TV Overnights: 8.8m flock to ITV as Kirsty’s festival of slaps nears its end
Last night saw viewers finally wave goodbye to Lucy, the vexed and bothersome spectre in ITV’s haunted drama Lightfields (9pm).
The eternal teenager spent five weeks standing in shadowy bedroom corners, staring out of windows (with a vacant, yet slightly angry look, she took 68 years to perfect) and generally making a nuisance of herself throughout three different time periods.
The convoluted mystery didn’t exactly tear up the prime time slot over the last few weeks but locked in a loyal audience. The first episode, in which 16 year old Lucy got herself nice and crispy in a 1944 barn fire, pulled in 3.6 million viewers.
Rating remained steady over the following weeks, as Lucy knocked over random objects, terrifying the residents of her former home – there was Vivien, the faux middle class hippy in 1975 (she rolled her own fags and everything) and a fairly annoying modern family in 2012.
Wednesday night’s finale saw all the ghastly secrets of sepia-tinted yesteryear come flooding out of the barn doors, securing 3.3 million viewers and a 15% share.
This wasn’t enough to win the 9pm slot though, as the sight of The Apprentice‘s Margaret Mountford returning from her sabbatical was enough to scare off any pesky ghosts. Defiant and passionate as ever, Ser Alan of Sugar’s former skivvy dug her hands into the earth of Pompeii, searching for new clues about the ancient society.
Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time (BBC One, 9pm) saw Margaret explain how Vesuvius’ eruption locked the citizens in place and even went as far to rebuild two victim’s faces. Not that they could appreciate it much. 4.9 million viewers tuned in to see the stern graduate in her element, securing a 22% share and wining the biggest audience in its timeslot.
At the same time on Channel Four, were more families so desperate to be on television that they’d gladly share the most intimate moment of their lives with the nation. The latest round of deliveries on One Born Every Minute (9pm) pulled in 2 million viewers and a 9% share, resulting in the channel’s biggest hit of the day.
Early in the 8pm slot, a proven culinary format went up against a new kids on the block with predictable consequences. The sixth episode of Masterchef (BBC One) saw another five contestants try and blag their way to success and netted 4.9 million viewers and a 23% share.
Food Glorious Food didn’t do so well, as the barmy concept rolled into its fifth week of finding Britain’s more Britain-y dish. Or something. 2.5 million viewers braced themselves for an hour of full-on bunting, tasting and the usual sob stories. The X Factor‘s embarrassing little sister secured a 12% share.
Try as they might, it was all in vain. For the war for Wednesday night’s viewers had already been won earlier on in the evening. Emmerdale (ITV) netted the second biggest audience of the day with 7 million viewers and a 34% share at 7pm.
It was Kirsty’s latest ferocious overreaction on Coronation Street (ITV, 7:30pm) that secured the viewers. Another stressful day in court saw the whirlwind of pent up aggression unravel at the one ally she had left.
8.8 million viewers watched as timid and simple Julie put herself in the path of the hurricane, spelling the beginning of the end for the Street’s latest troubled soul. The latest slice of teatime violence attracted an audience share of 34%.
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.