TV Ratings: 24 vs. Being Human

There's a little TV battle going on Sunday nights here in the UK, what with 24 and Being Human clashing in the 9pm hour. Of course, now that 24's double-bills are over with, you can comfortably watch both -- well, provided you have access to BBC HD for Being Human's 10pm repeat. Otherwise, it'll be a straight choice between the two shows at 9pm still. Yes, I know you can easily record one show and watch the other in this age of PVR's, but you'd be surprised how many people still watch TV in the traditional way.

Sky1 and BBC3 are both digital channels, so it's been interesting to note that more people have been tuning into BBC3's Being Human than the more established 24 on Sky1. Both shows took a tumble in the ratings last night, though: 24 only managed 602,000 (ep5) and 434,000 (ep6) viewers, down from the premiere high of 718,000 a few weeks ago; while Being Human logged 967,000 for episode 5, down from the premiere attracting 1.4 million.

Oh well, a drop in figures is to be expected. The urgency to see something new tends to dissipate once the intentionally gripping first few episodes melt away and the show gets down to business.