New-look BBC1 is a hit

Greg Dyke's crusade to rejuvenate BBC1 and lure back millions of lost viewers appears to have paid off - the channel has achieved its highest ratings for 20 years.

For 14 consecutive weeks, BBC1 has overturned ITV's audience lead with a mix of feature-length dramas such as Dalziel And Pascoe, big-budget wildlife programmes including Blue Planet, and EastEnders on Fridays.

BBC1 has also been helped by ITV's continuing woes. The rival channel's decision to put football highlights in the peak-time Saturday schedule proved disastrous for its ratings.

The corporation's ratings transformation comes just over a year after director-general Mr Dyke ordered a new-look BBC1.