'Torchwood' lights up BBC Three

BBC Three's Torchwood gained an average audience of 2.4 million viewers last night, equaling that of BBC One's Wide Sargasso Sea at 9pm.

The Doctor Who spin-off, which stars John Barrowman as one of a group of alien hunters, managed an average 12.7% audience share of multi-channel viewing, giving BBC Three one of the biggest audiences for a UK, non-sports multi-channel programme.

The second episode followed immediately after at 9.50pm with 2.3 million viewers, but an increased 13.8% share.

Multi-channel figures like these have only been reached by US or sports content in the past. In January 2000 an episode of Friends on Sky One managed 2.8 million, a World Cup qualifier between England and Turkey achieved 2.4 million in 2003, and a match between Manchester United and Arsenal on Sky Sports pulled in 2.7 million in 2004.

The main channel BBC One's one-off adaptation of the prequel to Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea also managed 2.4 million viewers, but failed to match the 6.7 million viewers the final part of Jane Eyre reached last week in the same slot.

ITV and Channel 4 did best overall in the slot, with the concluding episode of ITV1's crime drama Prime Suspect managing 7.9 million and a 35.7% share over the two hour episode, peaking at 8.3 million (33.7%) in the first 15 minutes.

Channel 4's film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen achieved 2.9 million and a 11.9% audience share over two hours from 8pm.