At school, I was scarred by the Tudors. Not from learning of their gangster-style rule but because my shoe-box model of a Tudor house was rubbish. Even now, anyone who mentions Tudor architecture to me is liable to get a rant about Clarks’ footware.

Still, BBC2’s latest monarchical history served the channel well, as did Agent Scully and wildlife – despite the close attentions of a dominant ITV.

On Bank Holiday Monday at 9pm, BBC2’s thriller The Fall’s 2.9 million/11% was 500,000 short on last week thanks to some stiffer competition (early indicators are that it added 1m in catch-up). Still, it survived the BGT/Corrie cudgel better than Channel 4’s Skint, which lost 1.2 million with 2 million/8% (incl +1).

BBC2’s best Springwatch of the week, Tuesday at 8pm, achieved 2.6 million/11%, defeating C4’s Embarrassing Bodies Live (700,000/3%; 126,000 +1) and C5’s The Big Dig (700,000/ 3%; 38,000 +1). C4’s best rating was Wednesday’s 24 Hours In A&E’s 2.8 million/12% (incl +1).

BBC2’s doc on the first Tudor, Henry VII: Winter King, on Thursday at 9pm averaged 2.1 million/ 9%, ahead of C4’s Human Swarm (1 million/4%; 350,000 +1). The final episode of BBC2’s Australia With Simon Reeve held firm with 2.4 million/10% on Sunday at 9pm.

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