ITV1's The Michael Jackson Story was seen by 4.5m (21.5%) last night, according to the latest ratings figures. The show, which replaced the planned Doc Martin at 9pm, was the most-watched programme during the hour and also the most-watched Jackson special of the evening. Earlier on ITV1, Airline put in 2.63m (13.6%) between 8pm and 8.30pm. Over on BBC One, BBC News Special: Michael Jackson took 2.78m (14.7%) at 7.30pm. Later, 3.33m (16.2%) tuned in at 8.30pm for Celebrity Masterchef and Hotel Babylon averaged 3.49m (16.7%) during the 9pm hour. Today At Wimbledon had 1.39m (6.9%) for BBC Two during the 8pm hour. Top Gear followed, putting in 2.02m (9.6%). Channel 4's 8pm screening
By Dan French

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The fourth series of Hotel Babylon got off to a decent start in its new Friday night slot, according to early ratings figures. The new run of the drama, which saw Nigel Harman take over in the lead role, averaged 4.28m (20.1%) for BBC One in the 9pm hour on Friday. The figure is down on the 4.97m (19.7%) who saw the first episode of the third series in its old Tuesday night slot on February 19, 2008, but up on the 4.15m (17%) who saw the series three finale on April 8, 2008. Babylon beat a repeat of Doc Martin, which had 4.12m (19.4%) in the same timeslot, and NCIS, which put in 1.55m (7.3%) for Five. BBC Two's My Life In Verse: Malorie Blackman interested just 603k (2.8%). The latest Big Brother highlights show delivered 2.17m (10.2%) for Channel 4, a week-on-week decline of around 500k and a year-on-year fall of around 1m. At 10.30pm,
By Neil Wilkes

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The first Big Brother eviction show drew an average of 1.69m (11%) for Channel 4 on Friday night, early figures suggest. The programme, which featured the eviction and interview of Sophia, is down around a million viewers on the equivalent eviction show from last year. It drew 2.87m (16.4%) on June 13, 2008. Earlier, in the 9pm hour, the latest highlights show put in a reasonable 2.66m (12.5%), with 104k (0.6%) on timeshift. E4's Big Brother's Big Mouth followed with 417k (4.4%) at 11.05pm. BBC One won the 9pm hour with 5.5m (25.6%) for Have I Got News For You and 3.58m (17.1%) for an Outnumbered repeat. Doc Martin took 3.59m (16.9%) for ITV1 and on Five, NCIS put in 1.57m (7.3%). BBC Two was last for the slot with My Life In Verse: Cerys Matthews, which managed 690k (3.2%). Gardeners' World Live delivered 1.89m
By Neil Wilkes

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The return of Red Dwarf for its first new episode in ten years was a huge hit for multichannel Dave last night, according to early ratings figures. The first episode of a three-part reunion special, Red Dwarf: Back To Earth, pulled in 2.06m (10%) for Dave between 9pm and 9.30pm. A further 341k (1.9%) watched at 10pm on timeshift channel Dave ja vu. A subsequent screening of a classic episode took 1.01m (5.1%) at 9.30pm. The success of Red Dwarf helped Dave to a primetime share of 3.2%, making it the most popular multichannel station of the night by a margin of almost one share point. On ITV1, a two-hour repeat of Martin Clunes's Doc Martin brought in 3.62m (17.6%) between 9pm and 11pm. BBC One's documentary The Real Swiss Family Robinson had 2.74m (12.2%) in the 9pm hour, and on Channel 4, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
By Neil Wilkes

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ITV has commissioned a fourth series of Martin Clunes's drama Doc Martin. The broadcaster has ordered a new eight-part run of the show, which features Clunes as a grumpy doctor, to be filmed in Cornwall by Buffalo Pictures. "We are delighted to be returning to Cornwall to make this fourth series. There are plenty of surprises in store for the Doc, and compelling story lines," said producer Philippa Braithwaite.
By Lara Martin

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There has been a rumour for some weeks now that British actor Martin Clunes - star of Men Behaving Badly, Doc Martin and other serials and one-offs -had been involved in the casting process for The Next Doctor. However the Mirror yesterday raised the possibility that Clunes may also have been in the running to be the Eleventh Doctor (reported here in the Telegraph)! There's no way of knowing at this stage exactly how close to the truth this is, and these things tend to remain up in the air...
Christian Cawley info@kasterborous.com

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Martin Clunes has signed up to star in a reimagining of classic BBC sitcom The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin. The Doc Martin star will play the title role, while Cold Feet's Fay Ripley, Butterflys actress Wendy Craig, Worst Week Of My Life star Geoffrey Whitehead, Game On's Neil Stuke and Moving Wallpaper's Lucy Liemann are also confirmed for the cast. Simon Nye, who worked with Clunes of Men Behaving Badly, will write the script with original creator David Nobb. The six 30-minute episodes will air later this year. "I am really excited about Reggie Perrin
By Alex Fletcher

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America's Got Talent was a hit for ITV2 on Friday night, drawing around 1.3 million viewers, early figures suggest. The latest auditions show averaged 1.2m (6.5%) between 9pm and 11pm on Friday, with a further 108k (0.8%) watching on timeshift. The new season launched on the channel the night before with 1m. Documentary The Apprentice - Why I Fired Them, during which Sir Alan Sugar explained his reasons for firing this series' candidates, averaged 3.57m (16.1%) for BBC One between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. Have I Got News For You followed with 5.06m (22.7%). The latest episode of Big Brother pulled in 2.73m (12.3%) for Channel 4 in the 9pm hour, with 265k (1.6%) watching on timeshift. It was beaten by a rerun of Doc Martin,
By Neil Wilkes

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