'Bleak House' rises to 7 million

Interest in BBC One's Bleak House picked up on Friday as an extra million viewers tuned in.

The drama rose from 5.89 million (26.1%) last week to 6.91 million (29.5%) at 8.30pm, taking a strong fourth place finish for the day.

A special Normandy-set EastEnders provided a strong inheritance with 11.24 million (50.1%) at 8pm and first place for the day. Come 9pm the ratings began to drop off, with Ben Elton comedy Blessed pulling 3.56 million (16%) and Have I Got News For You managing 4.61 million (20.6%).

ITV1 began with 8.34 million (40.2%) for Emmerdale before rising to 10.55 million (48.5%) for Coronation Street, which finished second for the day overall. A Tonight special, Dads' Army: Inside Fathers 4 Justice, had 2.35 million (10.5%) at 8pm. Airline put in 4.87 million (20.8%) at 8.30pm, building to 6.32 million (28.7%) for a 90-minute Taggart.

BBC Two scored with its diet of gardening in the 8pm hour, averaging respective audiences of 2.31 million (10.3%) and 2.75 million (11.7%) for Garden School and a Gardeners' World Special. Channel 4 started poorly with 1.32 million (5.9%) for a Friends repeat but rose to 1.99 million (8.5%) in the latter half of the hour for a Simpsons repeat. Five mustered just 0.68 million (3%) with Stargate Atlantis.

Channel 4 edged ahead at 9pm with The Simpsons and 2.18 million (9.8%) then dropped off to 1.4 million (6.3%) for the conclusion of Rock School. BBC Two put in a solid 1.67 million (7.5%) with a Pol Pot Timewatch while Five's premiere of Not Another Teen Movie engaged a respectable 1.57 million (7.2%) through 10.40pm.

BBC Four's new episode of QI: Quite Interesting pulled in 543,000 (4.2%) to rank as the most-watched original show of the day amongst the multichannels.

ITV2 spinoff show The Xtra Factor: Xcess All Areas had 441,000 (2.7%) from 8.30pm, before Unlikely Lovers intrigued 321,000 (2.1%) an hour later.

Other strong performers included the final part of Sky One's Greatest Goals Against Man Utd (261,000, 1.6%), TCM's The Goonies (224,000, 1.5%) and E4's Brat Camp USA (157,000, 1%).