5.7m tune in for old dog Dennis Waterman’s final New Tricks
Tuesday night saw the second episode of the final ever series of BBC One’s New Tricks (9pm) steal the biggest audience in its timeslot, with one of the long-suffering old dogs (and the only original cast member left) hanging up their novelty magnifying glass for the final time.
While still impressively popular after 12 long years of post-retirement crime-solving, recently the series has been on somewhat shaky ground, attempting to surviving a mass cast exit while trying to usher in many new faces to an older demographic that doesn’t do well with change.
When it was announced early this year that the twelfth series would mark the end of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad’s easy-to-follow adventures it made a lot of sense, despite Denis Lawson, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Tamzin Outhwaite’s hard effort to win over apprehensive fans.
Last week continued the downward trend seen in the last few years as 5.3 million viewers tuned in to see the first half of Dennis Waterman’s last caper, following 2012’s opening episode which secured 7.8 million, falling to 7.5 million for 2013 and just 5.8 million for last year’s début instalment.
Despite the general erosion, yesterday’s New Tricks easily secured the biggest 9pm audience as Waterman’s ex-Detective Sergeant Gerry Standing bowed out for the final time and actually managed to improve on last week’s overnight figure.
5.7 million viewers tuned in to see Larry Lamb coincidentally enter the fray just as Waterman exited, result in a strong 28% share for BBC One.
Over on BBC Two, the Chinese teachers shipped in to straighten out Hampshire school kids continued to despair in Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School (9pm).
1.5 million viewers tuned in to see the little experiment fall apart as the disruptive and problematic school kids realised that they were being broadcast on prime time national television and decided to add a little ruction to their harsh days, resulting in an 8% share.
At the same time ITV dropped the ball slightly, with factual documentary Abducted (9pm) netting just 1.1 million viewers and a 5% share.
Over on Channel 4, it was time to be reminded just how little we actually have when compared to the clients featured in the documentary Christian Louboutin: The World’s Most Luxurious Shoes (9pm).
1.3 million tuned in to see the vulgar amounts of wealth on display as Christian delved head first into the ever so rewarding Asian markets, with a 7% share watching the salesman flog his tortuous footwear for $6,000 a pop.
Channel 5, a broadcaster which became a parody of itself a long time ago, commissioned yet another benefits-themed shows using a random word generator, this time slapping the overused pre-title ‘the great British’ before the words ‘benefit’ and ‘hotel.’
The Great British Benefits Hotel (9pm) was exactly what you’ve come to expect from the channel’s top shelf prime time window, pulling in 1.1 million viewers and a 5% share.
Earlier in the day Holby City (8pm) secured 4.2 million viewers and a 22% share on BBC One, while The House That £100K Built (8pm) was watched by 1.8 million viewers and a 9% share on BBC Two.
On ITV Love Your Garden (8pm) netted 2.7 million viewers and a 14% share, while Channel 4’s The Three Day Nanny (8pm) secured 1 million viewers and a 5% share and The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies dragged 1.1 million viewers and a 6% share into Channel 5’s gravity.
After slaying arch rival EastEnders three times last week, it was time for Emmerdale‘s scheduled fall from grace.
The night’s second biggest audience tuned in to ITV at 7pm to see the mass casualty clean up continue after last week’s latest stunt, resulting in a 34% share.
But it was Albert Square’s mixture of PTSD, secrets and piercing glances that won Tuesday’s top spot, with 5.9 million tuning in to EastEnders to see Ian Beale dig himself out of another Lucy-shaped hole, resulting in a 32% share.
Overnight data is available each morning in mediatel.co.uk’s TV Database, with all BARB registered subscribers able to view reports for terrestrial networks and key multi-channel stations. Overnight data supplied by TRP are based on 15 minute slot averages. This may differ from tape checked figures, which are based on a programme’s actual start and end time.
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