BBC1's 'Detective' wipes out 'Coppers'

BBC One's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency wiped out He Kills Coppers on ITV1 in an Easter Sunday drama battle.

The two one-offs went head to head at 9pm. The former, the last film completed by Anthony Minghella before his death last week, drew 6.3m viewers, or a 27% share of the audience. Coppers, meanwhile, reached 3.8m (15%), below the channel's 5.8m (23%) slot average.

Earlier on, Heartbeat's return at 8pm won 6m (23.5%), while 5.7m (22.6%) were watching the final Lark Rise to Candleford on BBC One.

Competition from other terrestrials was strongest at 8pm, too. A Top Gear repeat drew 2.6m (10.3%) for BBC Two while Channel 4's Celebrity Wife Swap attracted 2.4m (9.2%). On Five a Storm Chasers repeat was watched by 700,000 (2.6%).