TV Overnights: Bianca’s bad day on EastEnders proves no match for drugged up double Emmerdale
Last night BBC One reminded viewers that they hadn’t quite reached the weekend just yet, with an hour of sobering programming all about the cultural divide created by benefits.
From the entire roster of BBC faces to choose from, none come more sobering than the intensely serious dead stares of Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford (back after a gap year in Australia or something).
The bizarre concept of a show basically lobbed four claimants and four tax payers in a room together to see who would win in a fight to the death (figuratively speaking). As words were the only weapons on offer, Nick and Margaret: We Pay All Your Benefits (BBC One, 9pm) was designed to ignite debate about benefit dependency and exactly how much is the right amount?
4.6 million viewers tuned in to see weary workers painfully dissect the spending habits of their alternative universe counterparts, with some wondering, is there even a point to finding work?
The first of two parts (yes, another hour of fun awaits next Thursday!) secured a 23% and was the most watched show in the 9pm slot.
Unfortunately there was no respite from the hopelessness over on ITV, as the commercial broadcaster turned the dial all the way down to ‘proper grim’.
As Ian Brady’s recent health tribunal testified, 50 years on and the nation is still a little obsessed with the inexpressible horror of the Moors Murders. Last night ITV decided to cash in celebrate this fact with the snappily titled Brady and Hindley: Possession (9pm).
Because an actual live interview with Ian Brady a la Piers Morgan’s Life Stories might be deemed a little insensitive by the liberal elite, ITV’s documentary followed Hindley’s version of events as told from her cell.
Paul McGann’s melodic tones guided viewers through the moral maze, holding their hands through the medium of a quality voiceover – with the actor pulling on experience from his ‘serious’ and ‘sensitive’ classes in equal measure.
Mirroring yesterday’s overall trend, ITV’s prime time offering fell a little flat with audiences, with only 2.3 million viewers (a 12% share) choosing to spend their Thursday night within the minds of seriously broken people.
Much lighter fayre was on offer over on Channel 4 as numerous simpletons decided that the path to true love lay in the form of yet another half-hearted reality show from the broadcaster. Set in the same lifelike universe as Made in Chelsea, First Dates (9pm) throws about such modern buzzwords like ‘interactivity’, ‘internet’ and eh…’not fake’ to pull in the viewers.
An audience of 562,000 people watched the show, which offers viewers a chance to bag a date and appear next week, resulting in a paltry 3% share.
A little earlier at 8pm, the BBC attempted to make the financial ruin of many family homes as digestible as possible with the help of over eager chefs, smiling more than a clown in a leaky nitrous oxide factory.
The Great British Budget Menu (BBC One) featured the same format as the main show – the obvious twist being that chefs James Martin and Angela Hartnett had very limited means in which to create a nutritious family meal.
The first half of the pandering one-off special was troubled by Emmerdale on the other side but the audience built back up by 8:30pm, resulting in an average audience of 3.7 million viewers and a 20% share.
Perhaps due to the weather, Thursday’s soaps were dealt a harsh blow by the God of popularity. A double helping of Emmerdale (7pm and 8pm) was up earlier in the evening and poor old Rhona’s buzz was in serious danger of running out. Drugs – she just loves them!
Last night’s double patty of rural intrigue saw the desperate vet break into her own practice to get a taste of those sweet, sweet horse tranquilizers.
The first episode brought in a surprisingly small audience of 5.4 million viewers and – unusually for a double bill – the second visit to the Dales upped the ante with 5.5 million viewers and a 29% share. The scenes of Rhona hiding her stash from the police actually resulted in the day’s biggest audience.
Which was very bad news for its troubled and shouty inner city cousin, EastEnders (BBC One, 7:30pm). Getting beaten by Emmerdale on a good day is one thing but allowing ITV’s soap to get one up on a slow day is another matter.
Believe it or not, Bianca Branning Jackson Butcher was having another difficult day with her children – eating disorders and testifying against child gangs were topping yesterday’s list. Only 5.3 million viewers bothered to flick over to BBC One between ITV’s double bill, securing a 31% 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.