TV Overnights: BBC and Channel 4 race to solve the Great British Food Crisis
Food was on the tips of everyone’s lips yesterday teatime, as the UK’s top broadcasters scrambled to finally uncover the truth surrounding the mechanically reclaimed horse meat that’s been liberally littered in our diets.
Channel 4 was up first as the snappily named Morland Sanders gesticulated frantically towards the truth in The Horse Meat Scandal – Channel 4 Dispatches (8pm). The not-so snappily named investigation couldn’t provide any new insights but that didn’t dampen the roving reporter’s manic enthusiasm. An audience of 1 million viewers tuned in for a trumped up news summary, resulting in a 4% share.
Over on BBC One a Panorama investigation into the Afghan Army was pulled to make way for a hasty analysis on the current trend of fine equestrian dining. The noble and trusty BBC had a bigger pull than their rival as 3.2 million viewers watched Panorama – What’s Really in our Food? (spoiler – it’s mostly HORSES) at 8:30pm, netting a 3.2 share. The accusations, paranoia and general mistrust made Channel 4’s Utopia look scarily more and more credible.
Meanwhile over on BBC Two, there was no sign of obvious contamination on Food & Drink (8:30pm) as Michel Roux Jr whipped up a ‘posh’ take on the classic burger and chips. He probably labelled it posh because it contained 100% unicorn. As usual, it was all very lovely and dull but still managed to pull 1.9 million viewers (an 8% share) away from the dramatic ‘revelations’ on the other sides.
In the prime time slot on BBC One was voyeuristic nightmare Penguins – Spy in the Huddle (9pm) in which the cameras get up close and personal with a colony of the fluffy critters. The documentary show, which sees the penguins infiltrated by robots (!), improved slightly on last week’s opening episode.
The second of three episodes focused on the youngest members of the family and the dangers they faced as they familiarised themselves with their unforgiving world. In a traumatising turn of events many of the Disney-looking animals ended up freezing to death. 4.9 million viewers tuned in to be guided through the beautiful and harsh landscape by the dulcet tones of David Tennant, resulting in a 20% share.
ITV offered an alternative from the Tenth Doctor and the penguins with the Eight Doctor and the young prisoners. As attractive as the cuddly nature show was, it couldn’t float as many people’s boats as the opening episode of Her Majesty’s Prison (ITV, 9pm). Narrated by Paul McGann, the documentary is a delightful weekly tour of the UK’s most depressing incarceration centres. First up on the whirlwind tour was sunny Aylesbury, an institute for young and extremely dangerous offenders.
Darker than a Christmas episode of EastEnders, the documentary just piped past the Penguins to secure the highest share in the 9pm slot. Over 5 million viewers decided to spend a dreary Monday night in the company of Aylesbury’s officers who struggled to keep control over the criminals, securing a 21% share.
Channel’s 4 and 5 teamed up to offer a double whammy of a horror show. Embarrassing Bodies (Channel 4, 9pm) returned for a sixth series as Dr’s Christian, Dawn and Pixie somehow managed to get gullible people to sign away the country’s last vestige of dignity. 1.4 million viewers watched as some poor hungover holiday makers were besieged by the sinister medics in Magaluf, securing a 6% share.
Channel 5 made Dr Christian’s antics seem positively worthwhile as the youngest broadcaster on the block treated us to Shrinking My 17-Stone Legs: An Extraordinary People Special (Channel 5, 9pm) – which is all you need to know really. 742,000 viewers watched the story of Mandy and the rogue gene that caused her body to transform, resulting in a 3% share.
Earlier on, in the nether regions of the soul, Monday’s soap action proved once again to be the day’s biggest draw. EastEnders (BBC One, 8pm) saw Kat actively making yet more bad decisions after getting into a bit of a shouting match with Alfie.
Walford’s good time girl has pulled herself through many dodgy plotlines over the years but sleeping with weasly Michael Moon may have been a step too far. 7.7 million viewers watched as Kat shot herself in the foot, pulling in a 31% share. The soap resulted in the channel’s biggest audience of the day.
Things weren’t any calmer over on ITV with a double helping of Coronation Street. Lewis may be long gone but his smell still lingered throughout Gail’s abode. Last night, the world’s most unfortunate women discovered Kylie had been helping her twisted lover steal her cash.
The first episode of Weatherfield drama at 7:30pm attracted 9.3 million viewers and a 40% share. Gail’s interrogation helped the soap become the most watched programme of Monday night. The second visit at 8:30pm was down lightly but still captured the attention of an impressive 8.5 million viewers (a 34% 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.