ITV1's American drama Pushing Daisies - starring British actress Anna Friel - has made its debut with 5.7 million viewers, overnight estimates suggest.
It was a relatively strong showing for a US import but the programme lost out to Casualty in its 2100 BST timeslot.
BBC One's long-running medical series was seen by 6.2 million people.
ITV1 did have Saturday's highest-rated show, however, as Britain's Got Talent scored 8.8 million viewers, ahead of Doctor Who on BBC One, on 8.1 million.
Hosts Ant and Dec were once again overseeing Britain's Got Talent, which returned for a second series with Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan on the judging panel.
Among the other ratings hits on Saturday was All-Star Mr and Mrs, another ITV1 programme.
Presented by Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton, it achieved an audience of 6.3 million.
And I'd Do Anything was seen by 5.4 million people, according to the estimates.
This is BBC One's search for performers for a new West End version of Oliver, with Graham Norton as its host.
It is rare for ITV1 to include an imported programme in its peak-time line-up.
However, Pushing Daisies has been critically acclaimed both in the US and in the UK.
The quirky series is based on a man who can bring people back to life by touching them once - but any further physical contact will kill them forever.
Friel and co-star Lee Pace were both nominated for acting awards at this year's Golden Globes, while the show itself was shortlisted for best musical or comedy series.
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