BBC2's one-off prose drama The Song of Lunch, featuring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, failed to capture the imagination of the audience on National Poetry Day last Friday, attracting just 1.3 million viewers.
The ambitious BBC commission, which aired at 9pm on Friday 8 October, attracted a 5.6% share in its 50-minute slot.
The majority of the 9pm audience were tuned in to the fifth instalment of New Tricks on BBC1 – series seven of the long-running drama drew 6.9 million viewers and a 30.1% share. Paul O'Grady pulled in 4 million and a 17.5% at 9pm with his new ITV1 series Paul O'Grady Live.
New BBC4 series Singers/Songwriter at the BBC lost almost 50,000 viewers on last Friday's ratings at 9pm , picking up 255,000 viewers and a 1.1% share.
Five main terrestrial analogue networks
BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5 (available in all UK homes with TV, except Channel 5, which reaches about 95%)
BBC1
8pm: EastEnders – 8.375 million/36.6%
9pm: New Tricks – 6.921 million/30.1%
BBC2
8pm: Mastermind – 2.175 million/9.5%
9pm: The Song of Lunch – 1.282 million/5.6%
ITV1
9pm: Paul O'Grady Live – 4.027 million/17.5%
Channel 4
8pm: Come Dine With Me – 1.430 million/6.2%
9pm: Embarrassing Bodies – 1.275 million/5.5%
Channel 5
8pm: Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers – 1.488 million/6.4%
Freeview/digital terrestrial TV free-to-air networks
Available in 23.4m UK homes – 91.4% of total – as of 31/12/09. Source: Ofcom digital progress report, Q4 2009
E4
9pm: Wife Swap USA – 137,000/0.6%
BBC3
9pm: Little Britain – 379,000/1.6%
BBC4
7.30pm: BBC Proms 2010 (rpt) – 263,000/1.2%
9.15pm: Singer/Songwriters at the BBC (new series) – 255,000/1.1%
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