Gullivers Travels Gives Channel 4 A Giantsized Audience

The second episode of Channel 4’s adaptation of Jonathon Swift’s classic novel Gulliver’s Travels, shown on Monday 8th April, has attracted an audience of 5.14 million. The first episode shown the day before was watched by 5.84 million. This gives Channel 4 its biggest audience of the year so far and it highest since 4 Weddings and a Funeral was shown in November last year.

Gaby Roslin’s new talk show for Channel 4 has started fairly well, the first edition was watched by 2.23 million people. The show had a consolidated share of the viewing audience of 10% and a TVR of 4 which is in keeping with the average audience that Channel 4 attracts for a Saturday night.

Bodyguards, a pilot for a possible new drama series, shown on ITV on Wednesday 10th April was viewed by 10.86 million. Any programme getting over 10 million viewers is more than likely to be turned into an ongoing series. Other programmes doing well this week include the second part of the World War 2 comedy drama mini series Over Here which was watched by 8.89 million viewers, the Easter Special of Vicar of Dibley which had an audience of 11.87 million and Wildlife On One which was viewed by 8.28 million people.

Average television viewing for the week ending 14/04/96 has risen by 7.6% when compared to the same week last year. In Astra Panel homes the channel that increased the most on its previous weekly total is BBC1, which has gone from an average of 5 hour and 37 minutes viewed to 6 hours and 5 minutes this week.