm to 9pm slot before Torchwood.

The channel also held on to the peak ratings during BBC News at Ten and David Dimbleby’s schools edition of Question Time from Salford, Manchester.

Meanwhile, Emmerdale pulled in ITV1’s highest ratings of the evening between 7pm to 7.30pm with 5.8 million peak viewers and a 31.9% average audience share.

ITV1’s prime-time programme, the second and final episode of Trial & Retribution, picked up 2.7 million viewers and a 11.9% average share between 9pm and 10pm.

At the same time, BBC Two’s Mock the Week, a new thirteen-part series of the topical comedy quiz series, returned with a high of 2.8 million viewers, while Five’s The Mentalist pulled in 1.8 million viewers, leaving Channel 4’s Gerry’s Big Decision in fifth place in the ratings war with 1.6 million viewers.

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.