Survivors trumps Champions League action with 5.3m viewers

by Dan Leahul, Brand Republic 26-Nov-08, 11:10

LONDON - Apocalyptic mini-series 'Survivors' was able to fend off Uefa Champions League football last night to win the 9pm ratings slot, as 5.3m flocked to watch BBC One's thriller, according to unofficial overnight figures.

The second episode of 'Survivors' earned a 22% share of the audience, having debuted on Sunday night with an audience of 6.5m and a 25.4% share.

The series stars Max Beesley in an end-of-the-world drama where a devastating virus wipes out most of the world's population.

At 8pm, 4.7m, a 20% audience share, tuned in to watch Manchester United battle Spain's Villarreal in a 0-0 draw. Both teams now advance to the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League.

On Five, 'CSI: Miami' drew 2.2m viewers for a 9.2% audience share, following Horatio Caine as he solved not one, but two brutal murders.

Channel 4's documentary 'Hutch: High Society's Favourite Gigolo' pulled in 1.8m viewers and a 7.4% audience share.

The story followed the rise and fall of Britain's first black celebrity, cabaret star Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson. An additional 136,700 watched on Channel 4+1.

A 'Horizon' documentary on BBC Two followed closely with 1.6m viewers and a 7% audience share. This week Jimmy Doherty tackled the issue of genetically modified crops in the episode titled 'Jimmy's GM Food Fight'.