TV Overnights: BBC One News Special pulls in almost 10m viewers

BBC One’s News Special programme, which followed the events unfolding at No.10 as Gordon Brown left and David Cameron was named the new prime minister, pulled in a high of almost 10 million viewers during prime time last night.

The programme disrupted BBC One’s planned line-up at 7.15pm to capture the moments live from Downing Street.  More than 8.8 million average viewers and a 37.8% audience share tuned in to watch the coverage until 9pm, when the channel’s normal schedule resumed in time for Luther.

The all-new BBC drama, starring The Wire‘s Idris Elba as detective John Luther, attracted over 5.3 million average viewers and a 21.4% audience share during the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak-hour.

BBC News at Ten also benefited from yesterday’s political events, picking up a high of more than 6.7 million viewers and a 30.3% average audience share.

Elsewhere, ITV1’s long-running police drama The Bill peaked with 2.6 million peak viewers and a 10.8% share between 9pm and 10pm, while Channel 4’s Heston’s Eighties Feast pulled in 2.4 million peak viewers and a 9.6% share.

At the same time, Five’s ever-popular CSI: Crime Scene Investigation picked up 1.9 million average viewers and a 7.7% share.  BBC Two’s The Story of Science just managed to pip Five with an equal 1.9 million viewers but a slightly higher 8% average audience share.

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.