'Doc Martin' helps ITV1 dominate primetime

The new series of Doc Martin again proved a ratings winner for ITV1 on Monday night, while Big Brother stayed steady for Channel 5, according to overnight data.

Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes as Dr Martin Ellingham, averaged a healthy 8.55m (34.5%) for ITV1 in the 9pm hour and 230k (1.3%) on +1, easily outperforming The Queen's Palaces's 2.79m (11.3%) on BBC One.

Big Brother stayed steady on Channel 5, attracting 1.44m (8.2%) in the 10pm hour, before Big Brother's Bit On The Side entertained 615k (6.9%) from 11pm.

Elsewhere on Channel 5, Pawn Stars captivated 312k (1.4%) from 7.30pm, and The Gadget Show switched on 843k (3.5%) in the 8pm slot. Jack The Ripper: The Definitive Story interested 833k (3.4%) from 9pm.

Bang Goes The Theory logged 2.8m (12.7%) for BBC One from 7.30pm and Little England had 3.21m (13.4%) on ITV1 from 8pm. Panorama mustered 1.68m (7%) on BBC One from 8.30pm. A Question of Sport fetched 2.35m (16.5%) from 10.45pm, while Exposure: Gaddafi And the IRA was seen by 1.13m (9.3%) on ITV1.

Dispatches averaged 980k (4.1%) for Channel 4 from 8pm and 131k (0.5%) on +1. Embarrassing Bodies educated 1.59m (6.4%) in the 9pm slot and 379k (2.2%) on timeshift. Rude Tube amused 1.32m (7.7%) from 10pm and 227k (2.6%) an hour later.

Coast enthralled 1.39m (6.6%) on BBC Two in the 7pm hour. University Challenge and new series Home Cooking Made Easy captivated 2.81m (11.7%) and 2.57m (10.7%) respectively in the 8pm hour. Dragons' Den had 2.29m (9.2%) from 9pm and 150k (0.6%) on the BBC HD channel. Have I Got Old News For You amused 1.69m (8.7%) from 10pm.

Overall, ITV1 dominated primetime with 28.2% (+1: 0.6%) against BBC One's 16.4%. BBC Two scooped third with 8.8%, followed by Channel 4's 5.3% (+1: 0.8%) and Channel 5's 3.8%.

Elsewhere, Hell's Kitchen USA continued with 379k (1.5%) on ITV2 from 9pm. Victoria Coren's Only Connect quizzed 513k (2.1%) on BBC Four from 8.30pm, before Sandhurst captivated 446k (1.8%).

Coverage of Sunderland's Premier League defeat to Norwich was watched by 664k (2.9%) on Sky Sports 1 between 7pm and 10.30pm.

BARB ratings data supplied by Attentional