Another week, another new cop drama series, the only surprise is that it isn’t on ITV. BBC1’s new six-part drama series Maisie Raine got off to a good start attracting 8.07 million viewers and claiming the No. 16 spot on the top thirty programmes list. Although main star Pauline Quirke’s character does have a tendency to mouth off a bit, there does seem to be something in the show that suggests that it has a future.
Highlight of the week would have to be BBC1’s Changing Rooms which showed one of those (unfortunately rare) instances when one of the two couples hated what the other had done with their home. Pre-broadcast publicity in the tabloids allowed the show to pulled in 10.59 million viewers, more than any of this week’s episodes of Emmerdale, and the No. 8 position on the chart.
Another new show on television this week didn’t fare as well as Maisie Raine. LWT’s Verdict, which is an update of Seventies dramas series Crown Court, only managed 6.8 million viewers and finds itself at the lower end of the top thirty list down at No. 27. To be fair, it didn’t help that the show wasn’t transmitted in Central or Northern Scotland.
Meanwhile ITV’s latest attempt at comedy, Babes In The Woods, sees viewers dropping off at a predictably speedy rate. The second episode of the series was watched by 6.81 million people, down from 7.99 million last week. If the rumours in the tabloid press are to be believed then next week’s episode will reach even fewer viewers.
Things aren’t all bad for ITV, though. It has managed to claim 18 of the top 30 programmes with Coronation Street claiming the top three places (No. 1 being Monday’s episode with 14.62 million viewers). Also doing well is Richard Madeley’s Eye of the Storm, which over the past few weeks has been consistently attracting audiences of around 8 or 9 million (this week’s edition was watched by 8.7 million)
Over on Channel 4 the top programme of the week is again Friends which was watched by 4.24 million people. Channel 5’s pick of the week was the film Night of the Twisters, which had an audience of 2.54 million.
Reviewer: Simon Wright
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