BBC Soaps And Dramas Score Against Football

Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Porto was watched by an average adult audience of just over 4.1 million last night, giving ITV1 a 19.6% viewing share between 7.30pm and 10pm.

However, BBC One’s triple bill of EastEnders, Holby City and the second part of a two-part story line of Silent Witness managed to lure more viewers.

EastEnders, which focused primarily on Ian Beale’s breakdown following a series of menacing ‘gifts’ – from pigs hearts and coffins to last night’s 70 boxes of streaky bacon – and the demise of the Wicks family, was seen by almost 7.4 million adults on average, taking a 39.2% viewing share during the game’s preamble.

Hospital drama Holby City gained more than 5.1 million viewers (24.5%), whilst the second episode of the new series of forensic thriller, Silent Witness, managed an audience of almost 5.6 million – a 25.5% share.

Tribe, on between 9pm and 10pm, saw Bruce Parry integrating with the yak herding Layap people of Bhutan, giving BBC Two a very respectable figure of almost 2.5 million viewers (11.3%).

Meanwhile, over on Five, CSI: Miami was seen by over 1.9 million (8.8%), followed by almost two million for CSI: NY (12.4%).

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.

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com Five: 020 7550 5555 www.five.tv