TV Overnights: BBC One’s EastEnders and New Tricks tops Tuesday’s viewing
After a series of surprise beatings by its commercial rival, Tuesday night saw EastEnders (BBC One, 7:30pm) rally up its best scrapping face (just think of Kirsty’s perma-growl) and finally happy slapped Emmerdale (ITV, 7pm) into submission.
Last night’s adventures in unnecessary shouting saw proto-human Max Branning still struggling with his god-awful love life which is too confused, yet at the same time too boring, to get into here. Elsewhere, simpleton Tyler Moon finally gathered up enough smarts to come to the conclusion that the promise of life outside of Albert Square might be slightly more rewarding.
6.3 million viewers tuned into to see the market trader get ushered away from London’s most disheartening postcode via the traditional method – the great black cab of hope. As well as pulling in a 34% share, the soap managed to secure the second biggest audience of the day.
Beforehand on ITV, overly medicated vet Rhona was busy getting her secret trip to the hospital under wraps from her husband while trying to get her next fix. The quaint rural goings on in Emmerdale just fell short of Walford’s audience, with 6 million viewers tuning in to see the pill popping friend of the animals backed into a corner of analgesic lies.
Later on in the more expensive realms of prime time, national treasure Stephen Fry attempted to show us the other side of London’s East End.
Sometimes Stephen Fry brings us ground-breaking, insightful programming designed to educate, entertain and tickle the mind. Then sometimes he gets a bit bored and teams up with ITV for an hour of easy to digest silliness. Stephen Fry’s Key to the City (ITV, 9pm) was most definitely the latter.
After receiving the keys to the city the esteemed writer/performer/presenter decided to do what he does with almost every other development in his life – make a show about it. Fry’s oddball tour of the capital’s financial district pulled in 2.9 million viewers and a 35% share.
Try as he might poor old Stephen just didn’t have the ‘cool’ factor needed to pull in the big crowds – this honour fell to the crusty detectives over on BBC One – the types who defy age with overly delivered quips, Just For Men and choice leather jackets.
9pm saw the tenth series of New Tricks continue defiantly as the second episode wrapped up the events of the team’s SAGA cruise to Gibraltar. Elsewhere, Alun Armstrong’s character Brian was setting up his exit, one of three stars to announce their departure following a public spat with producers on Twitter last year.
Whether BBC One’s bona fide demographic magnet can survive when the original set of Old Dogs are replaced by a new litter is anyone’s guess but it seems to be doing just fine for the moment. 6.5 million viewers, down from last week’s 7.5 million, tuned in for the Seven Sea’s sponsored crime solving, picking up a 28% share and the biggest audience in the 9pm slot.
Over on Channel 4, viewers were finally able to attach a punchable face to all that rage they’ve ever felt when losing a shedload of cash at dodgy sea side machines.
The last episode in the fifth series of Undercover Boss (9pm) focused on the CEO of a slot machine company who has been feeling the punch of the recession. 1.3 million viewers (a 6% share) watched as he pandered to unsuspecting employees and got all emotional and stuff.
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.