CSI pushes Five up in the ratings

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation pushed Five up in the TV ratings war last night – 3 million viewers put the broadcaster ahead of rivals ITV1, Channel 4 and BBC Two during the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak slot.

More than 3.1 million peak viewers tuned in to see the first of three episodes, which ran back-to-back between 9pm and 12am, securing Five with an impressive 12.9% average audience share.

BBC One was the only terrestrial channel to steal Five’s limelight with New Tricks, which pulled in more than 4.2 million peak viewers.

Around 4.1 million average viewers tuned in to see episode two of series four, with guest appearances from June Whitfield and Sheila Hancock – securing ITV with a 17.9% audience share between 9pm and 10pm.

At the same time, ITV1’s new documentary, In the Line of Fire, about the Metropolitan Police’s firearms division CO19, attracted 2.7 million average viewers and an 11.7% audience share.

Elsewhere, Channel 4’s controversial Boys and Girls Alone documentary picked up 2.1 million average viewers, while Horizon‘s look on ‘Why do we Dream?’ banked 2.5 million viewers for BBC Two.

The soaps didn’t have a particularly impressive night ratings wise, however, ITV1 managed to pip BBC One once again, with Emmerdale pulling in 7.2 million peak viewers compared with Eastenders 6.9 million.

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.

Five: 020 7550 5555 www.five.tv ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com