BBC Comedy Blandings Launches With Nearly 6 Million Viewers

New BBC One comedy Blandings, starring Jennifer Saunders and Timothy Spall, was seen by nearly 6 million viewers on Sunday evening.

The comedy, adapted from the stories by PG Wodehouse, launched at 6.30pm on BBC One and was seen by 5.7 million viewers. Some television experts have claimed the BBC has launched the period drama in a bid to cash-in on the success of ITV‘s Downton Abbey and there have been some comparisons between the two despite Blandings being a comedy.

ITV’s Dancing on Ice lost nearly a million viewers as in its second week; airing between 6.15pm and 7.45pm just under 7 million viewers tuned in – 6.9 million. At 8.30pm 6.6 million viewers tuned in to see TOWIE‘s Lauren Goodger voted off the series. The second episode of ITV’s prestigious new drama Mr Selfridge pulled in 6.6 million viewers at 9pm – down slightly on last week’s premier. However, nearly half a million more viewers caught the episode an hour later via ITV’s time-shift channel.

BBC One’s Countryfile at 7pm pulled in 6.3 million viewers followed by the Antiques Roadshow at 8pm with 5.9 million viewers. At 9pm new period crime drama Ripper Street, starring Matthew MacFadyen and Jerome Flynn, attracted 5.1 million viewers as its ratings continue to slide. Next Sunday though see’s the return of Call the Midwife at 8pm to BBC One which may boost the ratings for Ripper Street which will follow at 9pm.