TV Overnights: BBC One hustle’s ITV1 out of the peak-hour spot

BBC One’s popular Hustle series claimed the top spot during the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak-hour last night despite competition from ITV1’s new Law & Order: UK series.

Law & Order, the crime drama starring Bradley Walsh and Freema Agyeman, returned to ITV1’s 9 o’clock slot with a high of more than 6.2 million viewers.

However, the hour-long show slipped down to an average of 5.6 million viewers and a 21% audience share throughout the rest of the peak-hour, losing out to BBC One Hustle‘s slightly higher 5.8 million average viewers and 21.6% share.

Although both six-part drama series sat well ahead of their rival terrestrial channels during the 9pm to 10pm slot. BBC Two’s new four-part documentary series with Kirsty Young – The British Family – came in third place with a much lower 2.6 million viewers and a 10% average audience share.

Meanwhile, Five’s new programme Paul Merton in Europe, which follows the comedian as he embarks on a tour of the Continent, pulled in 1.5 million viewers and a 5.9% average audience share between 9pm and 10pm.

Channel 4’s conclusion of the documentary about overweight children Generation XXL came in last with 1.2 million average viewers and a 4.7% audience share.

Earlier on in the evening, Eastenders managed to claim the top soap spot with more than 10.9 million viewers compared to its ITV1 rival Coronation Street‘s 10.6 million average viewers.

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.