ITV's new crime drama, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, earns 28.1% share to eclipse BBC1 rival Mayday
ITV's new crime drama Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, began with nearly 7 million viewers on Monday, eclipsing its BBC1 rival Mayday.
Broadchurch, about an 11-year-old boy who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, was watched by an average of 6.8 million viewers, a 28.1% share, between 9pm and 10pm. It was 26% up on ITV's slot average over the last three months.
Mayday – which launched on BBC1 on Sunday with 6.2 million viewers and a 24.7% share, getting the better of ITV's Mr Selfridge – saw its audience tumble by nearly 2 million viewers to 4.3 million (17.9%) against stiffer opposition from Broadchurch.
The story of a missing teenage girl, Mayday will air on five successive nights on BBC1, ending on Thursday. Broadchurch, more conventionally scheduled, will air on Monday nights for the duration of its eight-part run.
Coincidentally, both dramas are made by independent production company Kudos, previously responsible for Spooks and Life on Mars.
*Bang Go the Superscrimpers*
BBC1's science show Bang Goes the Theory, featuring former Tomorrow's World presenter Maggie Philbin, returned with 4 million viewers, a 16.9% share, between 7.30pm and 8pm.
It was in the toughest of slots, up against ITV's Coronation Street, watched by 9.4 million (39.3%). The soap returned at 8.30pm for a second helping with 8.7 million viewers, a 34.4% share.
Channel 4's Superscrimpers returned for a new run at 8.30pm with 1.4 million viewers, a 5.5% share. It lost out to BBC2's Food and Drink, watched by 1.6 million viewers (6.2%) including 45,000 on the BBC HD channel.
*ITV misses BBC2 trick – leaves "great" out of "Great Britain"*
Earlier, Adrian Edmondson returned to ITV with 30-part travelogue Ade in Britain, watched by 1.1 million viewers (11.5%), down 24% on the slot average over the last three months.
BBC2's The Great British Winter, the channel's latest attempt to shoehorn the words "Great British" into its schedule, began with 1.1 million viewers, a 5.1% share, between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, down 29.5% on the slot average.
It was followed, with a weary sense of inevitably, by Great British Menu, with 1.7 million viewers (7%) between 7.30pm and 8pm.
*What happened next?*
BBC1's Question of Sport celebrated its 1,000th edition with more than 4 million viewers. An average of 4.2 million people, a 16.5% share, saw the return of former captains including Bill Beaumont and Willie Carson to the sporting quiz which began in 1968.
*All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live, +1 (except for BBC channels) and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated*
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. Reported by guardian.co.uk 22 hours ago.
ITV's new crime drama Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, began with nearly 7 million viewers on Monday, eclipsing its BBC1 rival Mayday.
Broadchurch, about an 11-year-old boy who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, was watched by an average of 6.8 million viewers, a 28.1% share, between 9pm and 10pm. It was 26% up on ITV's slot average over the last three months.
Mayday – which launched on BBC1 on Sunday with 6.2 million viewers and a 24.7% share, getting the better of ITV's Mr Selfridge – saw its audience tumble by nearly 2 million viewers to 4.3 million (17.9%) against stiffer opposition from Broadchurch.
The story of a missing teenage girl, Mayday will air on five successive nights on BBC1, ending on Thursday. Broadchurch, more conventionally scheduled, will air on Monday nights for the duration of its eight-part run.
Coincidentally, both dramas are made by independent production company Kudos, previously responsible for Spooks and Life on Mars.
*Bang Go the Superscrimpers*
BBC1's science show Bang Goes the Theory, featuring former Tomorrow's World presenter Maggie Philbin, returned with 4 million viewers, a 16.9% share, between 7.30pm and 8pm.
It was in the toughest of slots, up against ITV's Coronation Street, watched by 9.4 million (39.3%). The soap returned at 8.30pm for a second helping with 8.7 million viewers, a 34.4% share.
Channel 4's Superscrimpers returned for a new run at 8.30pm with 1.4 million viewers, a 5.5% share. It lost out to BBC2's Food and Drink, watched by 1.6 million viewers (6.2%) including 45,000 on the BBC HD channel.
*ITV misses BBC2 trick – leaves "great" out of "Great Britain"*
Earlier, Adrian Edmondson returned to ITV with 30-part travelogue Ade in Britain, watched by 1.1 million viewers (11.5%), down 24% on the slot average over the last three months.
BBC2's The Great British Winter, the channel's latest attempt to shoehorn the words "Great British" into its schedule, began with 1.1 million viewers, a 5.1% share, between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, down 29.5% on the slot average.
It was followed, with a weary sense of inevitably, by Great British Menu, with 1.7 million viewers (7%) between 7.30pm and 8pm.
*What happened next?*
BBC1's Question of Sport celebrated its 1,000th edition with more than 4 million viewers. An average of 4.2 million people, a 16.5% share, saw the return of former captains including Bill Beaumont and Willie Carson to the sporting quiz which began in 1968.
*All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live, +1 (except for BBC channels) and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated*
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. Reported by guardian.co.uk 22 hours ago.