Tuesday ratings: 'Cuckoo' smashes BBC Three comedy record

BBC Three's Cuckoo began with over a million viewers last night (Tuesday, September 25), becoming the channel's most-watched comedy launch.



The Andy Samberg sitcom, about a travelling American hippie who crashes into the lives of a British family, averaged 1.15m (6%) in the 10pm slot.

With Greg Davies and Tyger Drew Honey also starring, Cuckoo smashed the record set by Jack Whitehall's Bad Education only last month.

Don't Tell the Bride pulled in a strong 918k (3.9%) an hour earlier on the popular digital channel.

The Great British Bake Off's audience soared again on BBC Two, drawing a new high of 4.54m (18.8%) in the 8pm hour. Vikings followed with 1.64m (6.9%).

Capping a successful night for the corporation, BBC One's Newcastle-set period drama The Paradise premiered with 5.47m (23.1%) in the 9pm hour.

Over on ITV1, a new episode of Midsomer Murders interested just 3.99m (16.6%) between 8pm and 10pm, but added 432k (2.1%) on +1.

The Martin Lewis Money Show debuted with a respectable 3.53m (16%) on ITV1 at 7.30pm (+1: 161k/0.7%), airing opposite a highly-rated episode of EastEnders.

The Boy Who Can't Forget took 1.87m (7.9%) for Channel 4 at 9pm, adding 385k (2.3%) on timeshift. 8pm's Double Your House for Half the Money managed 1.34m (5.6%) and 211k (0.9%) an hour later.

Meanwhile, Person of Interest anchored Channel 5's night with 964k (4%) in the 9pm slot, adding 175k (1%) an hour later.

Overall, BBC One topped primetime with 23%, ahead of ITV1's 16.7% (+1: 1.3%). BBC Two claimed third place with 9.8%, beating Channel 4's 5.7% (+1: 1%), and Channel 5's 3.3% (+1: 0.3%).

I was stupid enough to have watched "Bulk Buy Britan" on More4. It was the biggest load of tosh I've seen in a long time. Millionaire meat wholesaler Justin Preston supposedly found stupendous bulk buy bargains for random groups of shoppers in Bolton. Well, if you were hairdresser given massive free exposure on TV would you refuse to give a hen party cut-price hair-dos for one night? I'd like to see them to try that one when there are no cameras around!

I also know from having worked in the business that the toaster offer Preston supposedly won from an electrical shop manager was one that anybody walking in off the street could also have claimed. The manager was clearly under instructions to beat any online offer by exactly one pound which is all he did.

If you missed it the programme is repeated on More4 at 9.00pm on Thursday but is currently unavailable on 4oD or 4seven.