BBC2 Comedy Zone a hit at last

BBC2's new Monday night comedy line-up has finally proved a ratings success.

Shows previously scheduled in the 9pm to 10.30pm slot have struggled to find an audience, with high-profile flops such as Johnny Vaughan's Orrible and Steve Coogan's Dr Terrible's House of Horrible.

But the new line-up, launched this week, has bucked the trend, according to unofficial initial figures.

Pop quiz Never Mind the Buzzcock, which was returning for its tenth series, kicked off the night with 3.5 million viewers - or 15 per cent of the audience.

The return of Big Train notched up ratings of 2.7 million (12 per cent), while the repeat of the first series of The Office had 2.3 million viewers, or 11.5 per cent of those watching TV.

Elsewhere, Johnny Vaughan Tonight performed poorly for BBC1, watched by just 1.7 million people.

Published: 23 Jan 2002