TV Overnights: ITV1’s new prime time drama DCI Banks knocks Spooks off the top spot

ITV1’s new two-part drama DCI Banks: Aftermath with Stephen Tompkinson secured the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak-hour ratings ahead of BBC One’s Spooks with a high of 5.6 million viewers.

The crime drama, based on a novel by Peter Robinson, pipped BBC One’s popular drama to the top spot with 5.4 million average viewers and a 22.8% average share, compared to Spooks‘ 5.2 million average viewers and 21.7% share.

As usual, the two channels’ peak-time ratings outnumbered the three remaining terrestrial channels. BBC Two’s new Horizon: Back from the Dead settled on 1.7 million average viewers and a 7.1% share, while Channel 4’s new five-part documentary series Titanic: The Mission picked up 1.2 million viewers and a 5% share.

Meanwhile, the second episode of Rory and Paddy’s Even Greater British Adventure attracted a lower 1.1 million viewers and a 4.9% share for Channel 5 during the 9pm and 10pm slot.

Earlier on in the evening, the soaps dominated the pre-watershed slots. ITV1 banked the majority of the ratings with one episode of Emmerdale and two trips to Coronation Street. Corrie also secured the highest ratings, peaking with more than 9.2 million viewers, which was on a par with BBC One’s Eastenders.

BBC One’s flagship soap only managed to steal the limelight away from ITV1 for a 30-minute slot between 8pm and 8.30pm, attracting over nine million average viewers and a 37% 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.