ITV Wins Bank Holiday Battle

ITV won the majority share of the audience on all three nights of the Bank Holiday weekend, according to unofficial overnights. On Saturday, the final of Stars in Their Eyes, with 11.2 million viewers and the Eddie Murphie movie The Distinguished Gentleman, with 7.3 million, out-performed BBC1’s Bugs, with 6.4 million and Private Benjamin, 5.5 million. ITV had a peak time share of viewing of 44%; BBC1 had 33.9% share.

On Sunday, May 26, ITV managed 39.7% of the peaktime audience compared to 37.5% for BBC1. ITV’s Three Men and A Little Lady attracted 8.5 million viewers, and the Knock 9.2 million; BBC1’s No Bananas managed 8.4 million and The Liver Birds 7.2 million.

Coronation Street was the highest rating programme on Bank Holiday Monday, with 14.8 million; Take Your Pick was watched by 8.2 million and 8.5 million watched Bramwell, successfully seeing off the challenge of BBC1’s Dr Who Special, which managed 8.1 million. ITV’s peaktime share on Monday was 39.3% compared to BBC1’s 32.9%.