TV Overnights: Strictly shuffles past X Factor for 2nd week running
Saturday saw Strictly (just about) beat The X Factor for the second week in a row but the goings-on at Downtown Abbey helped ITV capture Sunday.
Friday
The Graham Norton Show (BBC One, 10:30pm) returned late on Friday night for a 12th series with the BBC. Graham pulled out all the stops for the opening episode, giving viewers one of the oddest visions on Friday night’s television.
At long last Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Corbett sat side by side in the same room, breathing the same air and laughing politely at Graham’s stale brand of risqué.
Summarising the best of their respective nations, the former Governor of California and Commander of the Order of the British Empire were joined on the sofa by the drinking man’s crumpet, Miranda Hart.
Oh, and Usher was there too, singing and thanking god about things. The cultural event of seismic proportions was watched by 3.6 million viewers, securing a 24% share.
Earlier at 10pm on FX, was the moment fan boys have been waiting for – The Walking Dead returned for a third season surrounded by assurances that narrative mistakes of old were being corrected. And corrected they were – Carol, Maggie, Lori and Carl (who spent most of last series in a simpering mess or ‘wandering off’) were on top form, dispensing Zombies with a new-found energy.
The first episode found the group of survivors stumbling across an abandoned prison, a possible safe haven. Under the new Rictatorship, the series reignited it’s vigour giving viewers an intense, bloody hour of drama.
Last week in the US the episode broke cable rating records but was only watched by 369,000 viewers on Friday, resulting in a 2% share.
Earlier, the day’s biggest audience were captured through a two hour helping of easy-to-digest-soap goodness. Emmerdale kicked things off at 7pm, with an impressive 7.7 million viewers (a 37% share) tuning in to see the latest developments following Carl’s murder.
The first episode of Coronation Street followed at 7:30pm. The night’s biggest audience, 8 million viewers, watched as Audrey’s special friend reappeared. Nigel Havers returned as hot and hunky hexagenarian Lewis, getting Audrey all hot and bothered.
A 36% share watched as the sultry septuagenarian’s judgement was clouded with all those confusing romantic feelings. The second episode at 8:30pm didn’t quite have Haver’s gravitational pull but still grabbed 7.2 million viewers (a 30% share).
EastEnders proved to be BBC One’s biggest hit of the day, with 7.2 million viewers (a 32% share) getting caught up with the Masood family’s latest crisis. Later 5.2 million people watched Jo Brand take the host’s seat in Have I Got News for You? (BBC One, 9pm).
Saturday
Strictly Come Dancing (6:30pm) once again proved to be BBC One’s Saturday evening saviour. 9.9 million viewers tuned in for the two hour all-dancing spectacular. Fans were treated to Jerry Hall channelling some of her stage magic, attempting to bring Mrs. Robinson alive through a quickstep to Simon & Garfunkel’s classic tune.
In the end, it did seem like the famous character was reanimated, but only in Zombie form. A 44% audience share watched the Batman actress shuffle half-heartedly around the room – no amount of forced perkiness could distract from the lack of exertion.
The X Factor (8:30pm) didn’t quite have the pull of its elder, slightly more refined BBC cousin but was still a huge success for ITV1. The third week of live shows saw the TV-ready hopefuls cover club classics, hopefully securing the all-important frugal stay-at-home-drinking demographic. 8.2 million viewers stuck with the bounty of talent, all the way through to 10:20pm. The show was watched by a 35% audience share.
Meanwhile on BBC One, The X Factor deterrents performed very well. Those who like their drama scripted (in the honest way) had the option of Merlin at 8:30pm. The third episode in the current run held its own against Cowell’s pasteurisation machine. 5.5 million viewers tuned in for a taste of the fantastical escapists drama, capturing a 23% share.
Saturday night crutch Casualty continued with its 27th series at 9:10pm. The latest episode saw the staff being inundated with a murder of toddlers dressed in cute vegetable outfits, spewing and anally disgorging all over the sterile department. E. coli outbreaks are rarely as aesthetically pleasing as this. The latest drama secured 4 million viewers and a 17% share.
Sunday
Sunday evening’s fun time kicked off at 6:20pm on BBC One as Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury took a solemn walk along Beachy Head. Not to worry, Countryfile fans – the presenters weren’t in a manically melancholy mood, instead they were there to look at the local lighthouse.
6.8 million viewers (a 32% share) tuned in for their rural fix and watched as Tom Heap investigated a mysterious illness that ravaged dogs in woodlands (nowhere near as exciting as it sounds).
Holly Willoughby will not rest until absolutely every single one of us fall in love with her simple charms. She’s done her fair share of dead-eyed smiley presenting jobs, adverts with CG teeth and shock comedy at her expense. Her latest endeavour may have seen the super talented all-rounder over step the mark.
No one replaces Cilla.
7pm on ITV1 saw Surprise, Surprise dragged, kicking and screaming out of the studio’s damp vault and given a sparkly makeover. Despite Holly’s flashy smile, the smell of wrong still lingered in the air.
4.3 million viewers watched as mother’s were reunited with daughters, a couple were reunited with a wedding video and The Saturday’s were reunited with a lone fan. An average audience share of 17% caught up with the first episode of the reboot. She didn’t even sing the theme tune.
The Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One, 7:20pm) results show saw Jerry Hall catapulted back to her Yoga classes in west London, with 9.28 million viewers watching the dance off. The X Factor Results show proved slightly more popular as 9.33 million people watched urban outfit MK1 catapulted back to the edgy mean streets of Cornwall.
Which left Sunday stalwart and escapist drama Downton Abbey to capture the nation’s attention in the weekend’s precious dying hours. Last night focused on an attempt to free the innocent Mr. Bates from his impoverished prison hell, securing a whopping 9.7 million viewers and a impressive 37% share. Despite the rising popularity of Zombie themes, Sybil remained dead throughout last night’s action.
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.