Episode Five

TV ratings: Duchess documentary beaten by Crimewatch Solved

Controversial ITV1 show featuring Sarah Ferguson draws 2.5 million viewers against BBC1 crime series with 3.7 million

Jason Deans
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 20 August 2009 11.40 BST

ITV1's controversial documentary in which Sarah Ferguson visited a Manchester estate attracted 2.5 million viewers on Tuesday, 18 August.

The Duchess on the Estate, in which Ferguson riled locals by portraying the Northern Moor estate in Wythenshawe as having problems with drugs and crime, drew a 12% share in the 9pm hour, according to unofficial overnights.

ITV1's documentary lost out to BBC1's Crimewatch Solved, which picked up 3.7 million viewers and a 17% share, and attracted the same audience as Channel Five's CSI: Miami.

Elsewhere in the 9pm hour, BBC2 costume drama Desperate Romantics concluded with 1.8 million viewers and an 8% share.

Big Brother pulled in 2.1 million viewers and a 10% share. A further 397,000 watched on Channel 4+1 an hour later.

Holby City came out on top in the 8pm hour, with 5.1 million viewers and a 24% share on BBC1.

BBC2's Coast landed second with 3.4 million viewers and a 16% share, while ITV1's Car Crime UK had 3.1 million and 14%.

Over on Channel 4 at the same time, Property Snakes and Ladders drew 1.7 million viewers and an 8% share, with another 196,000 on Channel 4 +1. Five's documentary Big, Bigger, Biggest had 600,000 viewers and a 3% share. Sky Sports 2's live coverage of Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Celtic in the Champions League qualifier first leg attracted 1.049 million viewers over two hours from 7.45pm. Full coverage averaged 807,000 viewers between 7pm and 10pm.

Original article here.