TV ratings: Survivors wins out at 9pm

The return of post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama Survivors drew 4.4 million viewers to BBC1 last night, Tuesday 12 January - winning its slot but significantly down on its debut last year. Winning an 18% share, Survivors' audience was enough to win a competitive tussle in the 9pm hour, according to unofficial overnight ratings. However, it was some way down on the performance of the first series – a re-imagining of Terry Nation's 1970s classic – which debuted with 6.5 million and 26% and averaged 5.1 million and 21% over its six-part run in November and December 2008. ITV1's offering in the 9pm hour, Piers Morgan on Marbella, in which the former Daily Mirror editor sampled life on Spain's Costa del Sol, drew 4.1 million and a 16% share. Third place was a tie between Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother and the start of the tenth series of Channel Five's ever-dependable import CSI, which both attracted 2.8 million and 11%. Celebrity Big Brother also drew 471,000 an hour later on the digital catchup service Channel 4 +1. Also at 9pm, BBC2 documentary Simon Schama on Obama's America, in which the historian examined parallels between the Korean War and the situation in Afghanistan, was watched by 1.4 million and 5%. Overall, it was a strong night for BBC1, which reigned supreme in primetime apart for a half hour from 7pm, when ITV1's soap Emmerdale, with 7.9 million viewers and a 32% share, beat BBC1's The One Show, with 6.4 million and 26%. EastEnders pulled in 10.3 million and 41% at 7.30pm, while Holby City drew 6.3 million and 25% in the 8pm hour. That was almost double ITV1's audience of 3.2 million and 13% for the police dog documentary Send in the Dogs, which only just beat BBC2's cookery show The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best, with 3.1 million and 12%. New BBC2 documentary series Muslim Driving School was watched by 800,000 viewers and 4% over half an hour from 10pm. BBC1's The Man Who Can't Stop Hiccuping averaged 2.7 million and 18% between 10.35pm and 11.15pm, while Channel 4's documentary the Girl Who Cries Blood drew 1.2 million and 7% between 10.10pm and 11.15pm, and another 186,000 on Channel 4 +1. Elsewhere, the return of teen comedy Coming of Age brought 719,000 viewers, 4.3% of the audience in multichannel homes, to BBC3 in the half hour from 10.30pm. BBC4 documentary Lost Kingdoms of Africa drew 550,000 viewers, a 2.2% share, in the 9pm hour. • 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".