Casual Vacancy ends run down 2 million viewers from opening episode

BBC1’s JK Rowling adaptation The Casual Vacancy shed 2 million viewers over the course of its three-part run while its Channel 4 drama rival Indian Summers, just confirmed for a second series, slipped below 2 million viewers for the first time.

The Casual Vacancy, starring Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie and Keeley Hawes, finished with 4.6 million viewers, a 20.4% share, from 9pm on Sunday.

The series, well received by critics but not all of them liked the ending – changed from Rowling’s original – launched with 6.6 million viewers (27.5%) two weeks ago, slipping to 4.8 million (20.5%) last week.

Channel 4’s Indian Summers, at £14m believed to be the broadcaster’s most expensive drama series ever, had 1.8 million viewers, a 6.5% share, down from 2.2 million (8.1%) last week and its 2.9 million (13.4%) opener two weeks ago.

Indian Summers, which its creators envisage will run for an epic five series, 50-part run, has been recommissioned for a second series after its opening episode’s ratings were Channel 4’s biggest for a new UK drama for more than 20 years.

Let’s. Play. Darts!

It is 20 years since ITV enjoyed a “bit of Bully” with Jim Bowen on Bullseye, but the BBC proved arrers’ enduring appeal with 3 million viewers for Let’s Play Darts for Comic Relief.

The charity tournament hosted by Gabby Logan and featuring Bob Mortimer, Liza Tarbuck and Tim Vine among others, had a 13.4% share of the audience, up 69% on BBC2’s three-month slot average.

It helped that it was on immediately after Top Gear, which delivered BBC2’s top rating show of the night, with 5.4 million viewers, a 21.2% share from 8pm.

We don’t love cricket, we like it.

ITV’s highlights of England’s cricket World Cup woes is proving of predictably marginal appeal. The team’s nine-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka had 506,000 viewers, a 3.9% share, from 10.15pm.

It was beaten by a Channel 4 repeat of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, which had just over 1 million viewers (6.9%) from 10pm.

All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live, +1 (except for BBC channels) and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated

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