TV ratings: ITV2 enjoys first hint of Britain's Got Talent bonanza

ITV2 limbered up last night, Wednesday 14 April, for the return on Saturday of ratings juggernaut Britain's Got Talent, with a look back at last year's auditions attracting nearly 600,000 viewers. Britain's Got More Talent was watched by 596,000 viewers, a 3.1% audience share, in the 7pm hour. This was the third-most-watched multichannel programme yesterday, suggesting that Britain's Got Talent has lost little of its ratings muscle. The ITV2 show was also more popular than Channel Five's programming across the 7pm hour. Five's line-up was Live from Studio Five (277,000/1.5%), the Lib Dem party election broadcast (189,000/1%) and a repeat of Justin Lee Collins gameshow Heads or Tails (348,000/1.8%). The top ratings spot in multichannel went to Sky Sports 1's coverage of Tottenham's 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League's north London derby, averaging 1.521 million (6.7%) between 7.30pm and 10.15pm. In second place was a repeat of The Simpsons on Sky 1, with 648,000 (3.3%) from 7.30pm. Live coverage of the Premier League match had 1.788 million (7.6%) over two hours from 8pm, putting Sky Sports 1 ahead of BBC2 and Five during this period. Elsewhere in multichannel last night, the third series of Mad Men concluded on BBC4 with 202,000 (1%) between 10pm and 10.45pm, with a further 15,000 (0.08%) for the BBC HD simulcast. SyFy's swift repeat of the first two episodes of the remake of 1980s US sci fi drama V, following Tuesday's UK TV premiere, attracted 194,000 and 176,000 viewers at 8pm and 9pm, respectively. Tuesday's premiere episode had 292,000 at 10pm. Election watch The Lib Dem's PEB had a combined audience of 8.437 million viewers across the five main networks and Channel 4 +1 between 5.55pm and 9pm. Tuesday's Conservative PEB had 8.991 million, while Labour's effort on Monday attracted 8.937 million. ITV1's final Tonight: Spotlight on the Leaders profile, of Gordon Brown, had 2.472 million (12.4%) in the half hour from 7.30pm. For comparison: David Cameron (Monday - 2.631 million/11.6%), Nick Clegg (Tuesday - 1.65 million/7.9%). Five main terrestrial analogue networks BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel Five (available in all UK homes with TV, except Five, which reaches about 95%) BBC1 7.30pm: Life of Riley (4.394 million/22.1%, BBC HD: 14,000/0.07%) 8pm: Waterloo Road (4.268 million/18.6%, BBC HD: 68,000/0.29%) 9pm: Traffic Cops (3.869 million/16.1%) 10.45pm: Damages (1.047 million/9.6%) BBC2 8pm: The Edible Garden (1.337 million/6%) 8.30pm: Cracking Antiques (1.345 million/5.7%) 9pm: Coast (rpt) (984,000/4.1%) ITV1 7pm: Emmerdale (6.329 million/33%) 8pm: Midsomer Murders (4.942 million/21%) Channel 4 9pm: Jamie Does... Marrakesh (new series) (2.329 million/9.7%, C4+1: 305,000/1.7%) 10pm: Desperate Housewives (1.537 million/8.3%, C4+1: 166,000/1.7%) Five 8pm: The Man Who Injects Venom (690,000/3%) 9pm: NCIS (1.474 million/6.1%) Freeview/digital terrestrial TV free-to-air networks Available in 23.4m UK homes – 91.4% of total – as of 31/12/09. Source: Ofcom digital progress report, Q4 2009 ITV2 8pm: American Idol (421,000/1.8%) 9pm: Gossip Girl (222,000/1%) More4 8.30pm: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (107,000/0.5%) BBC4 9pm: Beautiful Minds (284,000/1.2%, BBC HD: 17,000/0.07%) Cable and satellite pay-TV networks Available in 12.4m UK homes – 48.2% of total – as of 31/12/09. Source: Ofcom digital progress report, Q4 2009 Living 9pm: Supernatural (200,000/0.8%) All ratings are unofficial live overnight figures, excluding other viewing – including timeshifted (recorded), on demand, HD, +1 or other – unless otherwise stated • 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".