TV Viewing Round-Up: November 2013

You may have missed this last month, but Doctor Who celebrated its 50th anniversary.

This small understated event proved to be quite popular with viewers, who were treated to the return of previous Doctors David Tennant and maybe Tom Baker (though no one is sure what character he actually played).

Also featuring the return of classic era monsters, the Zygons, an appearance by the previously unknown War Doctor and Joanna Page as Queen Elizabeth I, ‘The Day of the Doctor’ attracted an impressive audience of 12.8 million viewers.

This gave the feature length episode the third highest audience rating for Doctor Who since the series returned in 2005, which might explain the high amount of media saturation.

The ratings juggernaut that is I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here slayed all this month, despite online gripes that this year’s camp wasn’t exactly the most stellar of line-ups.

Before descending into the usual celebrity back-biting, strategic showering, hopeless attempts at the jungle challenges and a strange obsession with contraband items, the show grabbed 2013’s highest viewing figure.

An audience of 13.1 million watched the launch episode of the thirteenth series, which possibly means that the big draw are those cheeky Geordie chaps Ant and Dec.

Last Tango in Halifax – the unexpected geriatric hit starring Sir Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid – returned to screens this month.

The comedy drama about childhood sweethearts who re-unite after 60 years attracted an impressive viewing figure of 7.6 million, which goes to show that not all programmes have to be aimed at the 18-34 year old demographic.

Children in Need – the annual charity festival where viewers get to see their favourite news readers try to impress us with their latest dance routines (or not, as the case may be) – proved to be more popular this month than The X-Factor.

This year’s telethon raised a record total of £31 million on the night and pulled in an audience of just under 10 million for the main pre-10pm show on 15 November.

The best Simon Cowell’s once all-conquering karaoke singing contest could muster was 9.8 million for 17 November’s results show, which saw an appearance from 2013’s controversy magnet Miley Cyrus.

Other programmes that did well in November were Animal Odd Couples (5.6 million); the final Poirot (6.1 million); The Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance (5.6 million); and England’s now traditional defeat to Germany (6.2 million).

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