ITV1 heads Sunday night peaktime with 4.5m

by Jacquie Bowser and Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 15-Jun-09, 11:00

LONDON - The second episode of drama series 'Kingdom' pulled in 4.5m viewers last night, giving ITV1 the biggest audience in the 9pm-10pm slot, according to unofficial overnight figures.

Last night's episode in the third series of the show, starring Stephen Fry as a country lawyer, was watched by 21% of the total audience.

It beat BBC One's Edwardian medical drama 'Casualty 1909', which returned with 3.5m viewers and a 16.2% of the audience during the 9pm-10pm slot.

Channel 4's 'Big Brother 10' managed to attract 2.2m viewers and a 10.3% share during the same time slot.

Earlier in the evening from 8pm-9pm, BBC One's 'Hope Springs' received 4.2m viewers and a 20.3% share of the audience, beating 'Stephen Tompkinson's African Balloon Adventure', which scored 3.3m viewers and 15.9% share for ITV1.

Saturday's early evening audiences were lacklustre, with Graham Norton's new BBC One show 'Totally Saturday' taking a ratings dive from its debut of 4.3m last week to 2.9m.

On at 7.30pm-8.30pm, 'Totally Saturday' drew 17.3% of the audience and lost out to the first in a new series of ITV1's 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. The Chris Tarrant-fronted quiz managed 3.7m viewers and a 22.1% share.

BBC One's 'Robin Hood', which is close to finishing its run, scored 3.2m and a 21% share at 6.45pm-7.30pm. It was just behind 'Britain Does The Funniest Things' on ITV1 at 6.30pm-7.30pm, which got 3.3m viewers and a 22.2% share.

The night's biggest ratings went to 'Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow' on BBC One at 9.30pm-10.15pm, which earned 4.7m and a 24.1% share, following 'Casualty's 4.6m and 23.6% share.

ITV1 trailed with 3.7m (19.1%) seeing 'All Star Mr & Mrs' at 8.30pm-9.30pm followed by a 2.3m (11.9%) audience for sitcom 'Mumbai Calling' at 9.30pm-10pm.