BBC spies ratings victory Over ITV's George

[Lane Kent]

Spooks last night (Thursday 13th October) widened its gap in the ratings against ITV's "All About George."

BBC1 spy drama Spooks pulled ahead of ITV1 rival All About George in the 9pm ratings battle last night, attracting 5.6 million viewers (with a 25% audience share) according to unofficial overnights given out by www.mediaguardian.com

"All About George", the new comedy drama from "Cold Feet" writer Mike Bullen starring Rik Mayall, got only 4.2 million viewers (19% audience share) during the same time slot.

According to www.mediaguardian.com last week the ratings gap between the two shows was much smaller, with Spooks still winning but watched by 4.9 million viewers and All About George attracting 4.5 million.

[Lane Kent]

The first episode of "All About George on the 29th September drew 5.3 million viewers (compared to only 5 million who watched the 4th episode of Spooks), so 800,000 viewers defected from the 2nd episode and last night a further 300,000 dropped off.

[eithne]

I think I saw some of All About George one night, and thought it was really, really bad. In total it was about five minutes I watched before flicking over, so I can see why people would prefer Spooks.

[Lane Kent]

I watched the first one of All About George and the jokes were so old hat. I couldn't get over in the first 2 minutes they had the old cliche of an automatic camera on timer not photographing the family yet the minute someone got up to check the camera went off. Yawn how many times have we seen that joke? And it was in the first two minutes before the opening credits even. From there on in the jokes were mainly old gags we'd heard a hundred times before.

I love Spooks and ahve done since it started so I am glad it is doing well and it is quite clear from the latest lot of ratings peoople are turning back t Spooks or are watching Spooks just to escape George. So dread to think what episodes 2 and 3 of All About George were like?

[Lane Kent]

Thursday 20th October 2005

BBC1's Spooks got 5.4 million viewers and a 24% audience share.

ITV1's All About George got 4.1 million viewers and attracted a 19% audience share - similar to last Thursday.

[Lane Kent]

The 8th episode of the current run of Spooks did well from the Bleak House lead in. Spooks received 6 million. No ratings for "All About George" for Thursday 27th. However judging by previous week's performances it can't of been good.