TV ratings: BBC4's Canoe Man runs away with nearly 1m viewers

The BBC4 drama Canoe Man, in which Bernard Hill played John Darwin, who came "back from the dead" five years after apparently dying in a canoeing accident, was watched by nearly 1 million viewers last night, Wednesday 31 March. Writer and director Norman Hull's one-off drama , which co-starred Saskia Reeves as Darwin's wife Anne, averaged 839,000, a 3.4% share of the audience, according to unofficial overnight figures. At the same time on ITV2, US drama Gossip Girl had 251,000 viewers, a 1% share, while More4's Engineering Ancient Egypt averaged 182,000 viewers, a 0.9% share, between 9pm and 11pm. Another showing for Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, delivered 1.47 million viewers, a 6.1% share, to BBC3 between 8.05pm and 10.15pm. ITV1's coverage of Arsenal's 2-2 Champions League draw with Barcelona peaked with nearly 8 million viewers. Champions League Live averaged 6.29 million viewers between 7.30pm and 10pm, a 26.3% share of the audience. Live coverage of the match itself, which kicked off at 7.45pm, averaged 6.958 million, peaking with 7.821 million between 9.15pm and 9.30pm. The football beat a BBC1 line-up which included Caroline Quentin sitcom Life of Riley, which had 4.762 million viewers (22%) between 7.30pm and 8pm, Masterchef, with 4.461 million (18.4%) between 8pm and 9pm, and a New Tricks repeat, watched by 3.729 million viewers (15.1%) between 9pm and 10pm. New BBC2 documentary series Who Needs Fathers?, part of a season to make 20 years since the passing of the Children Act, began with 1.497 million viewers (6.1%). It was narrowly beaten by Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA on Channel 4, which had 1.698 million (6.9%) and another 293,000 on Channel 4 +1. Neither could match Channel Five's NCIS, which had 1.735 million viewers (7%). BBC2's life swap show Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience ended its four-part run with 1.024 million viewers (4.9%). It just had the edge over the opening half hour of Five repeat Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which averaged 976,000 viewers between 10pm and 11pm, but lost out to Channel 4's Desperate Housewives, watched by 1.642 million viewers, with another 163,000 on Channel 4 +1. The penultimate episode of the current series of Channel 4's Relocation, Relocation had 2.245 million viewers (9.3%) with another 297,000 on Channel 4+1. It beat BBC2's Coast repeat, which had 1.634 million viewers (6.8%) at the same time on BBC2, while Five's The Business Inspector had 509,000 viewers (2.1%). BBC3 comedy pilot Laughtershock, featuring young stand-up and sketch performers, had 303,000 viewers (2.9%) between 11.05pm and 11.35pm. It was given a ratings boost by following a double helping of Family Guy, which averaged 706,000 and 740,000 viewers at 10.15pm and 10.40pm respectively. • 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".