The Fall finale bags 9pm slot as tense chase comes to an end
After eight tense and terrifying episodes, last night brought an end to the second series of BBC Two’s dark sexuall thriller, The Fall (9pm), with the possibility of a third run still vaguely up in the air.
Starring a certain future Mr Christian Grey (Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan) as a guidance counsellor turned murderous sexual predator, and The X Files‘ Gillian Anderson as the London detective hell bent on tracking down the Belfast killer, the extremely dark drama debuted in May 2013 to rave reviews and 3.5 million viewers.
The gripping game of cat and mouse wrapped up just five weeks later as the audience increased to 3.7 million, with viewers tuning in to see if DS Stella Gibson would finally get her man. Naturally, BBC Two’s golden goose was forced to keep on giving as the demented Paul Spector managed to escape from the clutches of the law.
When The Fall finally returned a year and a half later, its success was noticeably more muted. Blame it on the ease of using the iPlayer, the lengthy interval between series or the sense of milking the unique drama but when the series returned in mid-November of this year, the overnight figure had dropped to 2.5 million viewers and then 2 million halfway through.
Last night’s feature-length closing episode finally gave feverish viewers exactly what they wanted as the laser-focused Stella finally came face-to-face with her serial killer prey. The anxious cat-and-mouse pursuit secured an average audience of 2.5 million viewers for its hour and a half running time.
While this might not accurately reflect the dedicated fan base or critical praise heaped upon the series, the shocking finale actually managed to secure the 9pm slot for BBC Two, with a 13% share.
At the same time on BBC One, Panorama (9pm) targeted the biggest boy in the playground with an unflinching look at the grim reality behind luxury devices that we now consider necessities in the western world.
Apple’s Broken Promises travelled the globe to see exactly where the materials for the iPhone 6 came from, from the hardships of Chinese factories to Indonesian children scraping for tin down dangerous mines with their hands. The sobering material-sourcing comedown only managed to bring in an audience of 2.2 million viewers and an 11% share.
ITV’s prime time goodness kicked off at 8:30pm as many brave soldiers were rewarded for their sacrifice and courage by getting to be patronised by nationally celebrated media ‘personality’ Amanda Holden. A Night of Heroes – The Military Awards managed to secure an audience of 2.5 million viewers for its 1.5 hour running time, resulting in a 12% share.
Over on Channel 4, the seventh series (yes, seventh) of 24 Hours in A&E (9pm) came to an end as more interesting characters were rushed through the emergency room doors in a state of professional panic, with the storylines basically writing themselves.
1.9 million viewers tuned in to see another set of life-threatening injuries play out in various ways, with the fixed rig documentary netting a 9% share.
On Channel 5, history got a bit Games of Thrones-y as the latest documentary about those rapscallions, the Plantagenet dynasty, came to an end. The fourth and final part of Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty was watched by 443,000 viewers and a 2% share.
Earlier at 8pm, DIY SOS: The Big Build was watched by 3.7 million viewers on BBC One, while MasterChef: The Professionals netted 2.7 million on BBC Two. On Channel 4, George Clarke’s Amazing Christmas Spaces managed to bag 1.2 million viewers, as the odd festive edition of the blokey architecture show secured a 6% share.
Earlier in the topsy-turvy world of soap, double bill of Emmerdale brought in an audience of 5.6 and 5.2 million viewers at 7pm and 8pm, respectively. But it was BBC One’s resurgent drama EastEnders that won Thursday’s top spot at 7:30pm.
A few months after torching his gaff as part of an insurance scam – and leaving his wife with permanent scarring to boot – last night saw poor old Alfie Moon finally face the music. And an extremely vexed Kat.
An audience of 6.2 million viewers tuned in to finally see his fire secret come out, 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. Overnight data supplied by TRP are based on 15 minute slot averages. This may differ from tape checked figures, which are based on a programme’s actual start and end time.
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