'Heroes' wins sky-high audience for BBC Two

BBC Two recorded a super-powered audience at 9pm last night with the return of Heroes.

The second season's UK debut attracted 3.7m viewers, or 16.5% of the audience, more than doubling BBC Two's slot average of 1.8m (8.2%) and pushing the channel into second place for the timeslot. It could not match the 4.2m (19.5%) who watched the season one opener last year, however.

Spinoff Heroes Unmasked, which followed at 9.50pm, was watched by 2.7m (12.4%).

BBC One led the 9pm hour with Crimewatch attracting 4.7m (21.1%), while ITV1's Britain's Rich List: Giving It Away could only draw 2.7m (12.2%).

On Five, 2.7m (12.2%) tuned in for House, while Strictly Baby Fight Club reached 1.2m (5.5%) on Channel 4.

Heroes also gave a boost to BBC Three, which attracted 793,000 (6.5%) for its first-look of the next episode at 10.30pm.

> Video: Heroes boys at the BAFTAs