Sunday night ratings: 'Spooks' finale delights more than 5m

[dutchman]

The final ever episode of Spooks was seen by more than 5m viewers on Sunday evening, while The X Factor results show stayed above 11m, the latest audience data has shown.



Spooks, reaching its conclusion on BBC One after 10 series, delighted 5.13m (18.4%) in the 9pm hour. However, the spy drama struggled to compete with Downton Abbey, which averaged 8.87m (32.6%) on ITV1 from 9pm and 323k (1.8%) on timeshift.

The X Factor pulled in 11.12m (39.8%) on ITV1 from 8pm, peaking at 12.42m (42.3%) for the last 15 minutes as Sami Brookes lost the sing-off to Kitty Brucknell and was eliminated from the competition.

A further 163k (0.6%) watched The X Factor on ITV1+1. Spinoff show The Xtra Factor grabbed 973k (3.6%) for ITV2 from 9pm and 138k (0.7%) on +1. Afterwards, series three of The Only Way Is Essex continued with 1.18m (6.4%) on ITV2 from 10.15pm and 135k (1.5%) on timeshift.

BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing managed 9.66m (37.6%) between 7.30pm and 8pm, as Rory Bremner became the latest celebrity to exit the new series.

Elsewhere on BBC One, Songs of Praise stayed tuneful with 2.3m (12.9%) from 5.30pm, Countryfile nabbed an impressive 7.27m (32.7%) from 7pm and Antiques Roadshow took 6.03m (21.6%) from 8pm. Have I Got a Bit More News For You amused 1.96m (11.9%) from 10.30pm.

Back on ITV1, quiz show Holding Out For a Hero continued with 2.16m (8.8%) from 6.45pm. The Adrian Chiles-fronted That Sunday Night Show fetched 1.49m (8%) from 10.15pm.

Channel 5's showing of Toy Story 2 captivated 2.57m (11.3%) between 6pm and 8pm, before Paul Merton's Adventures amassed 712k (2.5%). Big Brother appealed to 1.26m (4.5%) in the 9pm hour and a screening of Two Weeks Notice appealed to 732k (4.7%) from 10pm.

A repeat of Top Gear revved up 1.81m (3.6%) on BBC Two from 6.30pm, before Operation Jericho mustered 1.59m (5.7%). Fry's Planet Word enchanted 1.25m (4.5%) from 9pm and Match of the Day 2 scored with 3.83m (22.5%) from 10pm.

Grand Designs built 850k (3.4%) on Channel 4 from 6pm and 131k (0.5%) on +1. River Cottage Veg served up 1.628m (4.6%) in the 8pm hour and 191k (0.7%) on timeshift. The Secret Millionaire took 1.46m (5.2%) from 9pm and 290k (1.5%). Chris Moyles' Hollywood Stars pulled in 790k (3.9%) from 10pm and 158k (1.5%) an hour later.

Overall, ITV1 won primetime with 25.6% (+1: 0.6%) against BBC One's 22.8%. BBC Two came in third with 9.1%, followed by Channel 5's 5.4% and Channel 4's 4.3% (+1: 0.7%).

On the multi-channels, Strike Back: Project Dawn continued with 479k (1.7%) on Sky1 in the 9pm hour. Madagascar delighted 918k (3.3%) on BBC Three from 7.45pm.

[dutchman]

I've only just caught up with this week's Downton Abbey. It's about the last day of the First World War so you'd think ITV would have shown it on Remembrance Sunday in a couple of week's time to coincide with the anniversary of the end of hostilities? Oddly too it played like a series finalé even though there is still one more episode to go.

Incidentally you have to see this programme in HD to fully appreciate the surroundings used in the series, they are quite remarkable.