TV Overnights: ITV1’s Midsomer Murders banks the football-free peak-hour

ITV1’s Midsomer Murders secured the all-important peak-hour ratings as the TV schedule temporarily resumed to pre-World Cup normality.

The long-running ITV drama attracted almost 4 million peak viewers in the 9pm to 10pm slot, despite being overshadowed by a special-length Eastenders between 8pm and 9pm.  Overall, Midsomer Murders pulled in 3.7 million average viewers and a 17.4% audience share for ITV1 in the full 8pm to 10pm slot.

BBC One’s flagship soap, meanwhile, provided the highest ratings of the day during the pre-watershed hour.  A high of more than 7.4 million viewers tuned in to see the Lucas storyline unravel as Fatboy and Leon dig up a body in the square.  The episode picked up 7.1 million average viewers and a 34.3% share for BBC One between 8pm and 9pm.

However, BBC One’s peak-hour pilot Reunited failed to hold on to the post 9pm ratings.   The comedy-drama by Cold Feet writer Mike Bullen attracted 3.3 million average viewers and a 15.3% share between 9pm and 10pm.

At the same time, Channel 4’s Big Brother picked up the third highest ratings with 2.5 million viewers and a 11.6% share, followed by BBC Two’s Top Gear repeat, which settled on 2.2 million average viewers and a 10.4% peak-hour share.  Over on Five, NCIS pulled in 1.5 million average viewers and a 7% audience share.

Earlier on in the evening, ITV1’s soap line-up split BBC One’s day-time dominance.  Emmerdale attracted 6.1 million peak viewers and a 33.1% audience share between 7pm and 7.30pm, before an un-scheduled Coronation Street episode picked up almost 7 million peak viewers and a 36.3% share between 7.30pm and 8pm.

BBC One’s Wimbledon coverage ruled the afternoon ratings, meanwhile, with highs of more than 5.1 million viewers tuning in to see Andy Murray make it through to the semi-finals.  The full coverage pulled in 2.4 million viewers and a 28.6% share between 1.45pm and 6pm.

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.