ITV triumphs in drama ratings

Casualty gave the BBC its biggest drama audience

ITV triumphed over the BBC for TV drama audiences during 2001 - despite disappointing ratings for other parts of the network's schedule.

Apart from soaps, which gain some of TV's biggest ratings, ITV1 dramas occupied nine out the top ten 10 places in the drama audience chart.

The biggest drama audience of the year was for Touch of Frost starring David Jason, which won 14.7m viewers and a 58% audience share for an episode in January 2001.

Top 10 TV dramas, 2001

1. Touch of Frost (ITV1) 14.7m

2. Heartbeat (ITV1) 13.8m

3. London's Burning (ITV1) 11.4m

4. Buried Treasure (ITV1) 10.7m

5. Casualty (BBC One) 10m

6. Midsomer Murders (ITV1) 9.9m

7. Where The Heart Is (ITV1) 9.8m

8. Cold Feet (ITV1) 9.8m

9. My Uncle Silas (ITV1) 9.7m

10. Hot Money (ITV1) 9.6m

Source: Barb/TN Sofres

The only BBC One drama to make the top 10 was an episode of Casualty, also from January, which drew 10m viewers and a 41% audience share, coming in at number five.

The rest of the drama top 10 consisted of ITV1 shows such as Heartbeat, London's Burning, Midsomer Murders, Where The Heart Is and Hot Money.

But a BBC spokesman said the ITV1 shows were all veteran series.

'Hard job'

"ITV's dramas are long-standing shows - they have really been around a long, long time.

"ITV now has a hard job to launch new dramas, and BBC One has been having a lot more success in launching new shows," the spokesman told BBC News Online.

Tom Finney and Joe Prospero in My Uncle Silas

Few dramas in the top 20 are recent, the only new arrivals appearing to have longer-term potential being ITV's My Uncle Silas, and the BBC's Judge John Deed and Waking the Dead.

BBC One's Casualty, now in its 16th year, is also a veteran.

But the BBC is confident that its recent investments in new drama will pay off, the spokesman told BBC News Online.

"Red Cap, Murphy's Law and Judge John Deed have all launched with very high audiences.

"The shows for next year - Rescue Me, Cutting It and Spooks - we think they're strong, popular returning series.

"As ITV brands age and our new brands begin to succeed, the trend will move in the BBC's direction," he said.