'The Saturday Show' attracted an audience of 1.1m on February to 'SM:TV''s 1m and marks the first time that the BBC has beaten ITV in the overall figures since November 1999 when 'The Saturday Show''s predecessor, 'Live & Kicking', was on air.
According to the BBC, 'The Saturday Show' attracted a 29.3% share among children's figures -- almost double 'SM:TV''s 16% share.
Annette Williams, executive producer of 'The Saturday Show', said: "We are thrilled with the news and will definitely be popping the champagne to celebrate. New presenters Fearne Cotton and Simon Grant are obviously proving to be very popular."
She added: "We've worked hard to get the content right, offering a fresh mix of fun, entertainment and music plus great guests each week. We look forward to building on this success."
The BBC has made a concerted effort to revive the fortunes of its Saturday morning show since the emergence of ITV's 'SM:TV' and 'CD:UK' programmes. The ITV shows continued to prosper even after the departure of popular hosts Ant and Dec.
The BBC originally launched 'The Saturday Show' to replace the once dominant 'Live & Kicking'. However, the show, fronted by hosts Jo Mace and Dani Behr, failed to capture the audience. It was revamped with Fearne Cotton and Simon Grant as presenters and has steadily gained ground.
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