Disappointing start for Lewis. It's been heavily advertised so it should have done better. That isn't much higher than Sunday's repeat, although +1 will have taken it to c5.5m I suppose.

Ignore

ITV Press Centre‏ @itvpresscentre
A peak audience of 5.9 million viewers (inc HD & +1) (5.4m ave) watched the return of Lewis on @ITV1 last night.

I'm sorry but what on earth is the point of peaks in a drama, any one who only watches 15 mins of a 2 hour ep is just daft, I can see the point of peaks in sport or even a reality show but a Drama?

Well that didn't work out for ITV then!

Granted it did dent Apprentice, but it must be by miles the worst ever rating for the Morse/Lewis franchise.

I take no pleasure either, given that Morse/Lewis is one of my all time favourite series, and top of the tree in terms of ITV's achievements since 1955.

I suppose both shows will though pile on the timeshifting viewers. OAIR...

Poor for a Lewis opener anyway. I've never understood the shows appeal but still not the best of figures.

Peak is lower than I suspected, don't people usually all tune in for Lewis then fall asleep throughout

The Apprentice is just consistent this series. Which is fine I suppose; you can't have the last 2 years every year, and the show never really has. Tasks need a mix up though.

"On my journey into work, I start thinking about the things I saw on the telly last night. That nice detective drama on ITV, running for many years. I see people on corners talking. I notice odd little gestures as I pass. They talk of last night's Apprentice and who got fired. No-one talks of Lewis. I get frustrated. But it's not easy being placed up against one of BBC1's biggest hits.

Why did the Network Centre do this to me?

These are the things I think of - on my journey into work..."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrQfXIW0Dpc

Even I have to admit, this is a classic. I was trying to think where I recognised the speech.

I wonder if the late minute repeat on Sunday had a detrimental effect on last nights one - people thinking it was another repeat?

As so many turn over, leave the room or FF on timeshift during the six x 3m50s ad breaks, it gives more of an idea of the number actually watching the programme itself.

Robbie you do make me laugh, that's a classic.

DS Ratings is up
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/...-premiere.html

Wednesday 16th May Overnights
BBC One
19:30- Planet Earth Live: 4.43m
20:00- DIY SOS: The Big Build: 4.68m (21.5%)
21:00- The Apprentice: 6.09m (25.2%)

BBC Two
20:00- Antiques Uncovered: 1.03m (4.8%)
21:00- Felicity Kendal's Indian Shakespeare Quest: 772k (3.2%)
22:00- The Apprentice: You're Fired!: 2.23m (11.3%)

ITV1
19:00- Emmerdale: 6.06m (32.0%) , +1: 244k (1.2%)
20:00- Lewis: 5.21m (22.7%) , +1: 320k (1.5%)

Channel 4
18:30- Hollyoaks: 908k (5.2%) , +1: 186k (1.0%)
20:00- Secret Eaters: 1.68m (7.7%) , +1: 219k (0.9%)
21:00- 24 Hours in A&E: 2.37m (9.8%) , +1: 471k (2.7%)
22:00- The Killing USA: 521k (3.0%)

Channel 5
13:45- Neighbours: 628k (9.8%)
17:30- Neighbours: 926k (6.7%)
18:00- Home and Away: 692k (4.3%)
20:00- Emergency Bikers: 784k (3.6%)
21:00- NCIS: 1.20m (4.9%) , +1: 144k (0.8%)

Primetime Shares
BBC One: 22.1%
ITV1: 19.8% (+1: 1.1%)
Channel 4: 6.4% (+1: 1.3%)
BBC Two: 6.4%
Channel 5: 3.8%

Ratings include HD and are tape-checked where necessary

Multichannel
5*
18:30- Home and Away: 521k (3.0%)
21:00- Archer: 57k (0.3%)

5USA
21:00- Justified: 123k (0.5%)

E4 (inc +1)
18:30- The Big Bang Theory: 951k
19:00- Hollyoaks: 776k

Film4 (inc +1)
21:00- Taken: 763k

ITV2
21:00- Peter Andre: My Life: 706k (2.9%) , +1: 178k (1.0%)
22:00- The Only Way is Essex: 899k (4.8%) , +1: 184k (1.8%)

Sources: C4Sales, DS (1) (2), Jake Kanter

Oh Hollyoaks, look at that. Focusing on characters who aren't 16, have an actual exciting plot where something happens and the ratings rise quite dramatically.

Take. The. Hint.

Hollyoaks Later commissioned.

I have no idea what's going on with the averages in that article but there's no way on earth they're right. Even with DVR viewing I don't believe Terra Nova averaged a 3.6 in the demo or that Alcatraz averaged a 3.4 or that How To Be A Gentleman averaged a 2.8.

Just to illustrate the point Terra Nova's Live+SD average for its season was 2.4 I don't think its DVR viewing was so strong that it was capable of adding more than an entire point onto the season average. How To Be A Gentleman averaged a 2.6 for its two Thursday episodes so I suppose a 2.8 isn't impossible for its Thursday average with DVR viewing but including any Saturday airings (although I think it only aired one or two) that average will drop below a 2 with absolute ease. Looking at this I think some of these might be single episode Live+7 numbers probably the pilots for Terra Nova, Alcatraz and Gentleman at least.

None the less its worth remembering that ratings are relative to the network they're on. A 2.5 (which is what How To Be a Gentleman did for its final Thursday episode) would be a strong number for a comedy on any network other than CBS where its comedies are all at least a good point+ ahead of that in the demo. Also worth mentioning I think that outside of comedy usually every new Fall series on CBS gets more episodes. Usually because they pick up so few new shows that they have to order more episodes to fill the schedule. Even A Gifted Man this year got more episodes ordered if I remember rightly whereas Fox, NBC and ABC have a tendency to be much more brutal – because they need to be and can afford to be because they have enough stuff on the bench to bring forward.

Ouch. Looks like Emmerdale might find itself in the late ~5m's by the end of the week.

Serves it right.

Pretty solid night for BBC1, given we are well into May and there is daylight past 9pm now.

Em may indeed struggle against the heavily trailed Olympic Flame coverage tomorrow.

Chris Evans said this morning that the plane arrives at 7.32pm on the dot, and then Princess Anne, Boris and Beckham will disembark with the flame. But what if it is delayed, as they often are? It seems a tight schedule. Could EE be delayed? Will ITVista conspiracy theorists go into overdrive if so...?

That first look episode on E4 is the highest in a while isn't it? If they stop showing them on E4, Hollyoaks would still be getting 1.5m+.

That's a very impressive retention from Ch4 to E4 to see Joel's fate after he was stabbed. I have missed Hollyoaks for a few months, but I watched yesterday and I am watching again tonight. The ratings could rise this next week.

Hollyoaks Later most of the time is brilliant, so we could be seeing around 1m for those.

Is it only daylight past 9pm in areas where they watch BBC1?

As an ITV viewer I was playing golf til 9pm last night so I must report that Lewis was dented by the warm evening & nice weather too.

GeorgeS- are you concerned that what used to be the creme de la creme of Itv dramas is only now getting 5m? Also what is your handicap at golf?

The weather is weird at the moment. Lots of cold wet evenings followed by one or two sunny warm evenings. I think when the weather is nice, people seize the opportunity to get out doors at the moment.

Of course it will timeshift well, repeat well for years and hand on the baton to Endeavor so no I'm not worried in the slighted.

btw I see TV3 in Ireland cancelled The Apprentice yesterday. The US version must be soon for the chop (if only NBC had anything better). I'd be more worried about that.

I play off 18 btw.

19.4 for me!! Any other golfers on here?

ITV1 has the Unforgettable Gordon Jackson on on the Wed May 30th, he can't be that unforgetable I have no clue who he is, he can't made that much of an impression on me. who exactly is he and why is he unforgettable.

He starred in some long forgotten costume drama decades ago. The old duffers at George's golf club will probably still talk fondly of it though...

He had a bit part in just about every British WW2 film made in the 50s and 60s. Came to fame as the butler (Hudson) in Upstairs, Downstairs and then the boss (Brodie) in The Professionals.