Dancing on Ice skates off with 9.3m viewers

DANCING ON ICE, COOKING ON GAS Dancing on Ice, ITV1, 6.30pm – the celebrity ice dance show began with an average of 9.3 million viewers, its best launch show since the beginning of the opening series in 2006. The first two-hour instalment of Dancing on Ice, which this year features Kerry Katona, Craig McLachlan and Vanilla Ice, brought in 9.3 million viewers, a 34% share, on ITV1. Last year's series, which featured Sharron Davies, Bobby Davro and Tana Ramsay, began with 8.9 million (30%) while the 2008 series (Todd Carty, Graeme Le Saux) launched with 8.4 million viewers , a 32% share. The 2006 series , featuring John Barrowman, David Seaman and eventual winner Gaynor Faye remains the most popular launch episode to date, watched by 9.5 million viewers. Dancing on Ice returned for the "skate-off" at 9.30pm – when Nadia Sawalha and Angela Rippon became the first contestants to leave – with 7.4 million viewers, a 28.9% share. THAT MONDAY NIGHT OVERNIGHTS STORY That Sunday Night Show, ITV1, 10.15pm - Adrian Chiles's new ITV1 talkshow ,began its eight-part run with 3.2 million viewers, a 15.6% share between 10.15pm and 10.45pm. It lost out to the BBC News, which had 3.7 million viewers (18.9%) between 10.30pm and 10.55pm. ITV1 DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES, YOU ARE SPOILING US – ANOTHER NEW SERIES Wild at Heart, ITV1, 8.30pm - It doesn't have Amanda Holden anymore but – hey! – Stephen Tompkinson's still in it! The angst and animals drama returned for its sixth series with 7.9 million viewers, a 29% share. Together with Dancing on Ice it put a dent into BBC1's drama pairing of Lark Rise to Candleford and Zen. Lark Rise to Candleford's fourth series began with 6.7 million viewers, a 23.7% share. Zen averaged 4.6 million viewers, an 18.1% share, down from 5.1 million from last week's opener. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHHHHHHHTY! Darts, BBC2, 5.45PM – Martin "the Wolfman" Adams's third BDO world darts win averaged 2.3 million viewers between 5.45pm and 8.30pm, an 8.9% share, peaking with 3.4 million (12.1%) between 8pm and 8.15pm. It had the better of Channel 4 film premiere, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, which attracted 1.1 million, a 4.6% share, between 5.35pm and 7.30pm, and another 100,000 on Channel 4+1. Channel 4's Dispatches, Bafta-winning director Dan Reed's account of the prison break on the night of the Haiti Earthquake, brought in 800,000 viewers, a 2.7% share. ONE ... OH, JUST THE ONE GOAL FA Cup Live, ITV1, 1pm - Manchester United's 1-0 win over Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup averaged 5.9 million viewers, a 39.8% share, between 1pm and 4pm, peaking with 7.5 million (46.6%) between 3pm and 3.15pm. The match itself, which kicked off at 1.30pm, averaged 6.7 million. MOVIE NIGHT – AND DAY – ON CHANNEL 5 Dr Dolittle 2 – Channel 5, 5.20pm – the Eddie Murphy sequel attracted 1.1 million viewers, a 4.6% share, between 5.20pm, and 7.05pm. It was one of six films in a row on Channel 5, including Charlie's Angels and The Long Kiss Goodnight which each had 900,000 viewers at 7.05pm and 9pm, 3.3% and 4.1% shares respectively. None of the C5 movies could match the 1.4 million (7.7%) for BBC2's own film offering – this one a premiere – The Men Who Stare at Goats, starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor between 10pm and 11.30pm STILL DANCIN' Sky1's Got to Dance – the second series held up well in its second week, despite much stiffer competition from Dancing on Ice. Last night's double bill averaged 866,000 (6pm) and 724,000 (7pm), compared to 852,000 and 1.129 million for the equivalent episodes last Sunday. All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, +1 or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".