TV ratings: 6.6m watch Doctor Who to keep BBC top on Saturdays - for now

Doctor Who helped BBC1 to another Saturday-night ratings win with just over 6.6 million, including HD viewers, on 10 April. However, BBC1's recent run of Saturday-night dominance will almost certainly end next weekend when ITV1's ratings monster Britain's Got Talent returns. Matt Smith's second outing, in The Beast Below, attracted 6.64 million viewers and a 34.1% share over 45 minutes from 6.15pm on BBC1 (6.311 million/32.4%) and BBC HD (329,000/1.67%). Doctor Who was again the most watched show of the day, but down 1.355 million and nearly five share points on last Saturday's series five opener. Saturday's Doctor Who faced stiffer ITV1 competition, with live coverage of Chelsea's 3-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa watched by 3.886 million (23.6%) over two hours from 5pm. Last week ITV1 had a repeat of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2.991 million/17.2%) against Doctor Who. On Saturday, ITV1 wheeled out the terrestrial premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, with 5.726 million (25.7%) between 7pm and 9.30pm. In its first hour, the Harry Potter movie averaged 5.174 million (24.7%), just behind BBC1's Over the Rainbow, which had 5.363 million (25.4%) over 70 minutes from 7pm. Over the Rainbow had another 137,000 (0.65%) simulcast on BBC HD. However, after that there were periods when it pulled ahead of BBC1's The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins and Casualty. Earlier on Saturday, BBC1's coverage of the Grand National attracted an average of 2.847 million (32%) over four hours from 1pm. Viewing peaked for live coverage of the race itself with 7.597 million (57.2%) on BBC1 in the quarter hour from 4.15pm. BBC HD's Grand National simulcast averaged 82,000 (0.91%) over four hours, with a quarter-hour peak of 300,000 (2.5%) from 4.15pm. Last year BBC1's Grand National coverage averaged 3.4 million (34%) over the afternoon, with a quarter-hour peak of 8.5 million (61%) for the race itself. 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 8.10pm: The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins (5.943 million/25.8%) 9pm: Casualty (5.702 million/24.2%) 10.15pm: Match of the Day (3.189 million/18.1%) BBC2 5.20pm: The Aviator (rpt) (775,000/4.2%) 8.30pm-12pm: Golf: the Masters (2.007 million/10.6%, BBC HD simulcast: 144,000/0.76%) ITV1 9.30pm: Piers Morgan's Life Stories: Michael Winner (1.991 million/9.1%) Channel 4 8pm: Pearl Harbor: Mystery of the Killer Subs (1.247 million/5.5%, C4+1: 128,000/0.6%) 9pm-1.05am: The 100 Greatest Stand-ups 2010 (1.392 million/9.2%, C4+1: 96,000/0.9%) Channel Five 9.30pm: CSI: NY (1.671 million/7.7%) 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 ITV3 6.55pm: A Touch of Frost (rpt) (453,000/2.1%) 9pm: A Touch of Frost (rpt) (486,000/2.3%) More4 8pm: Johnny Dankworth: the Show Went On (new) (178,000/0.8%) BBC3 7pm: Doctor Who Confidential (new) (558,000/2.7%) 7.45pm: Top Gear (rpt) (483,000/2.1%) 9pm: Blades of Glory (rpt) (628,000/2.8%) BBC4 9pm: Wallander (new - Swedish version) (361,000/1.6%) 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 Sky Sports 1 8.30pm-11.30pm: Live Spanish Football: Real Madrid v Barcelona (484,000/2.4%) 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".