TV Overnights: BBC One secures a prime time peak-run

BBC One banked a peak-run from 7.30pm onwards last night with Eastenders, Holby City and Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds.

The Top Gear presenter’s new show pulled in over 4.2 million average viewers and a 17.4% audience share to take the top spot during the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak-hour.

Eastenders claimed the highest ratings, meanwhile, with more than 9.4 million viewers and a 39.2% average audience share between 7.30pm and 8pm.

Holby City, the channel’s long-running hospital drama, followed with almost 6 million average viewers and a 24.5% share.

Elsewhere, ITV1 picked up the peak share for Emmerdale, which pulled in a high of 7.8 million peak viewers and a 33.7% average share between 7pm and 7.30pm.

However, ITV1’s peak-hour programme, Law & Order: UK, failed to compete with BBC One with just 2.4 million average viewers and a 10% audience share.

The repeat of the series starring Bradley Walsh also lost out to Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute and BBC Two’s new Edward VII: Prince of Pleasure.

Channl 4’s documentary series attracted over 3.3 million average viewers and a 13.8% share, while BBC Two’s new documentary programme pulled in 2.4 million average viewers and a 10.1% share.

Over on Five, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation picked up 2 million viewers and a 8.6% average audience share between 9pm and 10pm.

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.