Jacko doc brings 3.2m to C4

The hour-long programme, which examined the circumstances of the singer’s premature death, bobbed around in the ratings whilst it was on air. It kicked off with 3.1m (13.4%) and hit 3.5m (13%) at 9.15pm before falling back down to 3.1m (13.5%) at 9.30pm. It then had a small rise to 3.2m (13.7%) at the end.

The show then aired on C4+1 an hour later and attracted 370,000.

It was some way above the channel’s slot average for the year so far of 2.2m (9%).

At the time the Michael Jackson documentary was on it propelled Channel 4 to a larger audience than BBC1 as the penultimate episode of Casualty 1909 could only muster 2.9m (12.4%) in the same slot.

Just behind BBC1 at the time was the third part of On Thin Ice which held rock solid from its previous two outings on 2.8m (11.9%). Bringing up the rear at 9pm was Five’s film Romeo Must Die on 1.1m (5.4%).

No one could touch ITV1 though at the time with the spoils going to Kingdom which ended its run on a sturdy 4.8m (20.8%) over an hour.

Top Gear

It was BBC2’s time to shine at 8pm as its motoring show Top Gear once again flattened all before it. The hour-long programme pulled in 6.1m (26.6%), 400,000 more than last week.

The hour-long show had nearly double the audience for BBC1’s Hope Springs at the same time which gained 3.3m (14.3%). Securing second place was the final instalment of ITV1’s The Secret Caribbean with Trevor McDonald on 4m (17.3%).

Big Brother didn’t make too much of an impression at 8pm with just 1.6m (6.9%) and 330,000 on C4+1. Five’s wildlife show Among the Apes ended a disappointing run on just 570,000 (2.4%).

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