TV ratings: Dispatches' lobbying report watched by almost 1m

Channel 4's headline-making Dispatches documentary, which secretly recorded three former Labour ministers expressing a desire to work for a consultancy firm at a fee of up to £5,000 a day, was watched by just under 1 million viewers last night, Monday 22 March. The current affairs documentary, which led to Geoff Hoon, Stephen Byers and Patricia Hewitt being suspended from the parliamentary Labour party , attracted 912,000 viewers and a 3.5% audience share in the 8pm hour, according to unofficial overnights. Another 78,000 viewers watched on Channel 4 +1 an hour later. Last Monday's Dispatches, Children of Gaza, drew 658,000 viewers (2.6%), with a further 87,000 (0.4%) on Channel 4 +1. Channel Five's Joseph Fiennes drama FlashForward returned last night after a three-month mid-season break with 1.981 million viewers, a 7.8% share, between 9pm and 10pm. A second episode immediately afterwards had 1.484 million, an 8.5% share, between 10pm and 11pm. FlashForward returned with almost exactly the same number of viewers who watched the final episode of its initial 10-part run in November last year . The US sci-fi drama began with 3.2 million viewers last September. The returning Five drama beat the concluding instalment of BBC2's three-part A Band for Britain, fronted by Sue Perkins, which finished with 1.550 million, a 6.1% share. Channel 4's Secret Millionaire had 2.467 million viewers, a 9.7% share, also between 9pm and 10pm, with another 372,000 on Channel 4 +1. A New Tricks repeat on BBC1 won the slot, with 4.343 million (17.1%), beating the penultimate episode of ITV1's comedy drama Married Single Other, which had 4.022m viewers (15.9%). BBC2's University Challenge had 3.104 million viewers between 8pm and 8.30pm, followed by Raymond Blanc: Kitchen Secrets, which had 1.642 million (6.2%) between 8.30pm and 9pm. Five's Gadget Show had 1.435 million viewers (5.5%) between 8pm and 9pm. The ITV1 docusoap The Lakes drew to the end of its 12-part run with 4.257 million (16.4%) between 8pm and 8.30pm. BBC1's EastEnders had 9.863 million (37.9%) also between 8pm and 8.30pm. The first of two instalments of Coronation Street at 7.30pm had 10.413 million viewers (43.7%) - the most watched show of the day - against BBC1's Bang Goes the Theory, which had 3.345 million (14.1%). Coronation Street returned to ITV1 at 8.30pm with 9.359 million (35.5%), against MasterChef's 4.478 million (17%) on BBC1. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".