UK Edition
Feeds
BBC Two's big budget history drama Rome shed almost 2 million viewers last night, according to early figures.
The series - a co-pro with US broadcaster HBO - began strongly last week with a hefty 6.6 million viewers and a 27.3% share of the audience. Last night only 2 in 3 viewers - some 4.74 million (20%) - returned for the second episode, in an albeit still impressive showing for the channel.
The programme finished tenth for the day and second for the hour, behind only ITV1 movie premiere The Bourne Identity, which had 5.12 million (22.7%) between 9pm and 10.30pm, then 3.6 million (32.1%) over 50 minutes from 11pm.
BBC One was third in the 9pm hour, averaging 4.2 million (17.9%) for Shops, Robbers and Videotape. Channel 4 had a strong fourth place finish with 3.8 million (16.3%) for Grand Designs, leaving Five a distant fifth with just 0.78 million (3.6%) for the movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.
The Bill had the lead for ITV1 in the 8pm hour, drawing 7.08 million (29.8%) against 5.57 million (23.4%) for BBC One's What Not to Wear. Channel 4 managed respective audiences of 2.81 million (12.1%) and 2.98 million (12.2%) for the lifestyle double header The View from River Cottage and Jamie's Great Escape. Natural World interested 1.91 million (8.1%) on BBC Two, while Five flopped again with Commando VIP (0.45 million, 2%) and Dumber and Dumberest (0.43 million, 1.8%).
Earlier, the exit of Sean Wilson from Coronation Street failed to lift figures from a mediocre 10.94 million (49.1%) at 7.30pm. Emmerdale had 9.1 million (44.5%) for second place.
Sky One made a strong start in primetime with 548,000 (3.2%) for Stargate Atlantis in the 8pm hour but dropped off to just 142,000 (0.9%) for comedy movie Sgt Bilko an hour later.
ITV2 began with 279,000 (1.6%) for spinoff show The Xtra Factor: 24/7 at 8pm then rose to a promising 533,000 (3.2%) for the premiere of original new Supernanny-style series My Teen's a Nightmare - I'm Moving Out.
Sister station ITV3 also had a strong night, headed by a Poirot repeat with 442,000 (2.6%) in the 8pm hour. At 9pm, a new Numb3rs notched up 211,000 (1.3%) then at 10pm, Foyle's War held 226,000 (2.1%) through midnight.
Other strong multichannel performers included E4's Lost (830,000, 10.3%), BBC Three movie Deep Impact (283,000, 2.6%) and Living TV's Britain's Next Top Model (244,000 + 45,000, 1.5%).
