ITV1’s Billy Connolly picks up the peak-time ratings

ITV1’s Billy Connolly series Journey to the Edge of the World just pipped BBC One’s Crimewatch to the highest ratings during the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak slot.

The second episode of the comedian’s journey through the remote regions of Canada pulled in 4.3 million average viewers and a 18.3% share, however, Crimewatch managed to the grab the peak audience between 9.45pm and 10pm.

The long-running crime solving programme attracted 4.4 million peak viewers in the final 15 minutes, but lost out to the peak audience throughout the rest of the show with just over 4 million average viewers and a 17.2% share.

Elsewhere, BBC Two’s new one-off drama Margaret, starring Lindsay Duncan as Margaret Thatcher, picked up 2.6 million average viewers and a respectable 11.9% audience share between 9pm and 10pm.

At the same time, Channel 4’s Cutting Edge documentary – Love, Life, Death in a Day – attracted 1.7 million average viewers and a 7.4% share, while Five’s Freedomland film premiere – a crime thriller starring Samuel L Jackson – pulled in 1 million average viewers and a 5.3% share.

Earlier on in the evening, the last in the series of BBC Two’s Masterchef, which saw the three finalist battle it out for the 2009 trophy, picked up 5.8 million peak viewers and a fairly impressive 20.9% share.

However, BBC One’s Eastenders secured the highest ratings of the evening with 9.5 million peak viewers and a 40.5% average audience share between 7.30pm and 8pm.

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.