Norton fails to Totally convince

The first edition in a seven-part run featuring Norton was down by 25.9% on BBC1’s slot average for the year so far of 5.8m (26.2%). In 2008 the channel managed a performance of 5.6m (25.6%).

The corporation’s light entertainment show had to share the spoils with the end of the third series of ITV1’s Primeval which managed 4.3m (22%) across the same hour-long slot at 7.30pm. So far this year the commercial network has averaged 6.1m (27.8%).

BBC1 picked up the pace at 8.30pm with the 10-minute lottery show at 8.30pm on 4.9m (23.9%), followed by Casualty on 5.3m (24.3%).

While BBC1 was building its audience, viewers were leaving ITV1. All Star Mr and Mrs at 8.30pm managed 3.8m (17.7%) and its audience fell even further for the second part of Mumbai Calling. The sitcom launched last week at 10pm, off the back of the final of Britain’s Got Talent, with a strong 4.9m (23.4%) but this week the show, slightly earlier at 9.30pm impressed just 2.2m (10.6%). BBC1 was showing comedy at the time as well with the start of Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow on 5m (24%).

TS Eliot

A feature-length documentary on one of Britain’s most celebrated poets of the 20th century doesn’t have ratings smash hit written all over it and so it proved to be with BBC2’s Arena profile of TS Eliot at 9.45pm attracting 760,000 (4.3%). The channel had a more populist vein at 9pm with Have I Got a Bit More News for You on 2.3m (10.3%).

Channel 4 also had some very mixed results in peaktime. The start of the final series of ER, previously shown on More 4, had just 610,000 (3%) and picked up 81,000 on C4+1. The broadcaster’s audience was boosted at 9pm with the latest goings on in the Big Brother house with 1.8m (8.3%). And the reality show had 365,000 on the timeshifted channel an hour later. The first Sunday show of the previous series on 8 June averaged a total audience of 3.6m (15.7%).

Five’s big show of Saturday night was, once again, CSI: NY at 9.30pm on 2.1m (10.3%) which was followed by Law & Order at 10.30pm with 1.4m (9.9%).

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