TV Overnights: Selfless Ramsey nets 2.3m viewers for Channel 4

We have to wait years for Alan Partridge to pop up but some people you just can’t get rid of. Last night, Gordon Ramsey was back on our screens, looking fresh with a new and improved barnet and surprisingly smooth face, finally at ease with his TV appearance. If you’ve been subjected to the six-foot tube posters of his mush, you’ll know that the grand master of shouty cooking has based his latest excuse to be on TV around incarceration. Gordon Behind Bars (Channel 4, 9pm) sadly only refers to the running time of the show and doesn’t mean his father in law has won any legal battles.

This wasn’t a Jamie-style attempt to revitalise the quality of prison dinners but an effort to revitalise the inmates of Brixton Prison. 2.3 million viewers watched the first episode last night as he chose twelve prisoners to teach them cooking skills. The idea of the show was to get them working in an effort to aid them to turn their lives around in the future, with an audience share of 12% tuning in. Gordon Ramsey must be a really nice man.

In a vain effort to balance Gordon’s imprisonment banter, Channel 4 offered up a Cutting Edge special immediately afterwards. Lifers (10pm) look at the inmates of Gartree Prison, which has the highest population of prisoners doing a life term. The documentary studied how the inmates deal with what the crimes they’ve committed and the outlook of someone who will spend most of their life behind bars. The programme was watched by 1.4 million viewers with another 272,000 catching up an hour later on Channel 4 +1.

At 9pm last night, the BBC ticked off the educational and entertainment remit at the same time with Turn Back Time – The Family (BBC One). So here’s the pitch: the BBC select three families and toss them into the time vortex via the class swap machine to experience life in Edwardian times. Will they all struggle to adapt to their new roles? Will the families lament about the benefits of modern life? Will the children get violently beaten when they return to school?

Last time the series focused on the high street but the new spin puts a much more personal touch to the show that is determined to stamp out any sepia nostalgia, good and proper. In November 2010 the first episode of Turn Back Time: The High Street pulled in 5.4 million viewers with last night’s family-focused time-travelling adventure only capturing 3.2 million, resulting in a 14% share.

Earlier on BBC One we were back to modern times and the street urchins of Dickenson East London continued to struggle through their dreary lives. Lowly chimney sweep Michael Moon decided it was high time to leave Walford and the postcode of eternal damnation behind once and for all. Fair call, really. 7.3 million viewers tuned in to watch EastEnders (BBC One, 7:30pm) as the dodgy character wrestled with his decision to leave or step up to his responsibilities. Leaving a sick new-born behind is bound to have some serious repercussions in the complicated EastEnders compass of morality. 35% of the available audience tuned in, helping it become Tuesday’s most watched programme.

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.