UK TV Charts - w/e 1st March 2009

A rundown of the Top 20 most popular UK TV programmes or series for the week ending Sunday 1st March 2009 collated from information compiled and presented by BARB. Note that figures for multi-episode TV broadcasts (ie soaps or other shows with more than one episode per week) are rounded up into an average figure for the series and are denoted in the chart by * News broadcasts are excluded from the figures.

1) Coronation Street (ITV1).................9.46 *
2) EastEnders (BBC1)........................9.04 *
3) Dancing On Ice (ITV1)....................8.92 *
4) Wild At Heart (ITV1).....................8.30
5) Emmerdale (ITV1).........................7.29 *
6) Law And Order:UK (ITV1)..................6.96
7) UEFA Champions League Football (ITV1)....6.92
8) Let's Dance For Comic Relief (BBC1)......6.90
9) Casualty (BBC1)..........................6.84
10) National Lottery Draws (Sat) (BBC1)......6.44
11) Lark Rise To Candleford (BBC1)...........6.34
12) Ant and Dec's...Takeaway (ITV1)..........6.23
13) Rugby Six Nations (Sat) (BBC1)...........5.96
14) Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC1).........5.82
15) Antiques Roadshow (BBC1).................5.77
16) University Challenge (BBC2)..............5.61
17) Watchdog (BBC1)..........................5.47
18) Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1)..............5.46
19) Holby City (BBC1)........................5.44
20) Wendy Richard: A Tribute (BBC1)..........5.35

Chart commentary: 'Coronation Street' has lately been powering away from its BBC rival 'EastEnders' in recent months and, in fact, the same remains true this week but one poorly-rating Friday episode of 'Coronation Street' dragged down its average and appears to cut down the gap between the two. A strong first showing for 'Law and Order:UK' on ITV; it's the new Monday night crime drama 'created' by 'Torchwood's' Richard Stokes and Chris Chibnall. Looks like another ITV Monday night banker - episode two (final ratings to be released next week) saw a drop but this week's third episode rallied again and should settle with a similar final figure to the first. It's a hit and is certain to be recommissioned, even with ITV currently counting the pennies in its purse and looking for loose change down the back of the settee. A rare BBC2 entry with an impressive 5.61 tuning in for the final of this year's 'University Challenge' - Bamber would be so proud. Ant and Dec can only be worried to see their once-unbeatable 'Takeaway' now appealing to less viewers than BBC1's sleepy Sunday night drama 'Lark Rise To Candleford' and the 'National Lottery Draws'. You've got to laugh. Nicky Campbell's 'Watchdog' makes one of its occasional forays into the Top 20....which reminds me of a devastating critique of the show in TV pundit Charlie 'Screen Wipe' Brooker's 'Dawn of the Dumb' TV review collection which I read just last night (pick it up for £3 at your local HMV!) and has effectively now made it impossible for me to even consider watching any show hosted by Campbell even if I ever so be so inclined - which I'm probably not. That Charlie Brooker...he's a very naughty boy.