The Office Is Still A Hit For BBC2
Last night’s much anticipated debut of the second series of The Office pulled in an average of 4.8 million viewers, according to unofficial overnight figures from BARB.
The half-hour comedy show, which was broadcast on BBC2 at 10pm, attracted a peak audience of 4.9 million viewers, beating all of the other main terrestrial channels. The show faced competition from Clint Eastwood blockbuster In The Line Of Fire on Channel 5, a documentary about ancient Rome on Channel 4 and news on BBC1 and ITV.
Commenting on the figures, Jane Root, controller of BBC2, said: “The ratings for The Office are fantastic and we are pleased to have the hottest comedy on BBC2.”
The show, devised by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, has received widespread critical acclaim, as well as drawing viewers to BBC2.
According to the IPA’s latest Trends In Television report, BBC2 experienced a 1 percentage point decline in its share of viewing during the second quarter of 2002, taking it to 10.7%. However, BBC1 saw its share of viewing rise by 1.9 percentage points to 27.2% (see IPA Trends In TV Report Reflects ITV’s World Cup Weakness).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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