TV Overnights: Bianca’s miserable return nets 7.6m for BBC One
Tuesday night’s prime time fun officially kicked off at 7pm with the latest drama from the peaceful hamlet of Emmerdale (ITV1).
Time was running out for poor old Katie who has been fighting to stay alive in a collapsed underground tunnel for (from a viewers perspective) five days now.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of the cast were quick to accept her death, spotting an opportunity for a decent vigil/knees-up in the Woolpack.
This didn’t go down well with Katie’s husband Declan, who retaliated with an obligatory soap staple – the mass dressing down of the whole community while down the pub. It was dead classy though, they had candles and everything. 7.2 million viewers tuned in for the surprise midweek session, a 7% increase week on week. The soap also pulled in the biggest audience share in its time slot with 34%.
While one soap lamented the possible passing of a character, EastEnders welcomed one back with open arms. 7:30pm on BBC One saw the return of glutton for punishment Bianca Jackson Branning Butcher, her long suffering mother, Carol and platoon of mouthy children.
It took less than half an hour for the character to fully realise the futility of her existence, resulting in Bianca lying on her bed sobbing in foetal position. Who knows? Maybe the writers have a path of sunshine and happiness planned this time around. Or maybe not. 7.6 million viewers (a 35% share) tuned in to be reminded that the whole ‘Kat’s stealth lover’ story is still happening.
The latest rounds through the corridors of Holby City (BBC One, 8pm) followed straight after. An impressive 4.7 million viewers tuned in to see the moody doctor with the odd-looking ironed scarlet hair throw her latest strop about something. The 15th series episode also secured a 19% share.
This was competing against the latest episode of Masterchef: The Professionals over on BBC Two. The show managed to pull in the channel’s biggest audience of the day as Gregg Wallace sniffed out the wheat from the chaff, resulting in 2.9 million viewers.
Channel 4 offered up the final episode of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces at 8pm. The architect wrapped up the series (basically Grand Designs on a more practical scale) by visiting a canal boat that’s been transformed into a blokes getaway and unveiling the family holiday home project he’s been working on all series. 2 million viewers watched the spud headed presenter reveal his caravan, drawing in a 9% share.
Crusty romance Last Tango in Halifax (BBC One, 9pm) continued with its second episode last night, as the elderly lovers splashed out on a fancy sports car. Actor Tony Gardner also played the first of two sleazy literary types we’d be treated to in one night. First up, he played the son-in-law of Anne Reid, whose smutty novels drove his daughter in to the arms of a woman. The scandal!
Anne Reid’s barely-masked contempt for the character helped bring in a 22% share. Although viewers were down from last week’s opening episode, an audience of 5.5 million people tuned in for the latest drama about the pensioner’s romance.
For most people that wasn’t enough to fight off the call of the jungle. ITV1 gave us yet another hour and a half of I’m a Celebrity… action at 8:30pm. The night concluded with the very famous Soapstar Superchef (!??!) judge Rosemary Shrager departing for less stressful parts. Once again the tomfoolery in the wilderness locked in the day’s biggest audience with 7.6 million viewers and a 30% share.
On Channel 4 at 10pm the academic year came to a close at the fictional Manchester Medlock University and JP was having a bit or a crisis as the Fresh Meat gang were heading their separate ways.
The final episode of series two saw Oregon face up to the pressure to tell her boyfriend about all the mad sex she used to have with her dad. It was before they met, in her defence. Tony Gardner was once again on hand to play said dad – the deluded, creepy and pitiable lecturer Professor Tony Shales.
781,000 viewers watched as Oregon/Melissa ripped apart the family she once adored, securing a 4.2% share. JP will be relieved that the third series has been ‘commished’ despite the open ended nature of last night’s finale.
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.